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.

of forcing us to run the full five miles-while Lisa and I bemoaned every mile, thinking we

cantankerous old man's ranking in my heart

might have

kind," I say after a while, realizing both men

with these two, which somehow makes everything worse. At

These two...

before. I know they've guarded Lisa's

more than once.

I don't even

peering

Mentor.

Kind is not really a word that fits

hidden in his gruff

other. Neither of them say a word, but their

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

of 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.

Sorry. But my stomach is churning, acid eating through its lining as we

Blue Eyes seems to be done

"What's going on?"

his head. "No one's injured.

Well, that's good

that doesn't answer

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

pause.

door, opening it only when someone approaches. It must be the new guards, because he shares a few quick words before closing it again, and their footsteps

movement is

Whatever happened-it's significant.

going on?" I press, unable to ignore the palpable

the door finally speaks up, his words

chest. "How is

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

room.

dhampir. This is

words only give

could they possibly want with

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