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

open. "Wait, you were a

Selene says primly, sitting straight with her

finish the sentence, I try to think of a way to end it without offending her. Because I'm so what? Selene

curls her lip over her teeth in

Discerning

I try to keep a straight

continues to

the

to the packing

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms

suitcase tucking them

to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

dang we're trying to keep you a secret." about

kindly to th I

secrets need to be shared. It freedom outside of

do so. "I don't know,

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

tror firend

and avoyut you Ava hist

like Lacas dore now that he

without really seeing them,

head. Tell her Don't tell her Keep

want to tell her

I'm always

that's a weakness of

my past. And Lucas...

supportive."

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

my decision made.

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

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

She sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at the

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

An idea?

to get some