Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
The scar, Ava! Don’t let him near it! Selene’s warning ricochets through my head.
can’t bite you there!
Fragmented memories resurfaceSelene 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 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 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.”
I hesitate, torn between helping Teddy and reaching Lisa. But Teddy is already moving, launching himself at the vampire with a guttural roar, shifting as he rushes in.
Tearing my gaze away, I scramble to Lisa’s side. She’s still unconscious, her breathing shallow. I shake her shoulders, calling her name, but she doesn’t respond. Panic claws at my chest. I need to get her out of here, away from the danger.
A sickening crunch makes me whip my head around. My heart seizes in my chest. Teddy lies crumpled on the ground, his head twisted at an unnatural angle. His wolf eyes stare sightle.
at the sky, his muzzle slack.
The vampire stands over him, lips curled in a cruel smile.
“Foolish pup,” he sneers, wiping blood from his chin. “Did you really think you could best me?”
Cold laughter rings out as he steps over Teddy’s body, advancing on me with predatory grace. I scramble to my feet, positioning myself between him and Lisa. My hands shake, my breath coming in sharp gasps, but I clench my fists, readying myself for a fight.
Remember your training, Selene whispers urgently in my mind. Use his strength against him. Go for the weak pointseyes, throat, groin.
I nod, more to myself than to her. The vampire stalks closer, his gaze raking over me with a mix of hunger and amusement.
“Still want to play, little wolf?” he taunts, circling me slowly. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
Revulsion shudders through me, but I force it down, keeping my eyes locked on his. I can’t let him distract me. I have to stay focused, find an opening.
He lunges, too fast to track. Instinct has me dodging to the left, and his fingers graze my arm. Lashing out.
blind is stupic cause he catches my wrist easily, yanking me off balance.
When I stumble, he uses momentum against me, spinning me around until my back slams against his chest. One arm wraps around my waist, pinning me to him. The other grips my chin, forcing my head to the side, baring my neck, my scar to his eyes.
“Mmm, there it is,” he purrs, nose skimming along my scar. “That tantalizing scent. I wonder what you’ll taste like.”
Panic explodes through me. I thrash wildly, kicking and clawing at his arms, but his hold is unbreakable. He laughs, the sound vibrating against my back, as his tongue drags over my skin. I shudder, bile rising in my throat.
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 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
He won’t be down longmay 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, 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