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.

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

cantankerous old man's ranking in my heart

real miles might have

realizing both men seem to be waiting on some

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.

I don't even know

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

Mentor.

only agree. Kind is not really a

hidden in his gruff words and demands for

stiffen, turning to glance at each other. Neither of them say a word, but their faces show

her cars. Something's happening. Maybe

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

But my stomach

seems to be done talking,

"What's going on?"

and shakes his head.

Well, that's good

doesn't answer

either end of the room

pause.

when someone approaches. It must be the new guards, because he

is tense.

Whatever happened-it's significant.

to ignore

speaks up, his words clipped and devoid of emotion.

heart lurches in my chest. "How is that even

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

room.

right, that dhampir. This is

give

they possibly want with the

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