Tangled

28 Ava: Omega? (I)

I’m walking to the bus stop after my evening class, my mind still focused on the lecture. The streetlights flicker overhead, casting long shadows that seem to shift and dance in the corners of my vision. An uneasy feeling prickles at the back of my neck, but I push it aside, chalking it up to my overactive imagination.

Then, without warning, a searing pain explodes at the base of my skull. A strangled yell tears from my throat as my knees buckle, and I crumple to the pavement. Spots dance before my eyes, and for a disorienting moment, the world tilts on its axis.

Ava! Ava, listen to me! Selene’s frantic voice cuts through the haze of agony. Get up! You have to run!

A rough hand grips my arm, hauling me upright with a savage jerk. The potent scent of shifter slams into me- musky, feral, and utterly alien. My heart stutters in my

chest as a car screeches to a halt beside us.

Fight, Ava! Fight! Selene’s command echoes through my mind, her urgency lending me a burst of adrenaline–fueled strength.

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28 Avt: Omega? (1)

I thrash against my assailant’s hold, kicking and clawing with everything I have. A guttural snarl rumbles in my ear as he wrestles me toward the waiting vehicle. My nails find purchase, scoring deep gouges along his cheek, but he doesn’t relent.

The backseat door flies open, and I’m shoved inside with brutal force. My head cracks against the opposite window, and stars explode across my vision. Rough hands pin me down, the weight of a body trapping me against the cracked leather seats.

“Get off me!” I scream, bucking wildly. “Let me go!”

Hot, rancid breath washes over my face as my assailant leans in close, his features twisted into a savage leer. “Calm down, little wolf,” he growls, his voice a deep, grating rasp. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be mating you soon.”

throat as he buries his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. Revulsion churns in my gut, and I renew my struggles with frantic

right,” he pants, his words muffled against my skin. “A rogue wolf,

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you doing, walking alone at night? Waiting

course she was,” the driver says, and I can hear the leer in his voice.

my ears. Every ounce of my training screams at me to fight, to claw and bite and scratch until I’m free, but he’s just too strong. His bulk

back of my mind.

Ava. Hold on!

over the roaring panic in my head. I’ll survive until I can get away. Just

lets out a guttural groan, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. “Can you smell that? She’s about to go into heat.” He drags in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. “Goddamn, that scent is driving me crazy. I fucking knew she wasn’t human. I told you, didn’t

That doesn’t make sense. Female

into heat until they’re mated. At least–that’s what I

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Ava: Omega?

that great, honestly. In White Peak, it was rare to see a shifter among humans. Here–well,

and they fit in just fine…

for his teeth to bite

any better. Being in a pack doesn’t mean you’re a civilized shifter, either. I cringe

as the brute on top of me nuzzles the crook of my neck with disturbing tenderness. Play dead? No, they’d never let their guard down. Scream? The driver seems just as

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Ava: Omoga?

body to go limp, feigning defeat as a whimper escapes my lips. The man chuckles darkly, mistaking my deception for fear as he noses along my jaw.

little wolf,” he rumbles, his hot breath fanning over my skin. “Just relax and let it happen. You’ll enjoy it soon enough. Submit to your alphas.”