Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 92

92 Ava Clearing the Air (1)

92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

My stomach churns, and I get through the rest of the words as quickly as I can. “My heat was uncontrollable, and I had sex with the alpha there. He took care of me and Phoenix kidnapped me when I was shopping with his sister. No, we aren’t mated, but we aren’t strangers, either.”

There.

It’s out.

I peek at Lucas to see his reaction, but he’s just sitting there, his eyes unfocused.

It’s obvious that he’s taking some time to process everything.

My eyes drop to our linked hands, and I wonder if I should pull away before he does.

“Huh,” he says, and squeezes my fingers.

Of all the responses I’d been expecting, that one isn’t on my list.

“Lucas?”

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92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

He smiles at me, a lopsided little one. “I’m going to need a little time to process all this. I don’t understand how you can go into heat without a wolf, for one. But I’m not angry, Ava.”

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “That doesn’t seem right.”

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He sighs. “I’m… disappointed. In the situation, in how I put you there. In the way things could have gone but didn’t, because of me. I’m angry at myself, and I have

about things a bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this changes anything on my end.”

He lifts our linked hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my knuckles that has my belly fluttering. “I know that you haven’t chosen us yet. I know that there’s a lot more that you haven’t told me. I know that I fucked up. And I’m not going to do it again, not when you’re right here. I’ve already lost you twice. I’ll never let it happen again. Do you understand?”

His golden eyes are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words are calm and unhurried as he speaks.

92 Ava Clearing the Air (II)

I nod.

“Thank you,” I whisper, finally feeling some of the stress ease from my body.

He isn’t angry with me.

“I might have to punch Clayton for touching what’s mine, though.”

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

“It’s a joke, Ava.”

But he doesn’t really sound like he’s joking, so I stare at

him in doubt.

He sighs, and kisses my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up, right?”

I nod.

“Are you willing to give me a chance?”

I nod, again.

“I’m not expecting anything to happen overnight. I know that we’re both pushed together by this bond, but I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be mine. I want to know that you would choose me even if there

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“I can’t have that if I’m going to run around like a feral wolf, snarling about how some other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who pushed you into a situation where you were alone, vulnerable, and in heat. I’m the one who

“I hurt you. I hurt you a lot. You need to have your -chance to be angry with me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because I took you out of that place. I want more than obligation toward our fate, Ava. I want your love.”

“Shh.” His tongue darts out to taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional admissions two seconds ago to this.