Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 28 Ava: Omega? (I)

I'm walking to the bus stop after my evening class, my mind still focused on the lecture. The streetlights flicker overhead, casting long shadows that seem to shift and dance in the corners of my vision. An uneasy feeling prickles at the back of my neck, but I push it aside, chalking it up to my overactive imagination.

Then, without warning, a searing pain explodes at the base of my skull. A strangled yell tears from my throat as my knees buckle, and I crumple to the pavement. Spots dance before my eyes, and for a disorienting moment, the world tilts on its axis.

Ava! Ava, listen to me! Selene's frantic voice cuts through the haze of agony. Get up! You have to run!

A rough hand grips my arm, hauling me upright with a savage jerk. The potent scent of shifter slams into me—musky, feral, and utterly alien. My heart stutters in my chest as a car screeches to a halt beside us.

Fight, Ava! Fight! Selene's command echoes through my mind, her urgency lending me a burst of adrenaline-fueled strength.

I thrash against my assailant's hold, kicking and clawing with everything I have. A guttural snarl rumbles in my ear as he wrestles me toward the waiting vehicle. My nails find purchase, scoring deep gouges along his cheek, but he doesn't relent.

The backseat door flies open, and I'm shoved inside with brutal force. My head cracks against the opposite window, and stars explode across my vision. Rough hands pin me down, the weight of a body trapping me against the cracked leather seats.

"Get off me!" I scream, bucking wildly. "Let me go!"

Hot, rancid breath washes over my face as my assailant leans in close, his features twisted into a savage leer. "Calm down, little wolf," he growls, his voice a deep, grating rasp. "You'll be fine. We'll be mating you soon."

in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

"A rogue wolf, free for the taking. What are you doing, walking alone at night? Waiting for us to

and I

and buck beneath the weight of my assailant, my heart thundering in my ears. Every ounce of my training screams at me to fight, to claw and bite and scratch until I'm free, but he's just too strong. His bulk

back of my

can even hear my thoughts over the roaring panic in my head. I'll survive until I can get away. Just get to

a guttural groan, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. "Can you smell that? She's about to go into heat." He drags in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. "Goddamn,

sense. Female shifters don't go into heat until they're mated.

pack education might not be that great, honestly. In White Peak, it was rare to see a shifter among humans. Here—well, Cedarwood didn't have many before, but lately they're everywhere,

along the crescent at my neck, causing it to burn. The urge to vomit is strong, and I jerk my head away, only for his teeth to bite into me in punishment. Stupid shifters. They have to be rogues; they

any better. Being in a pack doesn't mean you're a civilized shifter, either. I cringe as unwanted memories crowd my brain; I don't want to go

my mind racing even as the brute on top of me nuzzles the crook of my neck with disturbing tenderness. Play dead? No, they'd never let

my time until they make a mistake. I force my body to go limp, feigning defeat as a whimper escapes my lips.

wolf," he rumbles, his hot breath fanning over my skin. "Just relax and let it happen. You'll enjoy it soon enough. Submit to your

Please. They're not even

rogue wolves get a little

wave of nausea, fighting to keep my expression blank even as his calloused hands roam over my body in a mockery