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.

our heels. Anxiety spikes my pulse and I

rustling sound comes from our left, and Lucas‘ head whips around. He signals to the

1. us.

crackles in the air, thick and

seems to hold

13.08

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77 Ava: Running

in this agonizing

emerges from the shadows–a massive wolf, its eyes glowing like embers

a fluid motion, he sets me down and steps forward, planting himself between the wolf and

down,” he growls, his voice laced with an

wolf hesitates, its hackles raised, but something in Lucas‘ unwavering presence seems to give it pause. For a long, tense moment, they regard each other,

it lowers its

his expression softening ever so slightly as he scoops me

a rogue,” he says, like

run,” I say, pushing at his arms until he lets me down. “I can’t shift, but I can run.

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77 Ava: Running

if you aren’t

face says that he wants to protest, but he thinks better of it. “Fine. Let’s go. Stay

I nod.

still haven’t caught our trail, but they’re getting closer. We’re still five miles out.”

My lips quirk into

I have

Terror still grips me,

Freedom.

faster. The men around me struggle to keep pace, their harsh pants filling the

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77 Ava Running

warns, his brow furrowed

concern.

my head, unable to spare the breath for a reply. Selene’s words ring in my ears, a silent chorus urging

run. She’d made it sound like it

I did.

And it is.

feel it now, a thrumming beneath my skin, like electricity crackling through my

inside that I’m right. “We’ll be faster if

pulling me -to an abrupt halt. His

Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website

blur of shadows and silence. It’s just us, our ragged breaths intermingling in the scant

finally, he