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

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

primly, sitting

sentence, I try to think of a way to end 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 form, it's adorable. But that mental

lip over her teeth in a silent

Discerning tastes.

to

to bare her

for the reprieve, I

to the

a

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

half-packed suitcase tucking

to tell Vanessa about me,

pause, a shirt dang we're trying to keep

take kindly to th I have no

be shared. It freedom outside

n I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa

kind. 1 One of my few allies in

firend will

you Ava hist like

dore now

without really seeing them, I pick it

her

should want to tell her

always so

a weakness

right. Lisa never judged me for being a shifter or for my past.

supportive."

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

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

Lucas' rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds significant sway over her mate, Vester.

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

She sounds startled. Vanessa

what I mean. I

An idea?

idea to get some information