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.

vampire's face, fingernails gouging. He snarls, jerking back slightly but not releasing me. The pressure on my windpipe eases a fraction

power leaks out. It's like a drug to creatures who can sense it. It isn't

vampire's chokehold. Whose brilliant idea was it to put a

in frustration. Just protect it, Ava! Don't let him break

again, lips brushing my hammering pulse. Lightheadedness swamps

against my skin, tongue flicking out to taste. Bile rises in my throat. "What

in a strangled laugh. "Must be the pancakes I

the kitten has claws." Cool fingers ghost across my collarbone, tracing the neck of my

grotesque crimson spray. The coppery tang assaults my nose, but there's an underlying sweetness that makes my stomach heave. It's cloying, like rotting fruit, and I gag on the

flies to his neck, wrenching out the object lodged there. It's a knife, the blade slick with his

feet. I stumble, legs shaky, as he shoves me behind him. He faces

taking his eyes off the seething creature before us. "I'll hold

moving, launching himself at the vampire with a guttural roar, shifting as he rushes

her shoulders, calling her name, but she doesn't respond. Panic claws at my chest. I need to get her out of here, away from

makes 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

wiping blood from his chin. "Did