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, in

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

Selene says primly, sitting straight

before I can finish the sentence, I try to think of a way to end it without offending her. Because I'm

Selene's fur bristles as she curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires

Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes.

to keep a straight

continues to bare her

the

returning to

has a

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in

half-packed suitcase tucking them

Vanessa about me,

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

kindly to th I have no

to be shared. It freedom outside of these

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

kind. 1 One of my few allies

tror firend will understandd

and avoyut you

like Lacas dore now that he

really seeing them, I pick

her Don't tell her

want to tell her

I'm always so

a

Lisa never judged me for being a shifter or for my

supportive."

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

nod slowly, my decision

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

my brain with insistence. "We'll talk to her when

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

not what I

An idea?

some