140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
“Ava!”
Ken’s familiar voice should bring hope, but all I feel is despair as I stare into the distance, wishing that vampire would reappear.
A thousand of them coulde and it would be fine. As long as they bring Lisa back.
“Ava! Can you hear me?”
Ken’s face swims in and out of focus, a hazy blur against the night sky. I squint, trying to bring him into rity, but it ike trying to grasp smoke.
“They have Lisa,” I whisper, the words scraping my throat raw. “The vampire… He took her.”
Ken’s eyes widen, a flicker of anguish passing over his features before he schools them into careful neutrality. But I can see the tension in his jaw, the rigidity of his shoulders. He’s barely holding it together.
“I know, Ava. We’ll get her back.” His voice is strained, distracted. Like his mind is a million miles away even
18:12
1/10
140 Ava Lisa’s Gone
as he’s right here with me.
Strong arms scoop me up, cradling me against a broad chest. For a moment, I think it’s Ken, but the scent is wrong. Earthy and unfamiliar, not the piney–leather smell I associate with him. I turn my head, blinking sluggishly at the face above me. It takes a moment for recognition to click into ce. One of the guards from Lisa’s apartment. I can’t recall his name, but I
remember him standing sentry outside her door, stoic and watchful.
He carries me away from the carnage, away from the bodies strewn across the grass like broken dolls. I want to protest, to demand he put me down, but my limbs feel weighted, my tongue thick and useless in my
mouth.
Behind us, I can hear Ken pacing, his footsteps heavy and agitated against the ground. He’s growling, the sound low and menacing, interspersed with words I can’t quite make out. But one stands out, sharp and clear amid the jumbled mess of my thoughts.
Mate.
He keeps saying it, over and over, like a mantra. Like a
18:12
2/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
prayer.
I try to focus on him, to call out and ask what he means, but the world is tilting, spinning off its axis. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision, a ck tide threatening to pull me under.
Thest thing I see before unconsciousness ims me is Selene running in from the woodline,ing straight for me.
<i>Ava</i><i>!</i>
***
The hospital ceiling greets me again when I open my
eyes.
This… is getting old. Fast.
<i>I </i><i>agree</i><i>, </i>Selene grumbles, but I can feel her warm weight against me. Someone must have let her in.
<i>Of course </i>they <i>did</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>wouldn’t leave</i><i>. </i><i>Led them </i><i>on </i><i>a </i><i>right </i><i>merry </i><i>chase </i>around the garden. They <i>call </i>themselves wolves <i>and </i>can’t even catch a <i>single </i><i>dog</i><i>.</i>
Letting out a soft snort, I rub my hands down her fur, turning my head to the presence I can sense by my
side.
18:13
3/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
Ken.
He’s staring out the window and hasn’t even noticed that I’m awake, his brow furrowed and gray eyes distant.
He’s <i>worried </i><i>about Lisa</i><i>, </i>Selene says, a whisper in my mind. <i>He’s </i><i>finally </i>realized that they’re <i>fated</i>.
What?
Lisa? Fated? That ma s no sense.
<i>It </i>is <i>a </i><i>rare </i><i>urrence</i><i>, </i><i>but </i>humans can <i>be </i><i>mates</i>. <i>He </i><i>probably </i><i>didn’t </i>realize <i>until </i><i>he </i><i>could </i><i>smell </i>her <i>blood</i><i>. </i><i>It’s </i><i>not </i><i>umon</i>. <i>It’s </i><i>a </i><i>very </i><i>faint </i><i>scent </i><i>in </i>humans <i>until </i><i>the </i><i>bonding </i><i>takes ce</i>.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.
How fascinating.
Lisa’s going to be furious to know…
My heart sinks.
<i>We will </i><i>get </i><i>her </i><i>back</i><i>, </i>Selene assures me, her voice strong and determined.
“I take it we haven’t found her yet?” I ask Ken, whose head snaps in my direction.
“Ava. You’re awake. How do you feel?”
18:13
4/10
140 Ava Lisa’s Gone
“I’m fine.” Reaching for the side of my throat, I confirm that the skin is unblemished. “Nothing wrong at all.”
Except an odd burning in my chest, but I already know
what that is.
<i>It’s </i><i>a </i><i>half</i>–<i>bond</i><i>. </i><i>We </i>have <i>to </i><i>get </i><i>rid </i>of <i>it</i>.
I don’t know much about vampires–but I know that being bonded with one is bad news.
<i>Correct</i><i>.</i>
“You had blood everywhere.” Ken looks me over, like I haven’t probably been poked and prodded by numerous nurses and doctors.
“I healed,” I reply shortly, not willing to talk about what happened. “What about Lisa? Do we have any
information on her?”
He stiffens at her name and shakes his head. “No. Nothing. You said a vampire took her?”
“Yes. Tall. Silver hair. Red eyes. Kind of freaky. Kept calling us kittens.”
Ken rubs the bridge of his nose in frustration. “It’s impossible to find a single vampire with that
description.“.
5/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
Guilt swirls in my gut. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see much else.”
He waves off my apology. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad, Ava. It’s amon problem when vampires are the perpetrators.”
He’s <i>right</i><i>, </i>Selene says. <i>Their </i>appearances are <i>too </i><i>simr</i><i>.</i>
“The silver hair es give us a small hint about his age,” Ken continues, “but even that isn’t a guarantee anymore. Not with the new trend of silver hair dye.”
I blink. “Vampires dye their hair?”
A grimugh escapes him. “Not only do they dye their hair, but they also wear contacts. They live among humans,pletely undetected.”
A shiver runs through me at the thought. Vampires walking freely among the unsuspecting popce, wearing whatever disguise suits them best. It’s a chilling realization.
<i>It’s </i>how <i>they’ve </i><i>survived </i>so <i>long</i><i>, </i>Selene muses. <i>Adaptation </i>is necessary for <i>any </i>species to <i>thrive</i>.
Adaptation. Right. Lisa’s been taken by an adaptive
18:13
6/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
predator who sees us as nothing more than kittens to y with. Fantastic.
“So how do we find her?” I ask, trying to keep the desperation from my voice.
Ken’s jaw clenches. “We have our ways. Every
supernatural leaves a trace. It’s just a matter of picking up the right il.”
<i>Not </i><i>every </i>supernatural<i>, </i>Selene corrects, but I ignore her.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go find her!”
I start to sit up, but Ken’s hand on my shoulder stops me. “Ava, you’re in no condition to go anywhere. You need to rest.”
“I’m fine,” I insist, even as the room spins a little. “I can’t just sit here while Lisa’s out there!”
He’s <i>right</i><i>, </i>Ava. <i>You’re </i><i>not fully </i><i>recovered</i><i>. </i>Your <i>body </i><i>needs </i>time<i>. </i><i>Your </i><i>wounds </i>are healed<i>, </i>but <i>your </i><i>blood </i>loss remains.
I want to argue, but I can feel the exhaustion pulling at me. The adrenaline that kept me going is fading,
leaving me drained.
18:13
7/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
Ken must see it on my face because his expression softens. “I know you want to help, but the best thing you can do right now is rest. Let us handle this.”
Us. The pack. His pack.
<i>Our </i><i>pack</i>, Selene corrects gently. <i>You </i><i>have </i>already <i>epted </i>Lucas <i>in </i>y ‘r heart<i>, </i>haven’t <i>you</i><i>?</i>
I’m surprised to see her standing up for Lucas, and she
huffs.
<i>I </i><i>may </i><i>not </i><i>be </i><i>enamored </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>wolf</i><i>, </i><i>but </i>I’m <i>not </i>blind <i>to </i><i>what </i><i>my </i><i>human </i><i>desires</i>. <i>You </i><i>made </i><i>a </i><i>decision </i>after <i>that </i><i>dance</i><i>, </i><i>didn’t </i><i>you</i><i>?</i>
I guess I did.
It’s <i>about </i><i>time </i><i>to </i>start <i>thinking </i><i>like </i><i>pack </i><i>and </i><i>less </i><i>like </i><i>a</i>
<i>visitor</i>.
Her ears flick as she speaks, and I rub her head gently.
<i>Got </i><i>it</i><i>.</i>
Still–even if I think of them as my pack, will they put as much effort into finding Lisa as they would one of
their own.
<i>They </i><i>will</i>. <i>She’s </i><i>Ken’s </i><i>mate</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>won’t </i><i>rest </i><i>until </i>she’s
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
That word echoes in my mind, and I look at Ken with new eyes. The tension in his shoulders. The fire in his gaze. He’s a man obsessed.
“Okay,” I whisper, sinking back into the pillows. “But you have to promise to keep me updated. I need to know what’s happening.”
He nods. “Of cour I’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop. Even if I don’t, Lucas will be here in another hour or two when his nends.”
It’s not enough, but it’s all I can do for now. Trust in Ken, in the pack, to bring Lisa home.
<i>And </i><i>trust </i><i>in </i><i>yourself</i><i>, </i>Selene adds. <i>You’re </i>stronger than <i>you </i><i>know</i><i>, </i><i>Ava</i>. <i>We’ll </i><i>get </i>through this. You just <i>need </i><i>to </i>rest a little <i>longer</i><i>.</i>
I cling to her words as Ken stands to leave. He pauses at the door, looking back at me with an intensity that steals my breath.
“We’ll find her, Ava. I swear it.”
When he leaves, I’m alone. Alone with my thoughts and the steady presence of Selene at my side, nausea curling in my belly as I think of the horrors Lisa must
be anduring
9/10
140 Ava: Lisa’s Gone
<i>Rest</i><i>, </i>she urges. <i>Heal</i><i>. We’ll </i><i>need </i><i>all </i><i>our </i><i>strength </i>for
<i>what’s </i><i>to </i><ie</i><i>.</i>
I know she’s right, but it’s hard to quiet my mind. Hard to stop berating myself for being so fucking useless, even once that damn power had finally ignited inside
of me.
<i>Not </i>useless. <i>Never </i><i>useless</i>. <i>You </i><i>survived, </i><i>Ava</i><i>. </i><i>You </i><i>fought</i><i>. And </i><i>you’ll </i><i>fight </i><i>again </i><i>when </i><i>the </i><i>time </ies<i>.</i>
Comment 3
View All >
<b>R</b>