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

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

primly, sitting straight with her

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 with danger. "Um. You know.

her teeth in a silent

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes.

try to keep a straight

continues to bare

for the

to the

has a

That's crazy talk.

idea forms in my

suitcase tucking them inside, trying

about me, cutting through

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

take kindly to th I

shared. It freedom outside of these

so. "I don't

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

firend will understandd

and avoyut you Ava hist

Lacas dore now that he

at the Butcher without really seeing them, I pick it all

head. Tell her Don't tell her Keep secrets. But why?

should want to tell

always so

guess that's a weakness

my past. And Lucas... was angry at

supportive."

Ava. She deserves to

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

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

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

sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at

that. That's not what I mean. I have an

An idea?

some information out