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.

through the trees, the sound itself nipping at our heels. Anxiety spikes my pulse

and Lucas‘ head whips around. He signals to the others,

1. us.

the air, thick and

forest seems to hold its breath with us.

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Ava:

in this

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

flinch. With a fluid motion, he sets me down and steps forward, planting

voice

pause. For a long, tense moment, they regard

wolf’s snarl fades, and it lowers

second glance. He turns back to me, his expression softening ever so

he says, like

me down. “I

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77 Ava: Running

time if you

he thinks better of it. “Fine. Let’s go. Stay close, Ava. Vester will stay on your other side. We’ll keep

howl. I

but they’re getting closer. We’re still five

at my hand, squeezing it in reassurance. My lips quirk into a small

this. I have to.

not from exertion–not yet. Terror still grips me,

Freedom.

my legs to push harder, faster. The men around me struggle to keep pace, their

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77 Ava Running

warns, his

concern.

Selene’s words ring in my ears, a silent chorus urging me onward.

run. She’d made it sound like it

if I did.

And it is.

a thrumming beneath my skin, like electricity crackling through my

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

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

Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on

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

finally, he