Tangled

Unshift 204

Unshift 204

204 Ava: You Know About the Fae?

My phone rings just as Kellan pulls into the driveway of the alpha lodge, waking me from a light doze

"Hello?"

"Ava."

Lucas' voice is warm and soft, despite the edge of exhaustion I can

hear within it.

"Hey, handsome." My lips curve even as my cheeks heat; being flirtatious doesn't come naturally.

Kellan's stare in my direction doesn't help the embarrassment churning in my gut, and I hop out of the SUV as quickly as I can.

Of course, I stumble, my foot somehow catching in the seatbelt in my hurry, and the phone clatters out of my grasp, skittering across the driveway as I shriek, falling onto half my face and scratching up both hands.

My knees are somehow spared, but there are a lot of people helping me to my feet.

Too many people. All of them careful not to make eye contact, even as Kellan rushes over to check me for injuries.

"My phone. I need my phone." Lucas is probably freaking out.

"Marcus has it. He's talking to him." After reassuring himself that I haven't broken anything and am-more or less-intact, Kellan steps back and Marcus slides my phone into my hand.

"Ava? Are you okay?"

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204 Ava: You Know About the Fae?

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got tangled up in the seatbelt and fell."

Having to actually say it out loud somehow makes the entire

situation even worse.

taught you how to fall. Never once did I teach you to land on your damn face," Jericho barks from behind the crowd,

voice

you on falls again tomorrow morning,"

cheeks burn. I can

the phone all the way to my room, though I can feel Kellan's gaze on me every few steps, as if

my feet. Selene's tongue is everywhere, her entire body wiggling with the force of her wagging

overreaction to my return.

"Oof. Hi, Selene."

You smell weird.

pot roast. And potatoes. "Have you been sneaking food from the

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Ava: You Know About the

sneak it. They

having a dog around, because the list

Selene?" Lucas

just got to

makes a soft sound, before saying, "My wolf misses her. He's been whining about

"I miss you, too."

come much easier after having

times before.

my bed with a sigh, I

the room. "Oh, that's weird. Where's Marcus?"

since he's on the phone. "No one

blooms in my chest. "Sounds like you're in a good mood. How did the

immediately, I can feel the shift in his demeanor, even through the phone. He sighs heavily, the sound crackling in my ear. "Negotiating with alphas is much like negotiating with children. They're

curling

There's a bitter edge to his laugh.

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Know About

for the good of my

to the Council for permission because I knew they'd try to

not like I can argue

about Alpha Talon of Whispering Pines.

alpha."

him, love. Trust me, he's anything but neutral. I need you to promise

have no reason to go near them