Tangled

177

177

177 Ava: Accepting Her Pack

During the few funeral rites Alpha Renard held in Blackwood, he spent a lot of time pontificating. Especially during the rites for h

sons.

Here, Lucas says nothing. Does nothing. Only stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, as he watches the pyres burn.

The amount of human bodies decreases as they all take to their wolf forms, standing and waiting. When I glance at Kellan, I can see that unfocused look in his eyes.

Lucas must be talking through the pack link.

That's why it's quiet.

There are wolves to either side of him, and I don't recognize any them. Then again, I know very few members of the pack.

I'd chafed over that, used it as an excuse to go to the party. But how much effort had I made to get to know these people? At every turn, I felt stifled by their regard for me as Lucas' mate. Did I ever engage the

If I can't even get to know the bodyguards sent to keep me safe at the cost of their own lives...

What kind of person doesn't even try, and just complains about her lack of freedom? a

If I had gotten to know them, perhaps things would be different.

17:44

177 Ava Accepting Her Pack

Instead of complaining that I couldn't go anywhere without them, maybe outings would have been fun with them. Maybe the other pack members would have seen me trying to be friends...

Ah.

All those people watching me during training take on a different meaning in my head now.

Who would welcome an aloof wolf into their midst, knowing she's made no effort to assimilate into the pack?

My whining is a sour taste in my mouth, especially knowing that some of those people have now lost their lives because of me.

Despite understanding the tragedy, despite feeling terrible over the loss of life and injuries, I'd never once put a single one of their lives as a priority. I'd focused instead on Lisa.

They deserve more from us, Selene murmurs, sitting beside me with her ears flat against her skull. I once led my pack. I would

have never...

in confusion once more, and I

head without looking

pyres and the

to save Lisa, I whisper back, feeling the tears filling my eyes once more. We cannot lose more people. I don't know what to do. I don't

Selene stiffens. Ava.

20

warning in her voice catches me off guard. She's no longer starring toward the bodies burning in front of us. She's staring into the forest, her ears pricked forward

What is it?

her nostrils flaring as she scents the air. I'm not sure. It

anything. No one here does, and they're all in their wolf forms

Kellan, and I

amber eyes

between us is a warm weight,

Kellan's arm. I wait until his eyes meet mine. Not wanting to cause panic with words, I jerk my thumb toward Selene, still alerting to something off

and turns in the same direction

unfocused look hits his eyes

breaks away from the pack

assure Selene, but I can hear

she's struggling not to run over

to her, but she presses her body against my shins, even as she continues to stare

focus on my

Accenting

like every member of the pack is

is so dark it's nearly black, but the flickering light of the funeral pyres highlights the

vestiges of twilight fade into the oncoming night. A howl rips

my cheeks, but I make no move to wipe them away.

spend the night in their wolf forms," Kellan murmurs in my ear, his voice taut with tension. "A pack hunt

fallen."

I heard him, but my eyes are locked on Lucas' wolf. He stares

flickering light. The bond between us pulses, and I want nothing more than to go. to him, to bury

beside me, a low whine escaping her. Ava,

bolts. His powerful legs

Kellan barks, shoving me

too vicious for simple hunt. Fear claws

practically throws into the backseat before

hunt.".

the scene, I twist in my seat to stare out back window at the blazing pyres lighting the sky. The wolves a gone, vanished

A vampire? Here?

mentioned something abo a vampire at Blackwood when she bulldozed her way to my room I'm sorry. I was so f Kellan