Tangled

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179

179 Ava: Surprise Visit

Selene lies curled in a patch of moonlight, her head resting on her tail, eyes closed. Her presence usually brings me comfort, but even she can't soothe the anxiety that grips me now.

The room feels more like a prison than a sanctuary, the air thick with unspoken animosity. I glance out the window again, searching the darkness for any sign of movement, any indication that Lucas and the oth Nothing, of course.

They're miles away.

Their howls fill the air, raising the hair on my arms and the back of my neck.

It takes time, Selene murmurs, her eyes still closed as she basks in the moonlight.

She looks as relaxed as can be, but the edge in her mental voice tells me otherwise.

The knot in my stomach refuses to unravel. It's the same feeling I had before the attack on the party, a sense of impending doom that crawls beneath my skin and sets my nerves on edge.

The two shifters standing guard don't help matters. They're strangers to me, with unfamiliar faces and rigid stances. The tension in the room is palpable. I can't bring myself to attempt conversation, not when ev

1. me.

Minutes drag by, and nothing changes.

No updates.

Only the occasional cough from the guard with short hair and a scat under his left eye.

By the unfocused look that comes over their faces here and there, I know they're listening in to the hunt. They know something.

My thoughts keep circling back to Lucas and the others out there. hunting the vampire. The not knowing is torture, my imagination conjuring up increasingly horrific scenarios with each passing second.

Unable to bear it any longer, I turn to the shifters, my words tight with barely restrained panic. "Any updates on the vampire?"

two, a broad-shouldered man with cold brown eyes,

harsh tone catches me off guard, and I flinch as if he'd struck me. Heat rushes to my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. "I'm worried people will get hurt tonight,"

this is where Selene would normally tell me to stand up for myself and not let them treat me like this, but

me, she feels the

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the silence. I'm only quiet

Oh.

Was I wallowing again?

Yes.

Damn it.

the room, starting with a small square, then expanding my field of march. The guards step back, giving me space, though they share a look that doesn't feel very com The acrid scent of cigarette smoke wafts through the air as the tall guard lights up, filling the room with a haze. My nose wrinkles in distaste. "Could you please not smoke in here?" I ask, trying

sharply in the ribs, hissing under his breath. "Stop it before

sneer twisting his features. "She's not even our alpha's mate. She was rejected. Nothing but a plague

knocking the air from my lungs. I know I'm not well-liked here, but to hear it stated

said the vampires were only there for her,"

119 Ave Sorpice Vist

chin

in my mind, but before I can voice them, both guards suddenly collapse to the ground, their bodies hitting the floor with a

as a figure materializes out

regards the unconscious man with a look of disdain before

at the sound, even as a small, vindictive part of me whispers that

an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry for the dramatic entrance, my dear. But I come

ashes in Selene's direction. "Never able to see past the nose on your face.

"Never you mind. It keeps him away from the

170 AweSurprise Visi

me off kilter, and

feel about her. Friend?

"How did

of her glossy black pump at the lighter that fell to the floor.