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

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

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

the roughness to his voice, his words are calm and unhurried

Ava Clearing the

I nod.

I whisper, finally feeling some of

angry

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

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

he doesn’t really sound like he’s joking,

him in doubt.

again. “Ava. I fucked

website on Gøøglᴇ to

give me a

I nod, again.

happen overnight. I know that we’re both pushed 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

37

Clearing the

us. I

and no regrets.”

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

touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who pushed you into a situation where you were alone, vulnerable, and in

all the

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

toward me, toward us, just because I took you out of that place.

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

13.27

the Air

words are sweet, but his actions are

far

“Lucas-”

taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me.

not going to push you,” 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 right now.

other hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair.

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