Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 140

Chapter 140 Ava: Lisa's Gone

"Ava!"

Kellan's familiar voice should bring hope, but all I feel is despair as I stare into the distance, wishing that vampire would reappear.

A thousand of them could come and it would be fine. As long as they bring Lisa back.

"Ava! Can you hear me?"

Kellan's face swims in and out of focus, a hazy blur against the night sky. I squint, trying to bring him into clarity, but it's like trying to grasp smoke.

"They have Lisa," I whisper, the words scraping my throat raw. "The vampire... He took her."

Kellan's eyes widen, a flicker of anguish passing over his features before he schools them into careful neutrality. But I can see the tension in his jaw, the rigidity of his shoulders. He's barely holding it together.

"I know, Ava. We'll get her back." His voice is strained, distracted. Like his mind is a million miles away even as he's right here with me.

Strong arms scoop me up, cradling me against a broad chest. For a moment, I think it's Kellan, but the scent is wrong. Earthy and unfamiliar, not the piney-leather smell I associate with him. I turn my head, blinking sluggishly at the face above me. It takes a moment for recognition to click into place. One of the guards from Lisa's apartment.

I can't recall his name, but I remember him standing sentry outside her door, stoic and watchful.

He carries me away from the carnage, away from the bodies strewn across the grass like broken dolls. I want to protest, to demand he put me down, but my limbs feel weighted, my tongue thick and useless in my mouth.

Behind us, I can hear Kellan pacing, his footsteps heavy and agitated against the ground. He's growling, the sound low and menacing, interspersed with words I can't quite make out. But one stands out, sharp and clear amid the jumbled mess of my thoughts.

Mate.

He keeps saying it, over and over, like a mantra. Like a prayer.

I try to focus on him, to call out and ask what he means, but the world is tilting, spinning off its axis. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision, a black tide threatening to pull me under.

The last thing I see before unconsciousness claims me is Selene running in from the woodline, coming straight for me.

Ava!

* * *

The hospital ceiling greets me again when I open my eyes.

This… is getting old. Fast.

I agree, Selene grumbles, but I can feel her warm weight against me. Someone must have let her in.

I wouldn't leave. Led them on a right merry chase around the garden. They call themselves wolves and

I rub my hands down her fur, turning my

Kellan.

out the window and hasn't even noticed that

whisper in

What?

That makes

He probably didn't realize until he could smell her blood. It's not uncommon. It's a very faint scent in humans until the bonding takes

How fascinating.

going to be furious

My heart sinks.

assures me, her voice strong and

take it we haven't found her yet?" I ask Kellan, whose head snaps in

How

the side of my throat, I confirm that the skin is unblemished. "Nothing

chest, but I

We have

know much about vampires—but I know

Correct.

everywhere." Kellan looks me over, like I haven't probably been poked and

not willing to talk about what happened. "What about Lisa? Do we have any

and shakes his head. "No. Nothing. You said

Red eyes. Kind of freaky.

rubs the bridge of his nose in frustration. "It's impossible

in my gut. "I'm

my apology. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Ava. It's

Selene says. Their appearances

silver hair does give us a small hint about his age," Kellan continues, "but even that isn't a guarantee anymore. Not with the new

"Vampires dye

they dye their hair, but

shiver runs through me at the thought. Vampires walking freely among the unsuspecting populace,

so long, Selene muses. Adaptation is

taken by an adaptive predator who sees us as nothing more than kittens to play with.

how do we find her?" I ask, trying to

Every supernatural leaves a trace. It's just a matter of picking up the

Selene corrects, but I

waiting

Kellan's hand on my shoulder stops me.

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