Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 138

138 Ava: A Shocking Finale (II)

138 Ava: A Shocking Finale (II)

“Such a naughty kitten,” the vampire mutters, scowling in a way that erases the beauty of his face.

The vampire’s grip tightens, crushing my throat as I thrash against him. My lungs scream for air. I claw at his hands, nails scraping uselessly against unyielding flesh. Panic floods my mind, blotting out rational thought.

Your training, Ava! Remember your training! Selene’s voice slices through my rising hysteria.

Right. Training. Jericho’s lessons flash through my oxygen–starved brain. I stop flailing and focus, letting my body go limp, conserving strength. The vampire smirks, misreading it as submission. His cold breath washes over my face as he leans in, nostrils flaring. He’s…sniffing me?

Revulsion churns my stomach as his nose skims along my jaw, down to the crook of my neck. He lingers there, inhaling deeply, a pleased rumble vibrating his

chest.

The scar, Ava! Don’t let him near it! Selene’s warning

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138 Ava. A Shocking Finale (II)

ricochets through my head.

can’t bite you there! 

Fragmented memories resurface–Selene cautioning me about my scar during my heat, insisting I keep Clayton away from it. I hadn’t understood then. I’m not sure I do now. But her urgency propels me into action.

Gritting my teeth, I shove at the vampire’s face, fingernails gouging. He snarls, jerking back slightly but not releasing me. The pressure on my windpipe eases a fraction and I suck in a desperate breath, spots dancing across my vision.

That scar is where your power leaks out. It’s like a drug to creatures who can sense it. It isn’t quite an aphrodisiac, but it can be, in the right circumstances, Selene explains rapidly.

Well that’s just great, I grouse in my head, still

scrabbling to dislodge the vampire’s chokehold. Whose brilliant idea was it to put a magic neon ‘bite me‘ sign on my neck? 

Selene growls in frustration. Just protect it, Ava! Don’t let him break the skin there, no matter what!

The vampire chuckles darkly, his grip loosening as he

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nuzzles into my neck again, lips brushing my

hammering pulse, Lightheadedness swamps me and I gigi, stngely giddy, before I realize it’s the lack of Oxygen L ng me loopy.

“Such an enticing scent,” he murmurs against my skin, tongue flicking out to taste. Bile rises in my throat. “What is that delectable aroma, little wolf?”

Hysteria bubbles up, escaping in a strangled laugh. “Must be the pancakes I had for breakfast.”

His answering hiss is a mixture of irritation and amusement. “So the kitten has claws.” Cool fingers ghost across my collarbone, tracing the neck of my shirt. “Shall we see what other secrets you’re hiding?”

Something whizzes by my ear, embedding itself in the vampire’s neck with a sickening squelch. Blood spurts from the wound, splattering us both in a grotesque crimson spray. The coppery tang assaults my nose, but there’s an underlying sweetness that makes my stomach heave. It’s cloying, like rotting fruit, and I gag on the scent, fighting the urge to vomit as I’m dropped to the ground.

The vampire staggers back, his eyes wide with shock

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138 Ava A Shocking Finale (11)

and fury. His hand flies to his neck, wrenching out the object lodged there. It’s a knife, the blade slick with his blood. He snarls, fan bared, as he tosses it aside.

Suddenly, Teddy is there, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet. I stumble, legs shaky, as he shoves me behind him. He faces off against the vampire, fists raised, body coiled with tension.

“Get your friend and run,” Teddy grits out, not taking his eyes off the seething creature before us. “I’ll hold

him off.”

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Remember your training, Selene whispers urgently in my mind. Use his strength against him. Go for the weak points–eyes, throat, groin.