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

a bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to

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 you’re right here. I’ve already lost you twice. I’ll never let

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

the Air

I nod.

I whisper, finally feeling some of the stress ease from my body.

isn’t angry

Clayton for touching what’s

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

he’s

him in doubt.

fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up,

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

to give me a

I nod, again.

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

37

Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

bond between us. I want there

secrets, and no

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

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 one

the anger. Okay?”

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

toward us, just because I took you out of that place. I want

kiss against my fingers, before turning

13.27

Clearing the Air

words are sweet, but his actions are stirring

far

“Lucas-”

straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket,

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.

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

amber eyes. His wolf is here, straining for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a