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, in my

open. "Wait, you were a queen?

Selene says primly, sitting straight with her head

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

over her teeth in a

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

try to keep a straight

to

for the reprieve, I

returning to

has a

That's crazy talk.

forms in

tucking them inside, trying to

need to tell Vanessa about me,

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

kindly to th

need to be shared.

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

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

tror firend will understandd

avoyut you

dore now that he knee the

without really seeing them, I pick it

her Keep secrets. But

want to

I'm always so

a

for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first, but he's

supportive."

cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know

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

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

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

startled.

what I mean. I have

An idea?

idea to get some information out