Tangled

117 Ava: Her New Normal

Living in Westwood becomes routine again quickly.

Training with Jericho starts again only two days after my return, and the grizzled old shifter doesn’t say a word about my long absence.

Lucas and I text every night, but I refuse to call him. The sound of his voice is going to make me regret things.

And Selene settles into our daily life as though she

were never gone.

The only downside?

Kellan.

I have yet to speak to Selene or Lisa about anything important, because the beta is always around. He sleeps on the couch every night, no matter how many protests Lisa and I hurl his way.

Even Lucas is on board with it. I thought utilizing his possessiveness would go my way; it didn’t.

He just said Kellan would be the one wolf he could trust to keep me safe.

15:35 C

1/7

117 Ava: Her New Normal

Lisa’s worse off than I am; she spends a good chunk of her day glowering at the friendly beta.

I watch Kellan as he washes the dishes, his broad

shoulders filling out his t–shirt in a way that would be appealing if I wasn’t so annoyed by his constant

presence. Lisa mutters beside me, “It isn’t fair that my apartment’s been taken over.”

I sigh, the sound heavy with frustration. Selene huffs little woof of agreement from her spot on the floor.

“You know I can hear you two, right?” Kellan says without turning around, his voice tinged with

amusement.

“Good. Maybe you’ll take the hint

and leave.”

the counter as he dries his hands on a dish towel. “Sorry, no can

safety. I do. But having Kellan here 24/7 is driving me

15:35 –

Her New Normal

a babysitter,” I

over my chest.

arches a brow. “After everything that’s happened, I

with a mix of anger and embarrassment. I know he’s right. I’ve been kidnapped, attacked, and goddess knows what else

it sounds petulant even as the words leave my mouth.

can, Ava. But let us help, okay? It’s what

Pack. The word feels foreign on my tongue these days. The Blackwood pack was never really mine, no

pack…

I’m not really sure where I stand with them.

him.

I have been texting, but it’s superficial stuff. Jokes and memes, a quick question about our day.

3/7

Ava: Her New

anything more meaningful than that, and he

letting me be as free as I’d like, because despite having won the war of where I live…

here.

bodyguards outside. Can’t you just leave for a few hours? Let us have our

of it.”

not something I can get used to, and I never

used to it.

huffs, sliding her baleful gaze

direction.

I groan in unison. The sound is loud and long, dripping with all the frustration that’s been building up inside me for

not just the constant surveillance, though that’s certainly part of it. It’s everything. The bond with Lucas, the fact that my father and Alpha Renard still haven’t been found, the questions I have about my

15

A/T

Ava Her

All of it.

spikes. “Look, I get it. You two need some space. Some time to yourselves.” He pauses, his brow furrowing as he seems

eyes sparkling

nods again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Really. But I mean it about staying put. No exceptions. Especially as Alpha Westwood is gone again.” He’s back in the Blackwood territory, dealing with things that happened

thrumming through our bond, a warm pulse of energy that

with a satisfying smack. We did it, I