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.

grouse in my

to put a magic

Just protect it, Ava! Don’t let him break the skin there, no

darkly, his grip loosening as

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my neck again, lips

giddy, before I realize

skin, tongue flicking out to taste. Bile rises in my throat. “What is that delectable aroma, little wolf?”

in a strangled laugh. “Must be the pancakes I had for breakfast.”

Cool fingers ghost across my collarbone, tracing the neck

ear, embedding itself in the vampire’s neck with a sickening 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

back, his eyes wide

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A Shocking

object lodged there. It’s a knife, the blade slick with his

my arm and hauling me to my feet. I stumble, legs shaky, as he shoves me behind him. He faces

friend and run,” Teddy grits out, not taking his eyes off the seething

him off.”

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

1. in.

I scramble to Lisa’s side. She’s still unconscious, her breathing shallow. I shake her shoulders, calling her name, but she doesn’t respond. Panic claws at my chest. I need to get her out of here, away from the

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

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Shocking

stare sightle.

sky, his muzzle slack.

him, lips curled in a

smile.

he sneers, wiping blood from his chin. “Did you really think you could best me?”

myself between him and Lisa. My hands shake, my breath coming in sharp

training, Selene whispers urgently in my mind. Use his strength against him. Go for

closer,

and amusement.

to play, little wolf?” he taunts, circling me slowly. “I promise I’ll make it