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, in

Selene, my mouth hanging open. "Wait,

sitting straight with

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

curls her lip over her teeth

Yes. Discerning tastes. That's what

to keep

continues to bare

the

to

a

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

tucking them inside, trying

tell Vanessa about me,

a shirt dang we're trying to keep you

to th I have no interest in

secrets need to be shared. It

suitcase, n I do so. "I

of my few allies in Westwood; me with

tror firend

avoyut you Ava hist

like Lacas dore now that he knee

without really seeing

Tell her Don't tell her Keep secrets. But why?

want to tell her my

I'm always

that's a weakness

or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first, but he's

supportive."

Ava. She deserves to know the

decision made.

The caveat being that she needs to agree with me,

packing as my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll

startled. Vanessa isn't at

what I mean. I have an

An idea?

to get some information