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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30 Ava: Omega? (i))))

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 unforgiving impact of the ground. But instead of hitting the hard earth, I find

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Ava: Omega?

cradled against a broad

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

chiseled features are set in a grim line as he studies me intently. “Are you injured?” he rumbles, his

laced with

my

to respond, but the

hours have left me reeling, and I can’t

the chaos.

his brow furrowing as he takes in my silence. “We need to get

his iron grip. I

futile. He merely tightens his hold, cradling me closer to his

he murmurs, his voice low and soothing.

access chapters of novels early and in the

Ava: Omega? (III)

rogues,” he orders over his shoulder as he strides

over me. “Who are you?” I rasp out, my voice hoarse. “What’s

am Alpha

if I should give my real name. I feel safe for the immediate moment, but I know my

His tone leaves no room for argument as he continues walking, heading deeper into the trees. “Those rogues won’t

adrenaline ebbing and leaving me

you cold?” the alpha

I shudder as another tremor wracks through me, my teeth

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Omega?

frame as we approach a sleek black SUV.

the reassurance of his strength, to lean on an alpha. It’s been so long since I’ve been in a pack, and

my mind

another shifter.

effortlessly in his arms, freeing one hand to retrieve a set of keys from his pocket. With a deft flick of his wrist, he

let me get you inside where it’s warm,” he murmurs, his deep voice a low rumble that

in the backseat, my fingers instinctively curling into the fabric of his shirt. A strangled noise escapes my throat–a

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