Tangled

164

164

164 Ava: Blood Contract?

Come along, kitten. You and your friend, too. I'll give you the freedom he can't. I'll give you the knowledge she won't. Come, Ava Grey, Ward of the Witches. You seek a home, and I have one to give."

A scream rips from my throat as I thrash against the sheets, gasping for air. Fear is a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. crushing me, stealing my ability to breathe..

In the darkness behind my eyelids, crimson eyes bore into me, glowing with malice. Moonlight glints off razor-sharp fangs as a sinister voice whispers in my mind. You'll be begging me to fulfill our contract. Don't worry, kitten. I'll come back for you.

I jolt upright, heart hammering against my ribs. Sweat plasters my hair to my forehead. The room slowly comes into focus-

dark walls, the dresser on the other side of the room, Selene's furry form at the foot of the bed. Her head perks up, ice-blue eyes studying me with concern.

Ava? Are you alright? Her voice echoes in my mind, gentle and worried.

"I..." My voice comes out raspy and I swallow hard, trying to wet my parched throat. "I had a nightmare

Selene cocks her head, fluffy ears twitching. About?

"It's hard to tell. Trying to grasp the wisps of memory that dance just out of reach is like grasping for smoke. "I feel like I'm

forgetting something important. About what happened right before Lisa was taken."

Selene goes still, her ears flattening against her skull. When she speaks, her mental voice is hesitant, almost wary. What do you remember, Ava?

"The vampire. Fighting. Pain."

But why did I hurt, exactly? Why is this suddenly so fuzzy?

1 frown, sorting through the hazy images in my mind.

The Mad Prince. Selene murmurs.

"Right." My head clears again. "He bit me. I remember that. It was weird, and..." I shake my head, frustrated. "There's something else. Something I'm not remembering."

A flash of Selene's voice screaming in my head returns, and I jerk toward her. "You were yelling at me."

Yes, she agrees cautiously. What else?

"He said-I would beg him to fulfill our contract soon."

Selene's quiet for a long moment. If it helps, I don't think you have

contract with him

"What do you mean?"

a blood contract. You resisted. It resulted in a half-bond, but that seems to have dissipated, since it was not reciprocated. That might be why

the thralls from Sister

Ah, them.

Ick.

want to be

I offer cautiously. "No desire for blood or

contemptuous. Contracting

Oh.

"Then what is contracting?"

first time, Selene sounds unsure. It has never succeeded between Lycans and vampires. The attempt has

succeeded, she says, still sounding hesitant. But I don't know enough to

hazy, but he called me

ears twitch.

try my best to summon the words in my nightmare. "He called me by name. Ava Grey...

I don't know what

number. I

A number?

horribly life-altering that you'd like to tell me right now?" Selene is quiet for a moment, presumably

it, I check

missed calls, and five text

discount advertisement text that just came in. I don't remember giving my

I click

seeing Mom. Fell asleep. I'll call you in the

to call him at every opportunity and haven't held up my side of things. If this relationship is going to work between

has.

always

But I'd resolved to do

deep breath and shaking off the guilt, I glance at Selene. "Okay. My magic.

There is one person who might be able to help

though

My phone rings

Lucas.

to answer in a hurry. "What are you doing

about you. Worrying about

head on the bed. If a dog could roll their eyes, I'm pretty sure that's exactly

to

anyway.