Tangled

Unshift 273

Unshift 273

273 Ava: My Lucas

The hospital is a scurry of activity, more than I expected considering its small size.

Nurses and doctors rush through the long hallway, their footsteps echoing. The 'Staff Only

door behind the reception desk is in constant motion, barely staying shut for more than a few seconds at a time.

Kellan leans in close to the receptionist, speaking in hushed tones. This woman's different from the one we encountered earlier, but her demeanor towards Kellan is just as warm. A hint of a smile plays at the corners of her mouth as she nods along to whatever he's saying.

Lisa's going to be pissed, once she finds out Kellan's her mate. She's not one to share.

Hopefully she gets here soon. The need to see her is only second to my gnawing ache without Lucas by my side.

"Ava. Kellan's voice cuts through my musings. "This way."

With each step, my heart rate picks up. Finally. I can finally see my mate.

The bond within my chest sings in my veins.

Deep breaths, I remind myself. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It doesn't do much to calm the lightheadedness that's creeping in, making the fluorescent lights overhead seem too bright, too harsh. It's as if every pair of eyes in this hospital is trained on me, judging my every move. I know it's ridiculous. These people are far too busy with their own tasks to care about some random woman walking down the hall. But the paranoia clings to me like a second skin, making my palms sweat and my steps falter.

Get it together, Ava. You're being ridiculous.

We come to a stop outside a closed door. My breath catches in my throat.

and knocks, the sound impossibly loud in

spine. It's cold, brusque, lacking any of the warmth I've come to associate with

a

the room, and my world narrows to the man on the bed. The bond in my

My mate.

leg is encased in a stark white cast, his opposite arm secured in a sling. Bandages crisscross his exposed skin, a patchwork of white against his usual bronze. The strong, invincible

is his healing so

273 Ava: My Lucas

in every detail, cataloging the changes, the injuries. My fingers itch to touch him, to soothe, to

spark of recognition, no hint of the intensity that usually blazes between us. He regards me with the same polite disinterest he might show a nurse or orderly.

My mate, the other half of my

that disappeared for

breaks the silence as he steps up behind me.

hit by a truck, Lucas replies,

are like a physical blow. I struggle to breathe, to keep my face neutral even as everything inside

is Ava," Kellan says, his tone

at me. again, more intently this time, but there's still no flash

said your memory might

feels brittle and false on my face. "Hi, Lucas," I manage, hating how small and uncertain my voice

remember everything. But after a moment, he just nods. "I'm

even as my heart splinters. "You've been through a lot.

not to jostle him. Up close, the extent of his injuries is even more apparent. Bruises mottle his skin in shades of purple and yellow. There's a nasty gash above his left

I...?" I gesture vaguely, wanting to touch him but unsure if it's

his uninjured arm. The contact sends a jolt through me, our bond humming to life. But Lucas shows no reaction, and I pull back, trying

are... close," Lucas says, his tone cautious. "I'm

but I swallow it down. Difficult doesn't even begin to cover it. "It's