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-"

Queen, in my

hanging open. "Wait, you were a queen? Like, an

says primly, sitting straight with

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 her dog form, it's adorable. But that

her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires

Yes. Discerning tastes.

I try to keep

to

for the

returning to the

has a

That's crazy talk.

forms in my

tucking

tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

to keep you a

to th I have no interest in spreading

to be shared. It freedom outside of these

the shirt into the suitcase, n I do so. "I

One of my

firend

you

like Lacas dore now that he knee

without really seeing them,

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

want to tell

always

that's a weakness

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

supportive."

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

nod slowly, my decision made. "Okay.

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

my idea roots into my brain with

startled. Vanessa

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

An idea?

idea to get some information out of