Tangled

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186 Ava: Lucas, Short-Sighted

"A war would decimate our world," Kellan says. "The vampires won't take that risk. They're outnumbered by our packs."

"Outnumbered, yet they waltz into our lands as they please and have taken how many of our young lives?" Jericho counters. "Do you even know how many vampires are behind this? Is it one? Or several? And "One, of course-"

"And what are you going to do when only one vampire can breach your defenses so easily? Imagine when twenty of them join hands."

Kellan's mouth snaps closed, and Lucas growls in frustration. "You have something to say, old man. Spit it out.”

"You've been taking this threat too lightly. Too focused on your mate to see the forest for the trees. No vampire would do this for one little thrall. What do they hope to gain by antagonizing our pack?" "They're working with Renard. He's always been out to increase hist land and power."

Jericho's gaze bores into Lucas, a withering stare that seems to strip away years of authority and experience, reducing my mate to nothing more than a foolish pup. The old wolf's words slice.

through the tension like a razor, each syllable dripping with disdain.

"Why in the seven hells would vampires ever ally with an idiot like Renard?"

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The question hangs in the air, a challenge and an accusation all at ence. Lucas stiffens beside me at the challenge, but the old wolf isn't finished.

"Not all vampires live in the Unregistered Communities," Jericho reminds us, his tone sharp with impatience. "Only the ones who refused to submit to human oversight. If those cities are starting to fight back, we

A war between vampires and shifters, spilling out beyond the borders of our territories and into the human world? The thought alone is enough to make my blood run cold.

But Lucas isn't ready to concede the point. "If that's true," he counters, "then why aren't other packs reporting similar issues? Everything that's happened so far can be traced back to Renard's greed for Ava." "Until now." Jericho jabs his thumb over his shoulder, out the window. "They took the bodies tonight. What does that have to do

with Renard or Ava?"

Lucas goes quiet, because we all know there's no answer to that.

Alpha. Too inexperienced. Keep your eyes

***

leave that

beside me, petting Selene with absent-minded

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how her hackles raise at

the three men, I can see his exhaustion in the wrinkles around the corners of his eyes, the heavy set of

muses, her voice echoing through my mind. Lucas never took advantage of the resource right in front of him. He should have asked Jericho about his experiences with vampires.

times, he's dismissed as nothing more than an old

all be set aside in order to work together against the enemy. Someone like Jericho should have been leading tonight. It is. odd, his place in the

reaches for me, pulling me into his lap and resting his chin atop my head. The warmth of his embrace envelops me, a momentary respite from the chaos

Sister Miriam came?"

words. "I was worried," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I truly believe that Sister Miriam doesn't mean

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188 Avi Lucas, Short-Sighted

his arms tightening

sure if it's a plan we should support. I

voice laced with. frustration. "My authority and strength is undermined

smile. "You're doing great, Lucas. But maybe... Just maybe, you should listen to

feeling like those waters are too deep for me to dip my toes

from the gravity of our situation. "You just want to run headfirst into danger again, don't

Selene sneezes.

hold, the weight you carry

from his shifting, but our fated bond is quiet, content to let the gravity of the moment reign. It's a relief to be close to him without

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180 Ava Luns, Short-Sighted

I've finally accepted the bond in its entirety? My place within the

myself apart from the pack. As your mate, know I fall short. I haven't been the partner you need, the Luna our pack deserves. I've

at the corners of my