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,

open. "Wait, you were a queen?

primly, sitting straight

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

teeth in a silent snarl.

Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes. That's what

to

continues to

the reprieve, I

to

a strong

That's crazy talk.

idea forms in

my half-packed suitcase tucking them inside, trying

to tell Vanessa about

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

take kindly to th

secrets need to be shared.

the suitcase, n I do so. "I

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

tror firend will

and avoyut you Ava hist

Lacas dore now that he knee the

at the Butcher without really seeing them,

her Keep secrets. But why? If I

I should want to tell her my

I'm always so

a

being a shifter or for my past.

supportive."

Vanessa cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know the truth,

slowly, my decision made. "Okay. We'll

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

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

sounds startled.

that. That's not what I mean. I

An idea?

get some