Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 78 Ava: An Old Enemy

The terror that had gripped me so tightly finally begins to loosen its hold, washed away by the exhilarating rush of my feet pounding against the ground, the world flying past in my periphery.

It's a simple rhythm.

One foot in front of the other.

Vault over an obstacle. Veer to avoid a tree.

The wind against my skin is harsh, like a thousand icy whips snapping against my cheeks. But the pain is almost euphoric.

My feet pound against the forest floor, each step fueling the fire of freedom burning within me.

It's a feeling unlike anything I've ever experienced—raw power, an almost frenetic energy, thrumming through my body with an intensity that steals my breath away. The trees zoom past in blurs of shadow.

I can hear the wolves keeping pace beside me, their breaths ragged growls that harmonize with the frantic beat of my heart. My unnatural speed helps me keep pace. I'm not faster than they are, but I'm far faster than their human forms.

They probably have questions.

I don't know how to answer them.

But, that's for another time. Right now, we need this.

There's no fear now, no uncertainty. Only an overwhelming sense of freedom so pure and intoxicating that I want to lose myself in it forever. I am unleashed, unchained—a force of nature given form.

means to be truly alive, to embrace what dwells within

tightens with a sudden surge of emotion—hope, relief, gratitude. I'm going to make it. After everything, I'm finally going

shatters the night, closer than before.

Wolves willing to risk their lives by entering enemy territory to

of White Peak. An hour's drive has taken

escapes me as I pour on even more

so close. So damn

this one laced with a chilling resonance that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The wolves are gaining, closing the distance with every second. I

Lucas and

surge, a tidal wave of energy that propels me

force that drives the air from my lungs and sends me tumbling across the uneven ground. I scramble for purchase, fingernails scrabbling against the dirt and

into snarls and growls, of vicious, inhuman noises

disoriented, the world spinning around me. Twigs and leaves cling to my hair, my palms stinging from the impact. I blink tears from

between the rumbles. Fur and fangs clash in a frenzied melee,

in glistening arcs. The ground trembles with the force of their collisions, each impact punctuated by deep, guttural growls that reverberate through my bones. The scent of earth and rage hangs thick in the air, mingling with

I catch fleeting glimpses of familiar wolf faces. But they are

have something far worse to

wolf emerges from the shadows, its golden eyes locked on me with an intensity that chills me to

power that had surged through my veins mere moments ago has evaporated, leaving me feeling weak and sluggish in its wake. The

can't shift. I've seen him hundreds of times through the years. I'd never mistake

more terrifying than any snarl or growl. The air around him is filled with the energy of

away every last shred of my humanity, reducing me to nothing more than a trembling

as he prowls ever closer. If he were human, I could envision the arrogant smirk that would be