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,

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

says primly, sitting straight

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.

lip over her teeth in a

Discerning tastes. That's what

I try to keep a straight

continues to

the reprieve,

to

a strong

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in my

half-packed suitcase tucking

to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

keep you a secret." about Selene,

to th I have no

be shared. It freedom outside of

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

my few allies in Westwood; me with weighted stares

firend will

avoyut you Ava hist

dore now

seeing them, I pick it

tell her

want to tell her

always so

that's a weakness

never judged me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry

supportive."

about you, Ava. She deserves to know

my decision

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

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

hospital? She sounds startled. Vanessa isn't

not what I mean. I have an

An idea?

to get some information