Tangled

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181

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.

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- I rub my thighs, fighting against the remembered aches and

ranking in my heart

might have

kind," I say after a while, realizing both men seem to be

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

These two...

them before. I know

more than once.

I don't even know their

window and peering

Mentor.

in silence, I can only agree. Kind is not really

hidden in his gruff words and

them say a word,

shoulders tense again, and Selene perks her cars. Something's happening.

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

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

Muddy Blue Eyes seems to be done talking, I lean

"What's going on?"

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

Well, that's good

doesn't

of the room Muddy Blue Eyes stays near

pause.

the new guards, because he shares a few quick words before closing it again, and their footsteps don't leave

is

Whatever happened-it's significant.

I press, unable to ignore the palpable

up, his words

in my chest. "How

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

room.

was right, that dhampir. This

grim words only give me the urge to

could they possibly

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