Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 23 Ava: Paranoia and Secrets (IV)

I stare at Selene in shock, emotions roiling within me like a sea at storm. Searing heat flushes my skin, beads of sweat forming along my hairline. My legs tremble, the world tilting precariously, and I clutch at Selene's fur, her solid presence the only thing anchoring me.

"Are you..." I swallow thickly, the words catching in my throat. "Are you my wolf?"

The question seems absurd even as it leaves my lips, defying all logic and reason. And yet, as Selene preens, her gaze gleaming with an intelligence that transcends any mere dog, a hysterical giggle bubbles up from deep within me.

"My wolf is a husky," I wheeze between breathless peals of laughter. "How does this even happen?"

Selene's ears flatten against her skull, and she emits a low growl, her displeasure rippling through our newfound connection like a physical force. I am not a husky, her voice echoes in my mind, resolute and unyielding.

The laughter dies on my lips as abruptly as it began, and I gape at her, struggling to reconcile the reality before me. "But... you look like one."

Appearances can be deceiving, my human. There's a hint of amusement in her tone now, as if she's enjoying my bewilderment. I am a wolf, through and through. This form is merely a vessel, a guise to help me blend in among your kind.

My brow furrows as I study her. Nope. Still a husky.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" The words come out harsher than I intend, tinged with a hint of accusation. If my wolf had appeared, my life wouldn't have been so terrible. And maybe, at the Gala, I wouldn't have been—

No. No point thinking over things that have already happened.

I can't help glaring at

not ready, she says simply. Your path has been a winding one, filled with

deep within me. The weight of my past—the isolation, the rejection, the

she murmurs. You have learned that you are strong, but you are more

marveling at its existence. I realize now that it's what's been helping me get through

as pain shoots through my abdomen. I'm on fire. "Why

a whimper, Selene says, like that means

between the worst

away a few paces, looking behind her. Get up, little cub.

groan. "Are you serious right now? I can't move. I'm just going to die here for a little while. Why'd you take

be, she explains, and I can hear the patience in

with a groan, swaying

stays just out of reach,

effort as pain lances through my abdomen. Sweating, vision

trees seem to close in around us, casting eerie shadows across our path. Selene navigates the darkness with ease, her lithe form weaving through the undergrowth with a

the trees part to reveal

trembling. The pain intensifies, threatening to consume me from within. I curl into a ball, whimpering. Selene settles beside me, her

rasp, my voice