Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 139 Ava: A Shocking Finale (III) -- END SEASON TWO

"You're making this so much harder than it should be. I was hoping to savor this moment, but now I have to rush my meal, instead." He sounds disappointed, not angry, and the difference makes me shudder.

It's worse than him being infuriated. It shows that my struggles are no more than an inconvenience to him.

When his fangs break skin, the pain is unbearable.

It's worse than fire in my veins. It's an ache so deep that my entire body throbs and burns, I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out; I can't breathe.

Skimming over the pain is an ecstasy that taunts me with bliss, tantalizing with its lack of pain. I yearn for it, wanting to sink in, wanting to escape this torture—

Eyes, Ava! Selene shouts. Go for the eyes!

With a desperate cry, I jab my fingers toward his face, aiming for those cold, mocking eyes. He jerks his head back and I can feel my neck rip and tear, blood pouring.

But not before I feel my nails sink into something soft and yielding. He howls, his grip loosens, and I wrench myself free, staggering away.

The vampire clutches at his face, blood seeping between his fingers. One eye is a ruined mess, but the other glares at me with unadulterated hatred.

"You'll pay for that, bitch," he spits, his voice a guttural rasp.

I hold my hands against my neck, against the blood pouring out, gasping for air to fill my lungs. It's like they can't inflate fully, can't fill with oxygen.

This time rage fuels his movements as he lunges for me, messy and uncoordinated. My brain's already off, moving on instinct, through repetitive motions in training.

A quick sidestep. A knee to the groin, a practiced weak point. He's wide open and doubles over with a grunt as I follow up with an elbow to the back of his neck, sacrificing blood loss for success.

He hits the ground hard. Good to know pressure points also work on vampires.

He won't be down long—maybe seconds.

I dart to Lisa, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her back, scrabbling for purchase with my hands slick from blood.

My neck screams in pain and my vision blurs from darkness to light, spotted with prismatic shapes.

The vampire rises to his feet, his face a mask of rage. Blood drips from his ruined eye, painting a gruesome picture. He stalks toward us, his movements jerky, unhinged.

He's a far cry from the elegant monster from before. He's lost reason. Lost control.

I have a chance.

"I'm going to rip you apart," he snarls, spittle flying from his lips. "Piece by fucking piece."

I brace myself, shielding Lisa with my body. I know I can't outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is to stand and fight, to buy time until help arrives. If it arrives.

Something sparks to life inside of me, a crackling current that dances along my nerves. I feel it building, swelling, thrumming beneath my skin.

It's electric.

It's terrifying.

It's hope.

snarl and I trust the power within me,

been impossible to track is now something I can not only see,

training comes to me without

How to block.

How to move.

press my hand against his arm, how to utilize his momentum to throw

step as

in offensive strikes, but I've practiced defense to

to grab me, he's shoved forward, forced to regain his

can't go

the wooziness in my head, the way my knees shake, how

be

says, an encouraging presence

the sounds outside of

howls in

The sound of sirens.

wolves here, fighting. Perhaps they're on the other side of the

crash. A lot of

here, with only Teddy and Bren's corpses, Lisa's unconscious form, and the vampire

"Come with us, kitten. I've been searching for so long. Don't you want to know the truth of

My story?

these stupid packs? Their

face once again settled into that pale, death-transcendent beauty. "Come with me, kitten. I'll keep you safe, teach you your powers. Tell you the truth about that

agree with him. You're half in contract. Any agreement will bind you. Selene's words are urgent, and I have so many fucking questions, but I'm swaying on my feet, even with this

I'm shocked I can even speak. I don't know how bad the damage to

again, the skin is smooth and

I'm not

throbbing,

outline

You and your friend, too. I'll give you the freedom he can't. I'll give you the knowledge she

one desperate for the love of

holds her back, despite the faint tingle of the ecstasy I'd felt taunting me from beyond

I say again, trying to make sense of it all. "I'm

can't hold on to the power, feeling it pour out of me. For a second, I can

My vision's still spotty.

cupping my cheek with a soft croon. A

Ava!

asked me any questions. Everything's a blurry mess. I can't see him anymore, the only

on my wrist, the feeling of

and power

One heartbeat.