Tangled

Unshift 226

Unshift 226

226 Ava: War is Here (1)

Magister Orion personally escorts us up the mysterious spiral staircase to two adjoining rooms, promising to begin my training in the morning. O

The moment the door closes behind him, I pull out my phone, unsurprised to see no new texts or phone calls. Sister Miriam did say only the occasional ones text would come through.

So I call Lucas.

He answers on the first ring.

"Are you okay?"

His question is more of a shouted demand for an answer, and I hold the phone several inches away from my ear, blinking at the force of his volume. "Yes. I'm fine. Did you get Kellan's messages?"

"Do you need help? When can you come home? Why won't our phone calls connect? Is everyone treating you okay? Are you in danger? Have you eaten?"

"No. Soon. I don't know. Yes. No. Not yet." My lips curve at the way his questions barrage my ear. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Ave. So much." Lucas's voice softens, the rough edges smoothing into something tender that wraps around my heart. "I understand why you're there. I do. But I don't like it."

As if sensing the shift in conversation, Vanessa catches my eye, tilting her head toward the adjoining room. Marcus follows, the door clicking shut behind them, leaving me alone with Lucas's

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220 Ava. War is Here (1)

voice in my ear.

Questions pepper through the phone, rapid-fire, all with the same ultimate theme: Is the city safe? Can Alpha Renard or my family

find me?

Even Sister Miriam can't come here." I settle onto the edge of the bed, the plush comforter

Fae aren't going to keep you there forever?" The suspicion in his words is both

"No, Actually-"

Ave." His voice quality changes as he pulls away from the phone to tell someone to enter. I try to listen in, but it's impossible to clarify the words coming out of whoever he's talking to. Only Lucas' side of the conversation is

wounded, which has ice forming

There's been an uproar in the Council." Exhaustion roughens his tone, grim and heavy. The ball of ice transforms

only by the static crackle

other alphas separated from

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the takeover of the Blackwood pack. There

today. All concerted efforts, timed perfectly. We lost a few people, and others

is impossible as my legs turn to jelly. Sliding onto the bed, I whisper, "What does that

war is

a punch. War. The weight of it steals my

because they haven't attacked there yet. Our forces are too scattered, spread over too wide an area. We're working with the other alphas on bringing reinforcements, but

and unyielding. "Westwood is

to say. "It might be a blessing in disguise

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can't. You aren't strong enough. You've worked hard, but you'd be a liability to any of my teams. I can't send you into

truth hurts more than I thought it would. Biting my lip, I say, "I can

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Ava: War

opinion isn't on your

That's right. Several wounded shifters have been recuperating there, and a few of them even died under the care of the nurses. I'm sure they would be less than thrilled to see me around. Blood pressures

shoulders. Too weak. Too self-centered. Too many bad decisions. And now my mate is fighting the real war brought

can't keep whining at

important concerns than dealing with a whiny teenager of

way. But Lucas, promise you'll be

voice cracks a little.