Tangled

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161

161 Ava: Mom (1)

Selene perks her head up before there's a knock rapping against my door.

Vanessa, she confirms before I open it.

"The boys have dialed in," Vanessa announces as soon as she sees my face. "It's up to you. We can head straight to the hospital, or you

can settle in and wait until tomorrow."

My stomach twists, heartburn coming out of nowhere to spread fire through my esophagus. "Oh." I could almost forget why I'm here, distracting myself with everything else. "Tomorrow's just fine-"

"No," I cut in, shaking my head. "I need to talk to her now. The quicker we get answers, the sooner we can get Lisa back."

Vanessa searches my face, her brows drawing together as she weighs the situation in her mind.

After a moment, she steps back, motioning me out of the room. “I'll

let Ves know."

"Ves? Oh. Vester." I've never heard her talk about him before, and their curious interactions earlier have me wanting to ask her what's going on.

But I'm not exactly sure how to casually bring up such a level of gossip.

Is it gossip when you're talking to the person in question?

Either way.

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161 Ava Mom (0)

"You can stop staring at me like that." Vanessa smiles at me as we head out of the lodge, flanked immediately by two burly wolf shifters I don't recognize.

"Like what?" I ask, feigning innocence for as long as I can. It's embarrassing that she caught me.

Once we're both buckled in and Vanessa shifts into reverse, she

I aren't exactly on

I say, trying to ooze casual, even if my ears would be perked as high as hell if I was a

I don't agree about how to deal with you," she adds, flicking a faint smile in my direction. "He thinks you should stay in Granite City, on Westwood lands, under guard at all

this time of crisis. I think he needs to get his

been doing that. However, there has been

how he prioritizes you over the pack." She glances at me again, then back to the road. "It's rough when you have a fated mate. The pull

that she and Vester are also fated mates. "It is.

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a red light, she leans back in the seat, glancing in her rearview

bodyguards in the backseat, who all seem to shrivel at

an abuse of power," I whisper, even though they

"Gotta

"I'm not your-"

I

that she's put me in the back with all the

can always hop over the seat and come up

so loud it almost blows out my mental eardrum. With those hulking brutes? No, thank you. Did you know

familiar scenery pass. You're the one who showed up as a

howls in the backseat, startling all

Vanessa asks me in

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181 Aw Mon

yowl like a cat in heat. "She's just upset she's

"The fact that she's able to be around all of us without slinking

quirk as the dog in question begins to sing the song of huskies everywhere. "She's a

and reaches into the back, coaxing

sitting in the middle

head. "Your

though my mind is elsewhere as the tall building looms

step bringing me closer to

her eyes filled with concern. "How are

my nerves. "Nervous," I admit, surprised at how calm

asks, her words soothing, a balm to

off guard What am I afraid of? I