Tangled

77 Ava: Running

The haunting howls of wolves echo through the night, sending fear deep into my soul.

I shudder.

The strange shifter with the drugs curses under his breath. “They’re on the hunt,” he says, his voice low and urgent.

Lucas‘ arms tighten as he runs. It’s not the most comfortable, with all the jostling, but he manages to run while holding me as though my extra burden

doesn’t affect him at all.

How long has it been? Hours? That he’s maintained his pace without faltering. I can’t help but admire it, even

as I worry.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmurs, his tone cold with

determination.

We pick up the pace, the shadows of the forest

seeming to press in around us as we hurry along. The howls grow louder, closer, sending icy tendrils of fear slithering through my veins.

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77 Ava: Running

“How much farther?” I ask, my voice a hushed whisper.

Lucas‘ subordinate’s response is grim. “Too far to be comfortable.” There are a few grunts of agreement among the other wolves. “We should have shifted. We would be there by now.”

Lucas just growls. “Not an option.”

The weight of his words settles over me, and I realize with a pang that he knows–he knows I can’t shift.

I swallow hard. How long has he known?

It isn’t as though it was a secret in our pack.

But it still hurts.

at our heels. Anxiety spikes my pulse and I cling to Lucas, drawing strength from his

rustling sound comes from our left, and Lucas‘ head whips around. He signals to the others, and they fan out, forming a protective circle around

1. us.

in the air, thick and palpable,

seems to hold its breath

13.08

217

Ava:

in this agonizing

eyes glowing like embers in

Lucas doesn’t flinch. With a fluid motion, he sets me down

he growls, his voice laced

pause. For a long, tense moment, they regard each other, locked

wolf’s snarl fades, and it lowers its head in a

spare it a second glance. He turns back to me, his expression

he says, like that’s nothing.

he lets me down. “I can’t shift, but I can run. I’m

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77 Ava: Running

time if

protest, but he thinks better of it. “Fine. Let’s go. Stay close, Ava. Vester will

I nod. “Okay.”

haven’t caught our trail, but they’re getting

in reassurance. My lips quirk into a

this. I

yet. Terror still grips me, its icy tendrils constricting my lungs with every rasping

Freedom.

men around me struggle to keep pace, their harsh pants filling the air. But I’m

10.08

77 Ava Running

his

concern.

Selene’s words ring in my ears,

sound like it

if I did.

And it is.

a thrumming beneath my skin, like electricity

to shift,” I say, knowing deep inside that I’m right. “We’ll be

my arm, pulling me -to an abrupt halt. His eyes bore into mine,

FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt

the world around us fading into a blur of shadows and silence. It’s just us, our ragged breaths intermingling in the

he