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

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

primly, sitting

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 her dog form, it's adorable. But that mental voice of hers is almost purring with danger. "Um.

Selene's fur bristles as she curls her lip over her teeth in

Discerning

I try to keep a straight

to bare her

the

returning to

a

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in my

half-packed suitcase tucking them inside,

Vanessa about me, cutting

keep you a

wolves don't take kindly to th I have no interest

need to be shared. It freedom outside

shirt into the suitcase, n I do so. "I don't know,

of my few allies in Westwood; me with weighted stares and

tror firend

avoyut you Ava

Lacas dore now that he

at the Butcher without really seeing them,

Don't tell her Keep secrets. But

to

always

guess that's a weakness of

my past. And Lucas... was angry at first,

supportive."

you, Ava. She deserves to know the truth, and we could use her

nod slowly, my decision made. "Okay.

she needs

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

startled. Vanessa isn't

That's not what

An idea?

get some information