Tangled

C

78 Ava: An Old Enemy

78 Ava: An Old Enemy

The terror that had gripped me so tightly finally begins to loosen its hold, washed away by the exhilarating rush of my feet pounding against the ground, the world flying past in my periphery.

It’s a simple rhythm.

One foot in front of the other.

Vault over an obstacle. Veer to avoid a tree. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The wind against my skin is harsh, like a thousand icy whips snapping against my cheeks. But the pain is almost euphoric.

My feet pound against the forest floor, each step fueling the fire of freedom burning within me.

It’s a feeling unlike anything I’ve ever experienced- raw power, an almost frenetic energy, thrumming through my body with an intensity that steals my breath away. The trees zoom past in blurs of shadow.

I can hear the wolves keeping pace beside me, their breaths ragged growls that harmonize with the frantic beat of my heart. My unnatural speed helps me keep

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78 Ava: An Old Enemy

pace. I’m not faster than they are, but I’m far faster than their human forms.

They probably have questions.

I don’t know how to answer them.

But, that’s for another time. Right now, we need this.

There’s no fear now, no uncertainty. Only an overwhelming sense of freedom so pure and intoxicating that I want to lose myself in it forever. I am unleashed, unchained–a force of nature given

form.

My lungs burn with the effort, but I don’t slow. Can’t slow. This is what it means to be truly alive, to embrace what dwells within me. To hell with being human; right now, I am so much more.

through the gaps I can see the faint glow of distant lights. Civilization. Safety. My throat tightens with a sudden surge of emotion–hope, relief, gratitude. I’m going to make it. After everything, I’m finally going to

howl shatters the night, closer than before. My heart stutters, but I

13:00 –

418

Ava: An Old Enemy

risk their lives by

trees falls away, revealing the city of White Peak. An hour’s drive has taken much

foot.

escapes me as I pour on even more speed, reveling in the rush.

close. So

with a chilling resonance that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The wolves are gaining, closing the distance with every second. I can sense

how Lucas and Vester crowd into me, teeth bared and hackles up.

energy that propels me forward with impossible velocity. The city is closer with

side, a massive force that drives the air from my lungs and sends me tumbling across

against the dirt

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Ava: An Old Enemy

I fight to stop

world explodes into snarls and growls, of vicious, inhuman noises torn from the vocal

and leaves cling to my hair, my palms stinging from the impact. I blink tears from my

pain interspersed between the rumbles. Fur and fangs clash in a frenzied

trembles with the force of their collisions, each impact punctuated by deep, guttural growls that reverberate through my bones. The scent of earth and rage hangs thick in the air,

blood.

faces. But they are mere flashes, lost in an instant

Ag

Ava An Old

rages on.

have something far worse to worry about.

the earth as a familiar wolf emerges from the shadows, its golden eyes locked on me with an intensity that chills me to

up its

moments ago has evaporated, leaving me feeling weak and sluggish in its wake. The euphoria of my newfound freedom

can’t shift. I’ve seen him -hundreds of

me with a menacing silence that’s somehow more terrifying than any snarl or growl. The air around

of

present.

13.00

<

An Old

that seems to strip away every last shred

smirk that would be curving his