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

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"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."

the movement jostles his injuries. When he speaks. again, there's a note of hesitation in his voice. "There is something

He

neck, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If we're

mark there?"

flies to my throat instinctively,

feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "That's because... well, we haven't completed our mating yet.

rather than accusatory, but it still makes me flinch. How do I explain the complexities of our relationship? The fears and insecurities that held me back, the external pressures that kept

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Ava: Give Us Both Time-END SEASON

condense it

then there just never seemed to be the right time, with everything that's been happening." Lucas nods slowly, processing this information. "I see, he says, though I can tell from the slight furrow in

far we'd come. "Before all this happened, we were in a really good

There's a hint of

his eyes that makes my breath catch. "I'm sorry," he says quictly. "I can see how much

threatens to choke me. I blink rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that are suddenly burning behind my eyes. "It's okay, I manage, my voice thick. "You will. Your memory will

weight of Lucas's confusion and my disappointment. "So, um, how's your healing going?

sure. Nothing they run explains why I'm not

heal incredibly fast, even from severe injuries. For Lucas to still be bedridden after all this time... it's

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.

does your wolf

like an eternity. His golden eyes, usually so warm and full of life, seem dull and distant. When he finally speaks, his voice is barely above a whisper. "My wolf is

gone?

process what he's

gone?" I ask, my voice trembling. "Like, you can't hear

"I mean gone. As in not there. There's

a part of you. It

from the trauma? Like a