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-"

was Queen,

stare at Selene, my mouth hanging open. "Wait, you were a

sitting straight with her

Because I'm so what? Selene tilts her head, those ice-blue eyes staring deep into my soul.

over her teeth in a silent snarl.

Discerning tastes.

I try to keep

to

for the reprieve, I

returning to the packing

has a

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms

half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through my

pause, a shirt dang we're trying to keep you a secret." about Selene, the

take kindly to th I have

to be shared.

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

so warm and kind. 1 One of my few allies in Westwood; me with weighted stares

tror firend will

you Ava

dore now that he knee the

Butcher without really seeing

head. Tell her Don't tell her Keep

want to tell her my

always so

guess that's a weakness of

shifter or for my

supportive."

deserves to know the

decision

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

purposeful when I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll

startled. Vanessa isn't at

know that. That's not what I

An idea?

some