Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 139

139 Ava: A Shocking Finale (III) —

END SEASON TWO

“You’re making this so much harder than it should be. I was hoping to savor this moment, but now I have to rush my meal, instead.” He sounds disappointed, not angry, and the difference makes me shudder.

It’s worse than him being infuriated. It shows that my struggles are no more than an inconvenience to him.

When his fangs break skin, the pain is unbearable.

It’s worse than fire in my veins. It’s an ache so deep that my entire body throbs and burns, I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out; I can’t

breathe.

Skimming over the pain is an ecstasy that taunts me with bliss, tantalizing with its lack of pain. I yearn for it, wanting to sink in, wanting to escape this torture-

Eyes, Ava! Selene shouts. Go for the eyes!

With a desperate cry, I jab my fingers toward his face, aiming for those cold, mocking eyes. He jerks his head back and I can feel my neck rip and tear, blood

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pouring.

But not before I fe

my nails sink into something soft

and yielding. He howis, his grip loosens, and I wrench myself free, staggering away.

The vampire clutches at his face, blood seeping between his fingers. One eye is a ruined mess, but the other glares at me with unadulterated hatred.

“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he spits, his voice a guttural

rasp.

I hold my hands against my neck, against the blood pouring out, gasping for air to fill my lungs. It’s like they can’t inflate fully, can’t fill with oxygen.

This time rage fuels his movements as he lunges for me, messy and uncoordinated. My brain’s already off, moving on instinct, through repetitive motions in

training.

A quick sidestep. A knee to the groin, a practiced weak point. He’s wide open and doubles over with a grunt as I follow up with an elbow to the back of his neck,

sacrificing blood loss for success.

He hits the ground hard. Good to know pressure

points also work on vampires

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He won’t be down long–may

seconds.

I dart to Lisa, grabbing her under the arms and dragging her back, scrabbling for purchase.with my

hands slick from blood.

My neck screams in pain and my vision blurs from darkness to light, spotted with prismatic shapes.

The vampire rises to his feet, his face a mask of rage. Blood drips from his ruined eye, painting a gruesome picture. He stalks toward us, his movements jerky, unhinged.

He’s a far cry from the elegant monster from before. He’s lost reason. Lost control.

I have a chance.

“I’m going to rip you apart,” he snarls, spittle flying from his lips. “Piece by fucking piece.”

I brace myself, shielding Lisa with my body. I know I can’t outrun him, not while carrying her. My only choice is to stand and fight, to buy time until help

arrives. If it arrives.

Something sparks to life inside of me, a crackling current that dances along my nerves. I feel it building,

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swelling, thrumming beneath my skin.

It’s electric.

It’s terrifying.

It’s hope.

The vampire charges with a loud snarl and I trust the power within me, meeting him head on.

The flow of time itself changes. A punch that before would have been impossible to track is now something I can not only see, but think about.

All my training comes to me without thought.

How to block.

How to move.

Simple things. How to press my hand against his arm, how to utilize his momentum to throw his body as I

please.

How to step as I dodge.

I’ve had little training in offensive strikes, but I’ve practiced defense to exhaustion every day.

And so every time he tries to grab me, he’s shoved

forward forgod to regain his balance

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But this can’t go on forever.

I can feel the wooziness in

head, the way my knees

shake, how my crop top is soaked in blood…

Shouldn’t I be unconscious already?

Just a little longer, Selene says, an encouraging presence in my mind. They’re almost there. 

It’s only then that I notice the sounds outside of our

little area.

The howls in the distance.

The sound of sirens.

He reaches out a clawed hand, all the deranged anger gone, his face once again settled into that pale, death–transcendent beauty. Come with me, kitten. I’ll keep you safe, teach you your powers. Tell you the truth about that wolf inside your soul.”

Don’t agree with him. You’re half in contract. Any agreement will bind you. Selene’s words are urgent, and I have so many fucking questions, but I’m swaying on my feet, even with this energy flowing through my

Ava!