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

a soft kiss against 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 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

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

the Air

I nod.

feeling some of the stress ease from

isn’t angry

to punch Clayton for touching

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

doesn’t really sound like he’s joking,

him in doubt.

my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked

the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access

you willing to give

I nod, again.

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

37

the

no bond between us. I want there to be

secrets, and

quiver of longing straight through my body,

snarling about how some other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the

the

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

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 want your

warmth flushing into my cheeks as he presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my

13.27

Ava Clearing the Air

words are sweet, but his actions are stirring a

that’s far from

“Lucas-”

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

I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have to

other hand, gently touching his

for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back