Tangled

181

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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.

how he cut our laps nearly in half, instead of forcing us to run the full five miles-while Lisa and I bemoaned every mile, thinking we were really running five miles-

cantankerous old man's ranking in my

real miles might have actually

both men seem to

have long since left, and I shift uncomfortably on the 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

These two...

before. I

more than once.

even

snorts, before walking to the window and peering outside. "Kind isn't a word anyone

Mentor.

I can only agree. Kind is not really a word that

his gruff

Neither of them say a word, but their

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

been fiddling with them for a while, and my skyrocketing anxiety brought

But my stomach is churning, acid eating through its lining

Eyes seems to be done talking, I

"What's going on?"

head. "No one's injured. that's what you're

Well, that's good

doesn't answer

either end of the room

pause.

someone approaches. It must be the new guards, because he shares a few quick words before closing it again,

movement is tense. Jerky.

Whatever happened-it's significant.

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

guard by the door finally speaks up, his words clipped and devoid of emotion. "The bodies were

chest. "How

their faces unreadable. Selene shifts beside me, her hackles raised, sensing

room.

that dhampir. This is

grim words only give me the

possibly

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