Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 72 Clayton: Her Identity

CLAYTON

The hospital holds too many memories, and my wolf snarls and whines as it tries in desperation to sniff out any hint of Ava's scent when we arrive.

There's nothing, of course. Just the smell of the injured, the sickly, and disinfectant.

Ivy's room is in our family wing on the top floor, and I head straight there, unable to even look at the button for floor 12.

Ava's floor.

Mate, my wolf whines, and I wonder how much worse this would be if we had a fated connection instead of a chosen one. Lucas' single-minded determination has never made more sense to me than now, as we've spent over a week searching for any hint of the men who took Ava.

Someone had covered their tracks. Every airline, every taxi company, every rideshare, every car rental—their systems were hacked and wiped, so we can't even ascertain how she left.

Air? Car? Even the trains were messed up for a while as they had to go through tickets by hand to verify passengers.

There are no security cameras we can rely on. Everything in the city was wiped. Everything.

I can't imagine what level of influence is needed to take down all of these things in a major city. It's beyond any single pack in the Northwestern Territories.

Was she taken by someone outside of them? But who, and why?

There are no answers to be found.

I settle into a chair beside Ivy's bedside. The natural healing abilities of every wolf are varied in strength, and Ivy's are so low that she heals almost at the rate of a normal human.

Thanks to the medication in her veins, she sleeps in peace. All of her tests are coming back with positive signs of recovery.

If I could find the bastards who did this to her, it would be even better.

I cradle Ava's phone in my palm, running my thumb over the smooth surface. The screen remains dark and lifeless. My jaw clenches as I stare at the pitiful list of contacts—just my number and Ivy's.

As an alpha, I should have pushed harder, gotten the information I needed. It was obvious in Ava's evasiveness and refusal to divulge personal details, the way she dodged questions about her family, that she was running from something. I let it slide because I was too focused on her heat, and then on keeping her here without scaring her off.

and she's missing. Taken from beneath my nose in a place she should have

I force myself to take a deep breath, reining in the torrent

only lead, our sole connection to Ava's past. She must have bought it when

capable of hacking into it or the high-level skills required to overcome everything

will rise. No more relying on outside resources when our security is at stake. I need to hire more experienced IT personnel, individuals

them in droves, but few are willing to work with the shifters, even in our cautious alliance—as if the last remaining bastion

our lives. Without their numbers, their talents, and

thing to come from a world without

my reverie, and I look up to see Rowan's concerned gaze. My beta has been a steadfast pillar of support throughout this ordeal, his calm demeanor a

news?" he asks, stepping into the

words past the lump in my throat. "Not yet. I'm still waiting for the results from

out last week. Why

technical jargon is over my head. I'm not

is attacking tonight. He's forwarded all the evidence they've gathered against Blackwood. They brought

all about that

to Westwood in case they need

by the time

fighting chance at head-on combat, but Lucas will need manpower after they take over the territory, keeping the peace until the Council decides what

quickly sending out whatever orders will

nose in frustration, feeling a headache settle behind my eyes.

he confirms, just as

Where are you, Ava?

you

The cautious note in

hair and striking blue eyes. They've haunted my dreams since the day she disappeared. Ava, alive and well, captured on camera walking

very day she vanished from the

I take in the details, my blood running cold when I recognize the man beside

Why?

study the image again, committing

to contain the wolf clawing at my insides, desperate

grim. "White Peak International Airport. They must have flown

They.