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

things a bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this

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 you’re right

intense. Despite the roughness to his voice,

Ava Clearing the Air

I nod.

some of the stress ease from my

angry with

to punch Clayton for touching

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

doesn’t really sound like he’s joking, so I stare at

him in doubt.

fingers again.

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

to give me

I nod, again.

we’re both pushed together by this bond, but I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside

37

Clearing the

between us. I want there

and

a quiver of longing straight through my body, and tears to my

guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who

the anger. Okay?”

nod as a tear escapes, feeling a little like a puppet on a string. I don’t know how else to respond

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 I took you out of that place. I want more than

my fingers, before

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Clearing the Air (II)

his

that’s far

“Lucas-”

quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional admissions two

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

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

at my wrist, pulling back