Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 76 Ava: Saved

Lucas' scent hits me after I've already tried to murder him.

An unmistakable blend of the outdoors, of amber and campfire smoke, of something so uniquely mate that it draws me in even through the pain of our past.

It's him. He's here.

The knife clatters from my trembling hand as every muscle in my body goes lax with relief. I'd been so tense, coiled tight like a spring ready to snap, terrified of losing my life tonight. But now Lucas is here.

He came for me.

"Lucas," I breathe out, hope and prayer all in one, the sound barely more than a whisper. My entire body crumples, overworked in its stress.

He's really here. I'm not dreaming. He's not a hallucination. This is real. Real.

My mate.

My savior.

Strong arms wrap around me, drawing me in against an embrace both hard and warm, filled with assurance and yearning. His hands hold me as if I'm some tender, precious thing, going from my back, up to the back of my head, brushing gently against my hair.

He's dropping kisses over the top of my head, against my eyebrows, then my eyes, whispering my name in a ragged chant before crushing me to him once again.

"Ava. Ava. Sweet Ava. You're safe now. Shh, it's okay. I've got you, Ava.

You're safe now." His voice rumbles, vibrating his chest against my cheek. One hand cradles my head, the other runs soothing lines down my back.

here. To thank him for coming. To tell him how terrified I was. To explain everything. But only a choked sob comes out as all

cling to him, as if letting him go means I

Let it out.

need to move," a shifter I didn't notice murmurs from behind

want to look at him, but Lucas holds my head firmly against his chest, rubbing me in that soothing rhythm

with you?" Lucas asks,

Nothing.

nothing here worth

you, Ava. We need to go fast,

blowing out a shuddering breath, then filling my

Another breath out.

shifts his arms, sliding one under my legs and lifting me as

I'm too heavy. I just lean

but he's talking over his shoulder, so I close my eyes and

the past—his rejection, my complicated feelings for Clayton, or the tangled web that brought

hold. "Wait," I murmur, struggling to find my voice. "I think

out of my pocket and hands it to one of the shifters accompanying us. Without blinking, the

a small canister and sprays me down with a fine mist. The scent is earthy and familiar, very neutral-seeming. "This will help conceal your scent for a while," he

obey without question, trusting Lucas and his team implicitly. The pill leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I

I had so much suspicion when Clayton came to my rescue, but with

crazy like

and the strange shifter with the

The humid summer air is heavy with the scent of earth and foliage. Our footsteps are muffled by the soft ground, but the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves betray our

smell a single one of them,