Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 138 Ava: A Shocking Finale (II)

"Such a naughty kitten," the vampire mutters, scowling in a way that erases the beauty of his face.

The vampire's grip tightens, crushing my throat as I thrash against him. My lungs scream for air. I claw at his hands, nails scraping uselessly against unyielding flesh. Panic floods my mind, blotting out rational thought.

Your training, Ava! Remember your training! Selene's voice slices through my rising hysteria.

Right. Training. Jericho's lessons flash through my oxygen-starved brain. I stop flailing and focus, letting my body go limp, conserving strength. The vampire smirks, misreading it as submission. His cold breath washes over my face as he leans in, nostrils flaring.

He's...sniffing me?

Revulsion churns my stomach as his nose skims along my jaw, down to the crook of my neck. He lingers there, inhaling deeply, a pleased rumble vibrating his chest.

The scar, Ava! Don't let him near it! Selene's warning ricochets through my head. He can't bite you there!

Fragmented memories resurface—Selene cautioning me about my scar during my heat, insisting I keep Clayton away from it. I hadn't understood then. I'm not sure I do now. But her urgency propels me into action.

snarls, jerking back slightly but not releasing me. The pressure on my windpipe eases a fraction and I suck in a

drug to creatures who can sense it. It isn't quite an aphrodisiac, but it can be, in the

chokehold. Whose brilliant idea was it to put

it, Ava! Don't

my neck again, lips brushing my hammering pulse. Lightheadedness

tongue flicking out to taste. Bile rises in my throat. "What is that

bubbles up, escaping in a strangled laugh.

ghost

crimson spray. The coppery tang assaults my nose, but there's an underlying sweetness that makes my

his neck, wrenching out the object lodged

to my feet. I stumble, legs shaky, as he shoves me behind him. He faces off against the vampire,

grits out, not taking his eyes off the seething creature before us. "I'll hold him

already moving,

gaze away, I scramble to Lisa's side. She's still unconscious, her breathing shallow. I shake her shoulders, calling her name, but she doesn't respond. Panic claws at my chest. I need to get her

me whip my head around. My heart seizes in my chest. Teddy lies crumpled on the ground, his head twisted at an unnatural angle. His wolf eyes stare sightlessly at the sky, his muzzle slack. The vampire stands over him, lips

chin. "Did you really think you