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 blood.

neck screams in pain and my vision blurs

vampire rises to his feet, his face a mask of rage. Blood drips from his

from the elegant monster from

a chance.

to rip you apart,” he snarls, spittle flying from his lips.

my body. I know I can’t outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice

If it arrives.

me, a crackling current that dances along my nerves. I feel it building,

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Ava A Shocking Finale (1) END SEASON

beneath my

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

trust the power within me, meeting

been impossible to track

comes to me without thought.

How to block.

How to move.

hand against his arm, how to utilize his momentum to throw

please.

step as I dodge.

training in offensive strikes, but I’ve practiced defense to

every time he tries to grab me, he’s

forgod to regain

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Finale

go on

feel the

the way

crop top is soaked in blood…

be unconscious

little longer, Selene says, an encouraging presence

only then that I notice the sounds outside of our

little area.

howls in the

of

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

occasional crash. A lot of

with only Teddy and Bren’s corpses, Lisa’s unconscious

with us, kitten. I’ve been searching for so long. Don’t you want to know the truth of

My story?

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stupid ke? Their rules?

old ways?”

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

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

body.

know how bad the damage

be small.

skin is smooth and unblemished beneath my

I’m not unconscious.

throbbing, but

faint outline of my coar remaine

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

friend, too. I’ll give you the freedom he can’t. I’ll give you the knowledge

me, the one desperate for the

of me holds her back, despite the faint tingle of the ecstasy I’d felt taunting

trying to make sense of it all.

feeling it pour out of me. For a second, I can almost imagine golden strands connecting me to the earth,

blink.

vision’s still

before me, cupping my cheek with a soft croon. A lullaby,

Ava!

if he asked me any questions.