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-"

Queen, in

"Wait, you were a queen? Like,

primly, sitting straight with her head

I can finish the 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 voice of hers is almost purring with

as she curls her lip over her teeth in a

Yes. Discerning

I try to keep a

to

the reprieve, I

to the

a

That's crazy talk.

forms in my

tucking them inside,

need to tell Vanessa about me, cutting through

a shirt dang we're trying to keep you a

don't take kindly to th I

secrets need to be shared. It freedom outside of

shirt into the suitcase, n I do so. "I don't

kind. 1 One of my few allies

firend will understandd

avoyut you Ava hist like

dore now that he knee

Butcher without really seeing them,

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

to

always so

guess that's a

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

supportive."

Ava. She deserves to know the truth,

decision made. "Okay. We'll tell

The caveat being that she needs

more purposeful when I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain

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

that. That's not what I

An idea?

get some information