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 my

"Wait, you were a queen? Like, an

sitting straight

figured 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

her lip over her teeth

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning

I try to

continues to bare

the reprieve, I

to the

a

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms

half-packed suitcase tucking them

need to tell Vanessa about

we're trying to keep you a

don't take kindly to th I have no interest in

need to be shared. It

shirt into the suitcase, n I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa might

1 One of my few

tror firend

you Ava hist like

now that he

seeing them, I pick it

her

should want to tell her my

I'm always so

guess that's a weakness

judged me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first,

supportive."

Vanessa cares about you, Ava. She deserves to

decision made. "Okay.

Lucas' rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds significant sway

my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll talk

hospital? She sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at the

what I mean. I have

An idea?

some information out of