Tangled

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181 Ava: Twenty Laps Around the Track

Muddy Blue Eyes turns back in my direction, and while I can't sense any sort of real respect or care, he at least reclaims a

professional air when he addresses me.

Before he can ask anything important, I have an odd, niggling little bug in my car from what he'd said a few moments ago. "Five miles around the track is twenty laps?" I ask, with a faint frown. 1-what? His confusion is clear in his wrinkled brow and hesitation. "Yes. Twenty laps."

"Not twelve?"

"No. It's twenty. Four laps to a mile

My memory is very clear of my torture during training, and I know that can't be right. "Jericho told us to run five miles, and it was always twelve laps."

"Beta-Mentor Ashbourne?" Muddy-Blue Eyes looks astonished, his brows rising. "Only twelve laps? Are you sure?"

"Positive. He had us count them. The memory of my jello-legs after each lap have me shuddering. "It was torture."

"Torture? She's been blessed by the Moon Goddess for his favor, and she calls it torture," Muddy-

Blue Eyes' partner mutters, looking out the window and bringing his hand to his lips in a gesture of faith I've seen often in Westwood, but almost never in Blackwood. It's always the older wolves who do it. "Pertaps Beta Mentor Ashbourne

oft on newbies? I suggest

soft

and Muddy Blue Eyes shakes his head in a firm negative. Then ! pause, rolling that name over in my head. "Wait. Ashbourne... isn't that Kellan's family name?

"Beta Mentor Jericho is Beta Kellan's father, Muddy Blue Eyes confirms. "When he stepped down as beta to focus on training young wolves, Beta Kellan took his place."

Ah.

The odd feeling between them now makes sense. It doesn't seem like a favorable father-son connection, somehow.

"I see." In a few minutes, I've learned more about the man who spent ages training me and Lisa for hours every day than I did. when he was training us.

Another eye-opening experience.

run the full five miles-while Lisa and I bemoaned every

ranking in my

real miles might have

realizing both men seem to

has been replaced with these two, which somehow makes everything worse. At least the other ones hated me

These two...

seen them before. I

more than once.

even

and peering outside. "Kind isn't a word anyone uses to describe

Mentor.

is not really a word

there, hidden in his gruff words and demands

Neither of them say a word, but their

and Selene perks her cars. Something's happening. Maybe they'll explain

her ears. I don't mean to; my fingers have been fiddling with them for a while, and my skyrocketing anxiety brought it to a new level.

claws dig into my thigh. Sorry. But my stomach is churning, acid eating through its lining

to be done

"What's going on?"

glances toward me and shakes his head. "No one's injured. that's what you're worried

Well, that's good

doesn't answer

taking station on either end of the room Muddy

pause.

when someone approaches. It must be the new guards, because he shares a few quick words before closing it again, and their footsteps don't leave

movement is

Whatever happened-it's significant.

on?" I press, unable to

guard by the door finally speaks up, his words clipped and devoid

heart lurches in my chest. "How is that even

guards remain silent, their faces unreadable. Selene shifts beside me, her hackles raised, sensing the unease

room.

This

grim words only give me the urge

possibly want with the

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