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

with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you

his lips, pressing 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.

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

Ava Clearing the Air

I nod.

whisper, finally feeling some of the stress ease from

isn’t angry

to punch Clayton for touching what’s

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

joke,

he’s joking, so I

him in doubt.

kisses my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up, right?”

Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of

willing to give me

I nod, again.

together by this bond, but 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 even if

37

Clearing the Air (II)

us. I want there

secrets, and

of longing straight through my body, and

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

all the anger. Okay?”

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

toward us, just because I took

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

13.27

Clearing the

words are sweet, but his actions are

that’s far from innocent.

“Lucas-”

to taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone

going to have to walk away from you right now. Fuck. My wolf is

gently touching his ‘disheveled hair.

control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space between us.