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

Selene says primly, sitting straight with

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

as she curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires are finicky

Discerning tastes. That's

to keep a straight

to bare

the reprieve,

to the packing

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

forms in

half-packed suitcase tucking them inside,

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through my

trying to keep you a secret." about Selene, the

th I

to be shared. It freedom

I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa

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

tror firend will

and avoyut you Ava hist like

na like Lacas dore now that he

Butcher without really seeing them, I

tell her

want to tell

I'm always

that's a weakness of

my past. And Lucas... was angry

supportive."

Vanessa cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know the

slowly, my decision made. "Okay.

rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to

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

startled.

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

An idea?

some