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

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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 leave with

that there’s a lot more that you haven’t told me. I know that

voice, his words are calm and

Ava Clearing the Air

I nod.

feeling some of the stress

angry with

might have to punch Clayton for touching what’s

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

he doesn’t really sound like he’s

him in doubt.

again. “Ava. I fucked up, right?”

to access chapters of novels early

willing to give me

I nod, again.

more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside

37

Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

bond between us. I want

and

send a quiver of longing straight through my body, and tears to my

going to run around like a feral wolf, snarling about how some other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the

the anger.

like a puppet on a string. I don’t know how

be angry 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 fate, Ava. I

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

13.27

Clearing the

sweet, but his

far from innocent.

“Lucas-”

sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional

kiss into my palm. “But if I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have to walk away from you right now. Fuck. My wolf is going insane. He doesn’t want to talk anymore. He’s been crazy about

reach out with my other hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair. “Don’t go yet.”

at my wrist,