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

But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this changes anything

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 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

eyes are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words are calm and unhurried as he speaks.

Ava Clearing the Air (II)

I nod.

some of the stress ease from

angry

Clayton for touching

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

joke,

doesn’t really sound like he’s joking,

him in doubt.

my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up,

Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to

give me

I nod, again.

that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging

37

the Air (II)

us. I

secrets, and

through my body, and tears to

that if I’m going to 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

the anger.

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

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 obligation toward our fate, Ava. I

as he presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my hand over to nuzzle

13.27

Clearing the

but his actions are

that’s far from innocent.

“Lucas-”

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

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

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

in his amber eyes. His wolf is here, straining for control. Lucas nips at my wrist,