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 my

Selene, my mouth hanging open. "Wait, you were a queen?

says primly, sitting

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 her head, those ice-blue eyes staring deep into my soul.

teeth in a

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning

I try to keep a

to

for the reprieve,

returning to the

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

my half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying to

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting

trying to keep you a secret." about Selene,

wolves don't take kindly to th I

secrets need to be shared. It freedom outside of

I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa might feel betrayed that

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

firend will

avoyut you Ava hist like

now that he

really seeing them,

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

to

always

that's a weakness

my past.

supportive."

Vanessa cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know

slowly, my decision made. "Okay.

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

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

startled. Vanessa isn't at the

what I mean.

An idea?

get some information out of