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

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

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

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

Clearing the

I nod.

of the stress ease

isn’t angry

have to punch Clayton for

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

like he’s joking, so I stare at

him in doubt.

my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up,

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

give

I nod, again.

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.

37

Clearing the

us. I want there

secrets, and no

longing straight through my body, and tears

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

all the anger.

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

-chance to be angry with me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because I took you

he presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my

13.27

the Air

are sweet, but his actions are stirring

that’s far

“Lucas-”

tongue darts out to taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath

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

hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair.

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