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,

mouth hanging open. "Wait,

sitting straight with her

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 voice of hers is almost

fur bristles as she curls her lip over her teeth in

Discerning tastes.

to keep a

to bare her

the reprieve, I

to

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

forms in my

tucking them

about me,

keep you a

wolves don't take kindly to th I have

need to be shared. It freedom outside of

so. "I don't know, Selene.

One of my few allies in Westwood;

firend will

avoyut you Ava hist like

like Lacas dore now that he

really seeing them, I pick it

Don't tell her Keep secrets. But why? If I

want to tell her

I'm always so

a weakness of

Lisa never judged me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first,

supportive."

Ava. She deserves to know

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

needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds

idea roots into my

sounds startled.

that. That's not what I mean.

An idea?

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