Tangled

139 Ava: A Shocking Finale (III) —

END SEASON TWO

“You’re making this so much harder than it should be. I was hoping to savor this moment, but now I have to rush my meal, instead.” He sounds disappointed, not angry, and the difference makes me shudder.

It’s worse than him being infuriated. It shows that my struggles are no more than an inconvenience to him.

When his fangs break skin, the pain is unbearable.

It’s worse than fire in my veins. It’s an ache so deep that my entire body throbs and burns, I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out; I can’t

breathe.

Skimming over the pain is an ecstasy that taunts me with bliss, tantalizing with its lack of pain. I yearn for it, wanting to sink in, wanting to escape this torture-

Eyes, Ava! Selene shouts. Go for the eyes!

With a desperate cry, I jab my fingers toward his face, aiming for those cold, mocking eyes. He jerks his head back and I can feel my neck rip and tear, blood

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139 Ava A Shocking Finale (il)-END SEASON TWO

pouring.

But not before I fe

my nails sink into something soft

and yielding. He howis, his grip loosens, and I wrench myself free, staggering away.

The vampire clutches at his face, blood seeping between his fingers. One eye is a ruined mess, but the other glares at me with unadulterated hatred.

“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he spits, his voice a guttural

rasp.

I hold my hands against my neck, against the blood pouring out, gasping for air to fill my lungs. It’s like they can’t inflate fully, can’t fill with oxygen.

This time rage fuels his movements as he lunges for me, messy and uncoordinated. My brain’s already off, moving on instinct, through repetitive motions in

training.

A quick sidestep. A knee to the groin, a practiced weak point. He’s wide open and doubles over with a grunt as I follow up with an elbow to the back of his neck,

sacrificing blood loss for success.

He hits the ground hard. Good to know pressure

points also work on vampires

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139 Ava: A Shocking Finale ()-END SEASON TWO

He won’t be down long–may

seconds.

I dart to Lisa, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her back, scrabbling for purchase.with my

from

in pain and my vision blurs from darkness to light, spotted

of rage. Blood drips from his ruined eye, painting a gruesome picture. He stalks toward us, his movements jerky,

monster

have a

spittle flying

outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is

it arrives.

a crackling current

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A Shocking Finale (1) END

beneath my skin.

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

loud snarl and I trust the power within me,

would have been impossible to track

my training comes to

How to block.

How to move.

hand against his arm, how to

please.

as I dodge.

strikes, but I’ve practiced defense

tries to grab

to regain his balance

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Ava A Shocking Finale (1) END SEASON

can’t go on

feel the

way my knees

crop top

be

encouraging presence in my

that I notice the sounds outside

little area.

in

of

and growling of wolves here, fighting. Perhaps they’re on the other

crash. A

and Bren’s corpses, Lisa’s unconscious form, and

wary. “Come with us, kitten. I’ve been searching for so long. Don’t you want to know

My story?

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these stupid ke? Their rules? Their

old ways?”

a clawed hand, all the deranged anger gone, his face once again settled into that pale, death–transcendent beauty. Come with me,

You’re half in contract. Any agreement will bind you. Selene’s words are urgent, and I have so many fucking questions, but I’m swaying on my feet, even with this energy flowing through

body.

I can even speak. I don’t know how bad the damage

be small.

my hand to my neck again, the skin is smooth and

wonder I’m not unconscious.

there, throbbing, but the

outline of my

Finale

you the knowledge she won’t. Come, Ava Grey, Ward of the Witches. You seek a home, and

of me, the one desperate for the love of my family, sways toward

faint tingle of the ecstasy I’d felt taunting me from beyond the pain

trying to make sense

on to the power, feeling it pour out of me. For a second,

blink.

still spotty.

cupping my cheek with a soft croon.

Ava!

sure if he asked me any