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.

is what it means to be truly alive, to embrace what dwells within me. To hell with being human; right now, I am

of distant lights. Civilization. Safety. My throat tightens with a sudden surge of

howl shatters the night, closer than

willing to risk their lives by entering enemy territory to

of White Peak. An

breathless laugh escapes me as I pour on even more

close. So damn

on the back of my neck. The wolves are gaining, closing the distance

and Vester crowd into

me surge, a tidal wave of energy that propels me

my lungs and sends me tumbling across the uneven ground. I scramble for purchase, fingernails scrabbling against the dirt and rocks as I fight to

into snarls and growls, of vicious,

around me. Twigs and leaves cling to my hair, my palms stinging from the impact. I blink tears from my eyes, struggling to make

teeth in the darkness, and eerie shrieks of pain interspersed between the rumbles. Fur and fangs clash in a frenzied

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

I catch fleeting glimpses of familiar wolf faces. But they are mere flashes, lost in an instant

something far worse

clawing at the earth as a familiar wolf emerges from the shadows, its golden eyes locked on me with an intensity that chills me to the core. The raw hunger in that gaze is unmistakable—a

has evaporated, leaving me feeling weak and sluggish in its wake. The euphoria of my newfound freedom has been replaced by a visceral terror that seizes my lungs, making each breath a

to someone who can't shift. I've seen him

than any snarl or growl. The air around him is filled with the energy of barely restrained violence, a promise of

that seems to strip away every last shred of my humanity, reducing me to nothing more

could envision the arrogant smirk that would be curving his lips right now, the