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

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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.

out. I’m here now. No one’s going to hurt

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76 Ava Saved

a shifter I didn’t notice

behind him.

head firmly against his chest, rubbing me in that soothing rhythm as I try with desperate gasps and sobs to gather some semblance

you?” Lucas asks, and I shake my

Nothing.

nothing here worth keeping.

going to carry you, Ava. We need to go

blowing

Another breath out.

one under my legs and lifting me as though I weigh no more than a sack of potatoes.

too heavy. I just lean against him, trying to breathe in a way that

76 Ava Saved

talking over his shoulder, so I close my eyes and relax against

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

at my consciousness, and I

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

and hands it to one of the shifters accompanying us. Without blinking, the strange shifter crushes the device in

The scent is earthy 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. It’s a long–lasting scent diffuser that will make it harder for anyone

76 Ava: Saved

you by scent.”

and his team implicitly. The pill leaves a bitter taste in my

rescue, but with Lucas–despite our history–I can feel

are crazy like that, I

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

the shadows as we leave

through the canopy above. The humid summer air is heavy with the scent of earth and foliage. Our footsteps are muffled by the soft

one of them,

scent diffusers are

15:08 — .‘

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Lucas never falters, his grip on me secure and unwavering. I press my face against his chest, focusing on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the reassuring strength of his

probably tell him I can walk, but my entire body protests at the thought.

distance as possible between us and the Blackwood territory. The only sounds are

what feels like hours. Lucas‘

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

enough to