Tangled

Unshift 274

Unshift 274

274 Ava: Give Us Both Time.

END SEASON FOUR!

"...and that's how we met," I finish, my heart racing as I watch Lucas's face for any sign of recognition. His brow furrows slightly, a look of concentration I've seen a hundred times before. But there's no spark of memory in his eyes, no sudden realization. 1

1

"That's... quite a story," he says. His tone is polite, interested even, but it's clear the tale doesn't resonate with him on a deeper level. It might as well be a movie plot for all the personal connection he feels to it.

I swallow hard, trying to push down the disappointment threatening to choke me. "Yeah, it is," I agree, forcing a smile. "Not exactly a fairytale beginning, huh?"

Lucas chuckles, the sound achingly familiar yet somehow wrong. It lacks the warmth, the depth of feeling I'm used to hearing. "I guess not. But it sounds like we worked things out eventually."

"We did," I nod, my fingers twisting in the blanket covering his legs. I want so badly to reach out and touch him, to take his hand in mine. But I'm afraid of how he might react, this Lucas who doesn't know me. "It took some time, but we got there.

A heavy silence falls between us. I can feel Lucas studying me, his gaze intense in a way that's familiar and foreign all at once. There's curiosity there, maybe even a hint of attraction, but none of the bone- deep recognition I'm used to seeing.

"Can I ask you something?" I blurt out, unable to bear the tension any longer.

Lucas nods, his expression open. "Of course."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the answer I'm afraid I already know. "Do you... can you feel our bond at all? Even a little?"

His face falls, genuine regret clouding his features. "I'm sorry, Ava. I wish I could say yes, but..." He trails off, shaking his head. "There's nothing"

My heart sinks, but I try not to let it show on my face. "That's okay," I lie, my voice barely above a whisper. "It'll come back. It has to."

wincing slightly as the movement jostles his injuries. When he speaks. again, there's a note of hesitation in his voice. "There is something I'm curious about, though."

He

towards my neck, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If we're mates, why don't

mark there?"

my throat instinctively, fingers

breathe, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "That's because...

curious rather than accusatory, but it still makes me flinch. How do I explain the complexities of our relationship?

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Ava: Give Us Both Time-END SEASON

to condense it all into a

inadequate the words sound. "We've both had our reasons for waiting. And then there just never seemed to be the right time, with everything that's been happening." Lucas nods

hastily, needing him to understand how far we'd come. "Before all this

of something in

in his eyes that makes my breath catch. "I'm sorry," he says quictly. "I

me. I blink rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that are suddenly burning behind my eyes.

throat, desperate to change the subject and escape the weight of Lucas's confusion and my

sure. Nothing they run explains why

incredibly fast, even from

why Kellan's been on edge when he talks about his alpha's recovery. It isn't just the memory loss; it's the entire situation.

your wolf

usually so warm and full of life, seem dull and distant. When he finally speaks, his voice is

gone?

reels as I try to process what he's just said. Gone? How can

you mean, gone?" I ask, my voice trembling. "Like,

jaw tightens. "I mean gone. As in not

is a part

the trauma? Like a