Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 273 Ava: My Lucas

The hospital is a scurry of activity, more than I expected considering its small size.

Nurses and doctors rush through the long hallway, their footsteps echoing. The 'Staff Only' door behind the reception desk is in constant motion, barely staying shut for more than a few seconds at a time.

Kellan leans in close to the receptionist, speaking in hushed tones. This woman's different from the one we encountered earlier, but her demeanor towards Kellan is just as warm. A hint of a smile plays at the corners of her mouth as she nods along to whatever he's saying.

Lisa's going to be pissed, once she finds out Kellan's her mate. She's not one to share.

Hopefully she gets here soon. The need to see her is only second to my gnawing ache without Lucas by my side.

"Ava." Kellan's voice cuts through my musings. "This way."

With each step, my heart rate picks up. Finally. I can finally see my mate.

The bond within my chest sings in my veins.

Deep breaths, I remind myself. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It doesn't do much to calm the lightheadedness that's creeping in, making the fluorescent lights overhead seem too bright, too harsh.

It's as if every pair of eyes in this hospital is trained on me, judging my every move. I know it's ridiculous. These people are far too busy with their own tasks to care about some random woman walking down the hall. But the paranoia clings to me like a second skin, making my palms sweat and my steps falter.

Get it together, Ava. You're being ridiculous.

We come to a stop outside a closed door. My breath catches in my throat.

Kellan raises his hand and knocks, the sound impossibly loud in the quiet hallway.

a chill down my spine. It's cold, brusque, lacking any of the warmth

does a somersault

step into the room, and my world narrows to the man on the bed. The bond in my chest flares to life, a supernova of emotion that steals my breath and sets my

My mate.

stark white cast, his opposite arm secured in a sling. Bandages crisscross his exposed skin, a patchwork of white against his usual

know is

his healing

My fingers itch to touch him, to

nothing. No spark of recognition, no hint of the intensity that usually blazes between us. He regards me with the same polite disinterest he

stumbles, tripping over itself as the reality of the situation crashes down on me. He doesn't know me. My mate, the

he sense

that

he steps up behind me.

by a truck," Lucas replies,

words are like a physical blow. I struggle to breathe, to keep my face neutral even as everything

says, his tone careful.

features. "My mate?" He looks at me again, more intently this time, but there's still no flash

memory might take some time to come back. Ava's been

summoning a smile that feels brittle and false on my face. "Hi, Lucas," I manage, hating how small and uncertain

face, searching for something. I hold my breath, hoping against hope that something will click, that he'll suddenly remember everything. But after a moment, he just nods. "I'm sorry," he says, and the genuine regret in his voice is almost worse than indifference.

"You've been through

the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle him. Up close, the extent of his injuries is even more apparent. Bruises mottle his skin in shades of purple and yellow. There's a

gesture vaguely, wanting to touch him but unsure