Tangled

Unshift 275

Unshift 275

275 Ava: Visitors

"Ava." D

My head feels like it weighs a million pounds. My ears feel stuffed and woolly. And Kellan's hands. dragging me to my feet are like burning embers pressed against my skin.

"What?"

"You passed out."

Staring at him blankly, it takes a while for my brain to catch up to his words. "Oh. Shit. I guess that's one way to deal with stress; just let your body shut down.

Don't really recommend it.

and Kellan doesn't ask questions about my visit with Lucas, just escorts me back to the cottage a makes sure I'm taken care of. Brings lunch I don't want to eat and promises to check on me in

another hour or two.

Of course, lunch is out of the question. My stomach's too queasy for that. And until Sister Miriam and Selene return, I don't have a great way to get information on what happened to Lucas' wolf. I'm definitely not going to tell people he doesn't have one; the pack needs stability, not another

blow.

I'm not even sure Kellan knows.

I

The thought that Lucas may have trusted me with a little secret buoys my depressed spirits by a

millimeter or two.

there's a part of him wanting

see me for the rest of the

Fuck.

the time he spent waiting patiently for me, delivered express mail with cash on delivery. Now it's my turn to

shower in hours, but I can't shake the depression clinging to me like

red, as if I can wash away the memory of Lucas staring at me like

It doesn't work.

clothes I was just wearing-they're still clean. -I flop onto the

few hours to reset my brain and maybe wake up and find this has

as I flop from left to right, then from belly to back,

13

275 Ava: Visitors

come. Instead, there's a constant replay in my mind, of every moment of my encounter with Lucas. The confusion in his eyes. The way he spoke like none of

I flip from side to side. Minutes stretch into what feels

soft knock at the door startles me from my restless attempt at

gentle voice

I'm on my

an instant, practically flying across the room and into her

contact until this moment. The solitude of the past

rubbing soothing circles on my

wiping at my eyes. "Sorry, I just...

face is grim as she

Not great," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "How much

side before meeting mine again. "About Alpha,

holding

Vanessa's gaze

the windows. Her voice rises slightly as she says, "I'm so glad he's doing well. Such a relief to

brow until she pulls a small notebook from her pocket. She scribbles something quickly, then turns it so I can read: / know about his

widen. Of course. We're being watched, listened to. There might

she asks, "Did you break down crying out of sheer relief in