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

I don’t want

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 here. I’ve already lost you twice. I’ll never

are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words are calm and unhurried as

the Air (II)

I nod.

whisper, finally feeling some of the

isn’t angry with

Clayton for

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

sound like he’s joking,

him in doubt.

sighs, and kisses my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked

to access chapters of novels early and in the

willing to give

I nod, again.

expecting anything to happen overnight. I know that we’re both pushed together by this bond, but I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be mine. I want

37

Ava: Clearing the Air

us. I

no secrets, and

of longing straight through my

have that if I’m going to run around like a feral wolf, snarling about how some other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who pushed you into a situation where you were alone, vulnerable, and in heat. I’m the

the anger. Okay?”

a puppet on a string. I don’t know how else to respond

be angry with me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward

warmth flushing into my cheeks as he presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my hand over to

13.27

Ava Clearing the

sweet, but his actions

far from

“Lucas-”

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 this.

if I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have

hand, gently touching

at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the