Tangled

30 Ava: Omega? (III)

I groan as searing pain lances through my ribs, fairly certain that at least a few are broken from the impact. Gasping for air, I blink through the haze of confusion, trying to make sense of the chaos surrounding me.

Derek is slumped over the steering wheel, a grotesque trickle of blood oozing from his hairline. In the backseat, Jeremy lies crumpled in a disturbing, bloody mess, unmoving and alarmingly still.

For one hysterical second, I muse that this is precisely why seatbelts exist. Should’ve worn a seatbelt, Jeremy.

I grit my teeth against a wave of pain as I claw my way into the passenger seat.,

My shaking hands fumble with the door handle, but the door remains stubbornly jammed. Peering through the cracked windshield, I realize this side of the car

has collided with a tree. A few inches of trunk are all

that’s blocking my door from opening.

Adrenaline courses through my veins as I muster what little strength remains and kick the door with

everything I have. Before I can kick again, the door

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flies off.

I don’t stop to question my luck. As I tumble out of the wrecked vehicle, gasping for fresh air, a strong hand suddenly grips my arm, yanking me upright. I whirl around, my heart pounding, only to find myself face–to–face with a stranger–a tall, imposing man with chestnut hair and piercing green eyes.

His gaze sweeps over me, assessing, before he speaks in a deep, authoritative tone. “Are you injured?”

I sway into him, my battered body screaming in protest as I fight to remain upright. A dizzying wave of nausea washes over me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the world to stop spinning.

That’s when the scent hits me–ocean fresh, with a woodsy scent lingering just beneath, along with something that can only belong to one of my kind. A shifter. My eyes fly open, locking onto the stranger’s intense gaze, and I instinctively flinch away from him.

A mistake.

the

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Omega? (III)

against a broad

ease that belies his impressive stature. I tense, every fiber of my

as he studies me intently. “Are you injured?”

with concern.

my

mouth to respond,

hours have left me reeling, and I can’t seem to find

the chaos.

silence. “We need to get you to safety,” he declares, his tone brooking no

struggle feebly against his iron grip. I can’t

me closer to his chest as

now,” he murmurs, his

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Ava: Omega? (III)

to hurt you. Rowan, take care of the rogues,” he orders over his shoulder as he strides away from the scene of the accident, carrying me with ease.

against the waves of pain crashing over me. “Who are you?” I

“I am Alpha Clayton Shadowpine of

moment, but I know my future is now even more uncertain. Selene

you’re safe now.” His tone leaves no room for argument as he continues walking, heading deeper into the trees. “Those rogues won’t be a problem

the adrenaline ebbing and leaving me chilled in the

you cold?” the alpha

wracks

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Omega?

hold, pulling me closer against his solid frame as we approach a sleek black SUV. His presence is both comforting

an alpha. It’s

wary, a voice in the back of my mind whispering

another shifter.

to retrieve a set of keys from his pocket. With

murmurs, his

tense as he moves to deposit me in the backseat, my fingers instinctively curling into

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