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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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

slick from blood.

blurs from darkness to

his ruined eye, painting a gruesome picture. He stalks toward

from the elegant monster from before. He’s

have a

apart,” he snarls, spittle

myself, shielding Lisa with my body. I know I can’t outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is to stand and

If it arrives.

life inside of me, a crackling current that dances along my nerves. I

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beneath

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

snarl and I trust the power within me, meeting him head on.

punch that before would have been impossible to track is now something I can not only

comes to

How to block.

How to move.

press my hand against his arm, how

please.

to step as

in offensive strikes, but I’ve practiced defense to

so every time he tries to grab

to regain

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Ava A Shocking Finale

can’t go

the

the way my

my crop top is soaked in

be unconscious already?

an encouraging presence in my mind.

I notice the

little area.

howls in

of sirens.

fighting. Perhaps they’re on the other side of the house.

an occasional crash. A lot

and Bren’s corpses, Lisa’s unconscious form, and the vampire in front of

kitten. I’ve been searching for so long. Don’t you want to

My story?

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hate these stupid ke? Their rules? Their

old ways?”

anger gone, his face once again settled into that pale, death–transcendent beauty. Come with me, kitten. I’ll keep you safe, teach you your powers. Tell you the truth about that

agree with him. 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

body.

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

be small.

smooth and

I’m not unconscious.

throbbing, but the damage has disappeared.

faint outline of my

Ava: A Shocking Finale (III)-END SEASON

you the knowledge she won’t.

one desperate for the love of my family,

holds her back, despite the faint tingle of the ecstasy I’d felt taunting me from beyond the pain when he bit

again, trying to make sense

out of me. For a second, I can almost imagine golden strands connecting me to the earth, but they disappear

blink.

vision’s still spotty.

my cheek with a soft croon. A lullaby,

Ava!

not sure if he asked