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,

"Wait,

sitting straight with her

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

she curls her lip over her teeth in a

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning

to keep

continues to bare her

the

returning to the

a

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

half-packed suitcase tucking

tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

a shirt dang we're trying to keep you a secret." about Selene, the more I

th I have

need to be shared. It freedom outside of these

do so. "I don't know, Selene. What Vanessa might feel betrayed

been so warm and kind. 1 One of my

tror firend

you Ava

like Lacas dore now

the Butcher without really seeing them,

Don't tell her Keep

want to tell her

always

that's a weakness of

a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at

supportive."

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

decision made. "Okay. We'll tell

be afraid to buck Lucas' rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds significant

my brain with insistence. "We'll talk

hospital? She sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at the

That's not what I

An idea?

some