Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 242 Lisa: Waking in Comfort

LISA

Waking up in a bed is too comfortable.

My brain wants to wake, but my body wants to keep sleeping.

If this comfort is little more than an elaborate trap before I'm murdered, just take me away. At least I'll be going in bliss.

A sharp poke in my side jolts me from my half-asleep musings. I crack open an eye, squinting against the sudden brightness. A face swims into view, so close I can count every wrinkle etched into leathery skin.

"Up! Up, you lazy girl!"

The voice is shrill, grating against my eardrums. I blink, trying to focus on the owner of that voice. It's a woman, impossibly small, with a nose so red it could guide Santa's sleigh.

I open my mouth to speak, but my tongue feels like sandpaper. Before I can form words, a stinging slap lands on my calf. The pain is sharp, unexpected, and I jerk away, nearly tumbling off the bed.

"Ow! What the—"

"No time for your nonsense," the tiny woman interrupts, waving a hand in front of my face. Her fingers are gnarled, reminding me of tree roots. "You stink. Shower. Now."

I sit up, head spinning. The room tilts and sways around me. Where am I? How did I get here? The last thing I remember is... Darkness.

Cold. A strange man who brought me out of my personal hell.

The tiny woman's groan snaps me back to the present. "Look at this mess. Filthy! You've ruined the sheets."

I glance down at the bed. The once-white linens are stained with dirt and... is that blood? My stomach lurches at the sight of my wrists, raw and a little bloody.

She tugs at my arm by the elbow, her strength surprising for

against my bare feet. Bare feet? Ah. Clothes I don't recognize—a simple white night dress that is several sizes too big, soft and deceptively clean. I'm sure

questions—but they stick in my throat. There's something about her demeanor, gruff and no-nonsense, that makes me feel like a

fear that it almost feels comforting to

need some serious therapy, if this tiny person isn't dragging

a door, and she pushes it open, revealing a bathroom. "In.

protest, she shoves me inside

my reflection in the mirror. My face is pale, eyes wide with confusion and fear. Dark circles underneath them

And speaking of bones…

face is gaunt. I've watched my fingers grow to little more than bony sticks, but my

God.

with some skin hanging

Horrible.

hell is happening?" I whisper to

answers. She looks as lost as

wants to march over

craves the promise of hot water, of washing away the grime I

I peel off the shift dress. My body underneath is a map of bruises and scrapes. Some look fresh,

Marisol didn't beat me.

it wasn't

did do a lot of thrashing around, trying to escape my chains. That usually involved falling to the floor in various painful ways. And when it wasn't escape attempts, it was me trying to do basic stretches and exercises to keep up

I'm surprised my wrists

it on, steam quickly filling the small space. I step under the spray, whimpering as the hot water hits my battered skin. But the pain fades, replaced by a blessed warmth that seems to seep into my very

a sense of peace and cleanliness I

it all over me until it turns in a dingy gray, scrubbing at my skin as

it's possible to brush it out. Still, I take my time washing it with shampoo and conditioner, leaving in a layer

my hand. The face that stares back at me is