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

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

sitting straight with 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

she curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am

Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes. That's what

I try to keep a straight

continues to

the reprieve,

returning to the packing

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in

my half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying to

tell Vanessa about me, cutting through my

I pause, a shirt dang we're trying to keep you

to th I have no interest in spreading

be shared. It

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

and kind. 1 One of my few

firend will understandd

and avoyut you Ava hist

like Lacas dore now that

Butcher without really seeing them, I pick

Tell her Don't tell her

should want to tell her

I'm always so

a weakness of

my past. And Lucas... was

supportive."

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

my decision made.

she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she

movements are more purposeful when I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll talk

startled.

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

An idea?

idea to get some information