Tangled

167

167

167 Ava: Mom's Stronger?

"Mom?" I ask in disbelief.

It can't be. How can Mom be stronger than the pack beta?

In another pack, your mother would have been a strong Luna candidate.

Wow.

I'd always known Mom had a strong presence, but I would have never guessed-never, in a million years, ever-that her wolf is stronger than Dad's.

I wonder how that worked out. Did Mom force her wolf to submit?

It is likely that the alpha did.

"Alpha Renard?"

Correct. An alpha's bond can force submission in any wolf, and change dynamics as he wishes.

I'd heard about things like that, of course. I knew we all had to submit, and I knew he had the power to force submission-but I don't think I've ever heard of him forcing wolves to submit to other wolves. It happens.

"Wow." Despite my visit with Mom yesterday, I feel a little sorry for

her.

A woman like her? With a strong wolf? She must have felt so stifled in this pack.

17:38

152 Ava Mom's Strompra?

Your mother is strong in wolf, but weak in human, she explains. Not all souls are well matched.

"You said she would be a strong Lupa candidate. Why can't strong female wolves be alphas?"

They can be. They used to be. Selene sounds frustrated. But today's wolves don't recognize it. An alpha today would have been King in

my era.

My mind jiggles. A Lycan King.

Wait a second.

"Sister Miriam called you-"

Queen, in

mouth hanging open. "Wait, you were a queen? Like,

says primly, sitting straight with her

it was because you're so..." Trailing off before I can finish the sentence, I try to think of a way to end it without offending her. Because I'm so what? Selene tilts her head, those ice-blue eyes staring deep into my soul. In her dog form, it's adorable. But that mental voice of hers is almost

curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires are finicky

Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes. That's what

I try to

continues to bare

the

to

has a

That's crazy talk.

forms in

half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying to

tell Vanessa about me, cutting

to keep you a secret." about Selene, the

th I

secrets need to be shared. It freedom outside

n I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa might feel betrayed

1 One of my few allies in Westwood; me with

firend

and avoyut you Ava hist like

now that he

really seeing them, I pick

her Don't tell her Keep secrets. But why? If I

should want to tell her my

I'm always so

guess that's a

Lisa never judged me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first,

supportive."

you, Ava. She deserves to know the truth, and we could use her

slowly, my decision made. "Okay. We'll

to buck Lucas' rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs

I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll talk to her when we

startled. Vanessa

That's not what I

An idea?

some