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, an actual

sitting straight

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

she curls her lip over her teeth in

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes. That's

try to keep

to bare her

the

returning to the packing

has a

That's crazy talk.

forms

my half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying to

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

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

th I have no

need to be shared. It freedom outside of

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

One of my few allies in Westwood;

tror firend

you Ava

now that he knee

the Butcher without really seeing them, I pick it

my head. Tell her Don't tell her Keep secrets.

should want to

I'm always

guess that's a

or for my

supportive."

cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know the truth, and we

nod slowly, my decision

The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds significant sway over her

my idea roots into my brain with insistence.

sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at

that. That's not what I mean.

An idea?

to get some information out of