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,

stare at Selene, my mouth hanging open. "Wait, you were a queen? Like, an actual

sitting straight with her

Lycan Queen, I 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

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

Discerning. Yes. Discerning

try to keep

to bare

for the reprieve,

to the

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms

tucking them inside, trying

to tell Vanessa about

a shirt dang we're trying to keep you a

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

to be shared. It freedom outside of

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

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

firend

you Ava hist

dore now that he

Butcher without really seeing them, I pick

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

want to tell her my

I'm always

a weakness

a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry

supportive."

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

decision made.

that she needs to

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

startled. Vanessa isn't at

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

An idea?

idea to get some information out of