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

Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this changes

fluttering. “I know that you haven’t chosen us 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

intense. Despite the roughness to his voice,

the Air (II)

I nod.

finally feeling some of the stress

isn’t angry

punch Clayton for touching

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

sound like he’s joking, so

him in doubt.

and kisses my fingers again.

on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest

you willing to give

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 you begging to be mine. I want to know that you would

37

the Air

no bond between us. I want there to be no

and no regrets.”

through my body, and tears to my eyes.

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,

all the

tear escapes, feeling a little like a puppet on a string. I

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

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

13.27

the Air

sweet, but his actions

far from

“Lucas-”

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

going to push you,” he murmurs against my skin, pressing kiss after 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.

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

control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space between us.