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 anything on my end.”

my knuckles that has my belly fluttering. “I know that you haven’t chosen us yet. I know that there’s a lot more that you haven’t

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

Ava Clearing the Air (II)

I nod.

you,” I whisper, finally feeling some of

isn’t angry with me.

to punch Clayton for touching what’s mine, though.”

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

sound like he’s joking, so

him in doubt.

and kisses my fingers again. “Ava.

to access chapters of novels early and

willing to give me a

I nod, again.

I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be mine.

37

the

bond between us. I

and no

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

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

a string. I

hurt you. I hurt you a lot. You need to have your -chance to be angry with me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because

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

13.27

the Air (II)

are sweet, but his actions

that’s far from

“Lucas-”

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

to keep that promise, I’m going to have to walk away from

my other hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair.

at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra