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.

full five miles-while Lisa and I bemoaned every mile, thinking we were really running five miles- I rub my thighs, fighting against the remembered

old man's ranking in my heart rises

real miles might have actually

say after a while, realizing both men

bed. It seems their constant presence has been replaced with these two, which somehow makes everything worse. At least the other ones hated me and I didn't feel obligated to try and strike up conversation with

These two...

them before. I know they've

more than once.

I don't even know

to the window and peering outside.

Mentor.

I can only agree. Kind is not really

his

turning to glance at each other. Neither of them say a word, but their faces show how distracted they are inside

Something's happening. Maybe they'll explain it when they're done

my fingers have been fiddling with them for a while, and

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

Blue Eyes seems to be done talking,

"What's going on?"

me and shakes his head. "No one's injured.

Well, that's good

that doesn't answer

on either end of the room Muddy Blue Eyes stays near the window,

pause.

guards, because he shares a few quick

is

Whatever happened-it's significant.

going on?" I press, unable to ignore

by the door finally speaks up, his words clipped

in my chest. "How

shifts beside me, her

room.

This is far worse than

give

they possibly

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