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

bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this changes anything on my end.”

yet. I know that there’s a lot 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 here. I’ve already lost you twice. I’ll never let it happen again. Do you understand?”

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

the Air (II)

I nod.

whisper, finally feeling some of the stress ease from

angry with

punch Clayton for touching what’s

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

joke,

like he’s joking,

him in doubt.

again. “Ava.

Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and

willing to give me a

I nod, again.

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

37

Ava: Clearing the Air

us. I

no secrets, and no

through my body, and tears to

snarling about how some other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m

all the anger.

little like a puppet on a string. I don’t

need to have your -chance to 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 want your

presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my hand over to nuzzle his mouth against

13.27

Ava Clearing the Air (II)

are sweet, but his actions are

that’s far from innocent.

“Lucas-”

my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the

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

my other hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair.

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