Tangled

175

175

175 Ava: A Wolf's Identity

If Vanessa was here, I'd love to talk to her.

Unfortunately, she's not. We're on a plane, and she's still in Blackwood, plotting on how to force answers out of my mom's wolf.

So I look at Kellan...

"If your mate kept secrets from you, even if it's for the best of reasons, in order to accomplish a goal-how would you react?"

"Furious." His answer is swift, and his eyes suspicious. "What are you up to now, Ava?"

"Nothing. Shame twists my gut as I turn back to the window. His immediate reaction is to think I'm up to something, bringing trouble to those around me. It's not like I blame him, but the feeling I'm left with is...

Sticky. Gross. Awful.

A few days ago, I would have chafed at such a response, frustrated over Kellan treating me like an errant child.

But now?

His uneasy stare bores into the back of my head, and I rest my

head against the window with a sigh. "Do you ever argue with your wolf?

"Not anymore. I used to. Why, are you having problems with yours?

175 Ava A Woll's identity

My head snaps around faster than should be possible. "What do you mean, mine? I don't have a-

"Yeah, yeah," Kellan leans back, closing his eyes. "You don't have a wolf. But I've seen that look on your face a thousand times. We're all shifters, Ava."

I can't help it; I touch my cheeks in confusion. "What look?"

Cracking open one eye, Kellan looks exasperated. "The look. Talking to her. You do it when you think we aren't watching, and half the time you do it out loud. You're better about it in the open, but in not in the a Shit. Really?

didn't you tell

comfortable. "Some things are yours to tell. And

shit. I'd confirmed his guess.

in approval, the first real glimmer of energy I've seen since Vanessa

information," I whisper, and

motion with

all of them listening

1. on. You're fine."

by this new surprise. Overall, I'm relieved. I

17. 17.

70

A

"So, what's the secret?"

period

"What secret?"

one you're hiding from your mate," he says impatiently. "You asked how I would

that was just

"Ava..."

believe me, and I sigh. "Vanessa sat me down for a wolves and the babes discussion this morning." "Wolves and the babes? Didn't you learn that at-oh." Understanding

shrug,

if he understands that she's my wolf, but I don't feel like verifying that right now. Later,

sighs. "When we're young, we fight with our wolves a lot. They're more instinctual than we are. Fighting over perceived insults, tussles for dominance, doing whatever we need

sometimes."

doesn't help my situation. Selene

17:44

A

Am I not?

about dominance and getting into fights just because someone looked at him the wrong way. Guess it's harder

his wolf even convinced him he'd be better off running. away and starting a new pack. Of course, we don't really do that kind of thing when we're thirteen, but his wolf was adamant." "What did he

he ran off. Took me and a few of our friends with him. We camped in the forest as wolves and were

rogues."

I turn a little more in my chair, pulling a leg up beneath me to get comfortable.

eyes to meet mine. "It rained. We found out that we could

doesn't sound so