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.

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

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to move,” a shifter

behind him.

his chest, rubbing me in that soothing rhythm as I try with desperate gasps and sobs to

to bring with you?” Lucas

Nothing.

here

carry you, Ava. We need to go

a short, choppy movement of my head, blowing out a shuddering breath, then filling my lungs again.

Another breath out.

sliding one under my legs and lifting me as

heavy. I just lean against him, trying to

76 Ava Saved

go,” he says, but he’s talking over his shoulder, so I close

carries me out of the room, I fight 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 in Lucas‘ arms,

consciousness, and I jerk slightly in his hold. “Wait,”

“I think there’s

out of my pocket and hands it to one of the shifters accompanying us. Without blinking, the strange shifter crushes the device in his hand, destroying

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

76 Ava: Saved

you by scent.”

his team implicitly. The pill leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I welcome the added protection it

Clayton came to my rescue, but

are crazy like

clipped pace. Lucas leads the way, his strides purposeful and determined, and the strange shifter with the scent

as we leave the house.

the occasional beam of moonlight filtering through the canopy above. The humid summer air is heavy with the scent of earth and foliage. Our footsteps are muffled by the soft ground, but the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves/betray our passage.

smell a single one of them, I realize.

diffusers are amazing.

15:08 — .‘

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on me secure and unwavering. I press my face against his chest, focusing on the steady rhythm of

tell him I can walk, but my entire body protests

seems to blur 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 through the

ask, after what feels like hours. Lucas‘ breathing has

here-” there’s agony on his face as he says this, a spasm in his jaw, “–because we have business with Blackwood. But your safety came first.”

to understand