Tangled

92 Ava Clearing the Air (1)

92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

My stomach churns, and I get through the rest of the words as quickly as I can. “My heat was uncontrollable, and I had sex with the alpha there. He took care of me and Phoenix kidnapped me when I was shopping with his sister. No, we aren’t mated, but we aren’t strangers, either.”

There.

It’s out.

I peek at Lucas to see his reaction, but he’s just sitting there, his eyes unfocused.

It’s obvious that he’s taking some time to process everything.

My eyes drop to our linked hands, and I wonder if I should pull away before he does.

“Huh,” he says, and squeezes my fingers.

Of all the responses I’d been expecting, that one isn’t on my list.

“Lucas?”

13.27 C

17

92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

He smiles at me, a lopsided little one. “I’m going to need a little time to process all this. I don’t understand how you can go into heat without a wolf, for one. But I’m not angry, Ava.”

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “That doesn’t seem right.”

to xx

He sighs. “I’m… disappointed. In the situation, in how I put you there. In the way things could have gone but didn’t, because of me. I’m angry at myself, and I have

a bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to

more that you haven’t told me. I know that I fucked up. And I’m not going to do it again, not when you’re right

golden eyes are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words are

Clearing the Air

I nod.

some of the stress ease from

angry

Clayton for touching what’s mine, though.”

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

joke, Ava.”

he doesn’t really sound like he’s

him in doubt.

kisses my fingers again. “Ava.

to access chapters of novels early and

give me a chance?”

I nod, again.

bond, but I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be mine. I want to know that

37

Clearing the Air (II)

I want there to

and

through my body, and tears to my

one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who pushed you

the anger.

a string. I don’t know how else to respond except to nod mindlessly at his

with me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because I took you out of that place. I want more than obligation toward our

feel warmth flushing into my cheeks as he presses another kiss against my fingers,

13.27

Clearing the

are sweet, but his

that’s far

“Lucas-”

darts out to taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional admissions two seconds ago

to have to

hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair. “Don’t

His wolf is here, straining for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space between