Tangled

76 Ava: Saved

Lucas‘ scent hits me after I’ve already tried to murder him.

An unmistakable blend of the outdoors, of amber and

campfire smoke, of something so uniquely mate that it draws me in even through the pain of our past.

It’s him. He’s here.

The knife clatters from my trembling hand as every muscle in my body goes lax with relief. I’d been so tense, coiled tight like a spring ready to snap, terrified of losing my life tonight. But now Lucas is here.

He came for me.

“Lucas,” I breathe out, hope and prayer all in one, the sound barely more than a whisper. My entire body crumples, overworked in its stress.

He’s really here. I’m not dreaming. He’s not a

hallucination. This is real. Real.

My mate.

My savior.

10:07

76 Ava: Saved Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Strong arms wrap around me, drawing me in against an embrace both hard and warm, filled with assurance

and yearning. His hands hold me as if I’m some tender, precious thing, going from my back, up to the back of my head, brushing gently against my hair. He’s dropping kisses over the top of my head, against my eyebrows, then my eyes, whispering my name in a ragged chant before crushing me to him once again.

“Ava. Ava. Sweet Ava. You’re safe now. Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you, Ava. You’re safe now.” His voice rumbles, vibrating his chest against my cheek. One hand cradles my head, the other runs soothing lines down my back.”

I want to respond. I want to ask him why he’s here. To thank him for coming. To tell him how terrified I was. To explain everything. But only a choked sob comes out as all the emotions of the last few days takes over, gripping my body in a cold–fingered grip of horror and

distress.

Tears pour down my face, soaking into the fabric of his shirt as I cling to him, as if letting him go means I can never see freedom again.

holds me closer. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Let it out. I’m here now.

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move,” a shifter I didn’t notice

from behind him.

chest, rubbing me in that soothing rhythm as

bring with you?” Lucas

Nothing.

here worth

I’m going to carry you, Ava. We need to go fast, before anyone notices you’re gone.”

head, blowing out a

Another breath out.

sliding one under my legs and lifting me as though I weigh no more than a

exhausted to feign modesty, or worry if I’m too heavy. I just

76 Ava Saved

says, but he’s talking over his shoulder, so

the urge to think about the past–his rejection, my complicated feelings for Clayton, or the tangled web that brought me here. I just want to be a boneless lump

my consciousness, and

find my voice. “I think there’s a tracker in my

the shifters accompanying us. Without blinking, the strange shifter crushes the device in his

and familiar, very neutral–seeming. “This will help conceal your scent for a while,” he explains, before handing me a small pill. “And swallow this.

76 Ava: Saved

you by scent.”

pill leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I welcome the

me that I had so much suspicion when Clayton came to my rescue, but with

are crazy like that, I guess.

leads the way, his strides purposeful and determined, and the strange shifter

as we leave the

air is heavy with the scent of earth

smell a single one of them,

scent diffusers

15:08 — .‘

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stealth allows, weaving through the trees and underbrush. Lucas never falters, his grip on me secure and unwavering. I press my face against his chest, focusing on the

walk, but my entire

as we navigate the labyrinth of the forest, putting as much distance as possible between us and the Blackwood territory. The only sounds are their controlled breathing and the whisper of the wind

going?” I ask, after what feels like hours. Lucas‘ breathing

here-” there’s agony on his face as he says this, a spasm in his jaw, “–because we

learned enough to understand that