Tangled

138 Ava: A Shocking Finale (II)

138 Ava: A Shocking Finale (II)

“Such a naughty kitten,” the vampire mutters, scowling in a way that erases the beauty of his face.

The vampire’s grip tightens, crushing my throat as I thrash against him. My lungs scream for air. I claw at his hands, nails scraping uselessly against unyielding flesh. Panic floods my mind, blotting out rational thought.

Your training, Ava! Remember your training! Selene’s voice slices through my rising hysteria.

Right. Training. Jericho’s lessons flash through my oxygen–starved brain. I stop flailing and focus, letting my body go limp, conserving strength. The vampire smirks, misreading it as submission. His cold breath washes over my face as he leans in, nostrils flaring. He’s…sniffing me?

Revulsion churns my stomach as his nose skims along my jaw, down to the crook of my neck. He lingers there, inhaling deeply, a pleased rumble vibrating his

chest.

The scar, Ava! Don’t let him near it! Selene’s warning

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138 Ava. A Shocking Finale (II)

ricochets through my head.

can’t bite you there!

Fragmented memories resurface–Selene cautioning me about my scar during my heat, insisting I keep Clayton away from it. I hadn’t understood then. I’m not sure I do now. But her urgency propels me into action.

Gritting my teeth, I shove at the vampire’s face, fingernails gouging. He snarls, jerking back slightly but not releasing me. The pressure on my windpipe eases a fraction and I suck in a desperate breath, spots dancing across my vision.

That scar is where your power leaks out. It’s like a drug to creatures who can sense it. It isn’t quite an aphrodisiac, but it can be, in the right circumstances, Selene explains rapidly.

that’s just great, I grouse in my

dislodge the vampire’s chokehold. Whose brilliant idea was it to put a magic

protect it, Ava! Don’t let him break the skin

vampire chuckles darkly, his grip loosening as

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neck again, lips

I gigi, stngely giddy, before I

tongue flicking out to taste. Bile rises in

strangled laugh. “Must be the pancakes

answering hiss is a mixture of irritation and amusement. “So the kitten has claws.” Cool fingers ghost across my collarbone, tracing the neck of my shirt. “Shall we see what other secrets you’re hiding?”

squelch. Blood spurts from the wound, splattering us both in a grotesque crimson spray. The coppery tang assaults my nose, but there’s an underlying sweetness that makes my stomach heave. It’s cloying, like rotting fruit, and I gag on the scent, fighting the urge to vomit as I’m dropped to the

his eyes wide

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object lodged there. It’s a knife, the blade slick with his blood. He snarls, fan bared, as he tosses

and hauling me to my feet. I stumble, legs shaky, as

out, not taking his eyes off the seething creature before us. “I’ll

him off.”

hesitate, torn between helping Teddy and reaching Lisa. But Teddy is already moving, launching

1. in.

her name, but she doesn’t respond. Panic claws at my chest. I need to get her out of

crunch makes me whip my head around. My heart seizes in my chest. Teddy lies crumpled on the ground, his head twisted at an unnatural angle.

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stare

his muzzle

lips curled in a

smile.

chin. “Did you really

advancing on me with predatory grace. I scramble to my feet, positioning myself between him and Lisa. My

whispers urgently in my mind. Use his strength against him. Go for the weak

than to her. The vampire stalks closer, his gaze raking over me with

and amusement.

wolf?” he taunts, circling me