Tangled

142 Lisa: Chained

The sound of water dripping is the first thing to break through the darkness of my mind.

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

It’s an erratic rhythm that leaves me uncomfortable.

The voices come next, soft, sibilant whispers. Evil. Whoever they are, they’d be the villains in any story.

Eventually, I realize the darkness is really just pain. Pain that throbs and aches in half my face. But why?

Vampires.

That’s why.

My eyes fly open when I finally remember, and I struggle to sit up, blinking into the darkness.

I can’t see anything.

Are my eyes open?

My hands won’t reach my face, yanking against

17:36

1/8

142 Lisa: Chained

something cold and hard around my wrists.

Manacles?

Swiping my hands around, I can feel the heavy, rusted chains holding me down, bolted to the floor.

Fuck.

This is…

Really not good.

Ava. Is Ava here?

I whisper, but

plink–plink

the voices

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

around my heart and squeezing with a mania of isolation and fear. I try to move again,

17:36 – )

2/8

142 Usa Chained

chest and I scream, the

wrists. Pain sears through my arms, but I don’t care. I have to get out.

and twist, my skin tearing, blood trickling down my forearms. Sobs wrack my body, each one tearing out of my throat.

I can barely stand, the shackles forcing me to hunch over. My muscles burn from

Plink. Plink–plink.

emerge from the inky blackness. Rough stone walls, a small window high above my head. The barest hint of moonlight filters through, only

a

A fucking cell..

142 Lika Chained

my throat, escaping in a strangled laugh. I’m chained up in some vampire’s dungeon like a gothic romance heroine. Except there’s no dashing hero coming to save me. No one even knows

1. am.

Plink–plink–plink.

if mocking my S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and

to rage against

strength hidden deep inside. I can’t shift into a wolf or melt into

are weak and helpless against the

I hate this.

always around. Hated his grim determination to keep us

was here to tell me I told you

over this any day of

how? How can he possibly

142 143 Chalice)

know where I am?

hot and bitter. I let them fall, too tired to fight them.

unwavering loyalty. She won’t give up on me. She’ll tear this world apart to

be enough? Can they really go

don’t know. I don’t know anything about this

that I’m scared. I’m so fucking scared and

Plink.

Plink–plink.

Plink.

thought. It’s maddening, the irregularity of it. I want to scream, to beg for it to stop.

my lip hard enough to taste blood and focus on the pain. It grounds me, keeps me from slipping into

342 LISA Chamed

That Lucas and the Westwood pack will tear this place

have to believe that. Because the alternative

arms around me, his voice in my ear telling

a moment, I almost believe it.

Plink.

face fills my mind and

wasn’t great at foreplay. Of the slightly–better–than mediocre sex and then the aphrodisiac