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

1/8

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.

throat tightens with a sudden surge of emotion–hope, relief, gratitude. I’m going to make it. After

howl shatters the night, closer than before. My heart

13:00 –

418

Ava: An Old Enemy

beside me. Wolves willing to risk their lives by entering enemy territory to find

revealing the city of

foot.

I pour on even more

close. So damn close.

that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The

and Vester

wave of energy that propels me forward with impossible velocity. The city is closer with every passing heartbeat, the details

the air from my lungs and sends me tumbling across

gorahhling against the dirt and

3/8

An Old

as I fight to stop

vicious, inhuman noises torn from

Twigs and leaves cling to my hair, my palms stinging from the impact. I blink tears from my eyes, struggling to make sense

the rumbles. Fur and fangs clash

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, mingling with the metallic

blood.

wolf faces. But they are

Ag

Ava An Old Enemy

battle rages

then I have something far

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

up

ago has evaporated, leaving me feeling weak and sluggish in its wake. The euphoria of my newfound freedom has been replaced by a visceral terror that seizes my lungs, making

menacing to someone who can’t shift. I’ve seen him -hundreds

toward me with a menacing silence that’s somehow more terrifying than any snarl

a promise of brutality

present.

13.00

<

Ava: An

every last shred of my

human, I could envision the arrogant smirk that would be curving his lips right now, the wild