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-"

I was Queen, in

Selene, my mouth hanging open. "Wait, you

says primly, sitting straight with her head

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 purring

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

Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes.

try to keep

continues to bare her

the reprieve, I

to the

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

my half-packed suitcase tucking them inside,

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting

to keep you

take kindly to th I have

be shared. It freedom outside of

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

and kind. 1 One of my few

tror firend will

and avoyut you Ava hist

na like Lacas dore now

seeing them,

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

I should want to tell her

always so

a weakness

or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first,

supportive."

you, Ava. She deserves to know

slowly, my decision

The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course.

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

She sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at the

That's not what I mean. I

An idea?

get some information