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.

with the effort, but I don't slow. Can't slow. This is what it means to be truly alive, to embrace what dwells within me. To hell with being human;

can see the faint glow of distant lights. Civilization. Safety. My throat tightens with a sudden surge of emotion—hope, relief, gratitude. I'm going to make it. After everything, I'm finally

than before. My heart stutters, but I

me. Wolves willing to risk their lives

of White Peak. An hour's drive

as I pour on even more speed, reveling in

close.

raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The wolves are gaining, closing the distance with every second. I

found us. I can tell by how Lucas and Vester crowd into me, teeth bared and

let the power within me surge, a tidal wave of energy that propels me forward with impossible velocity. The

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

of vicious,

I'm breathless and disoriented, the world spinning around me. Twigs and leaves cling to my hair, my

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

flying in glistening arcs. The ground trembles with the force of their collisions, each impact punctuated by deep, guttural growls that reverberate through my

of familiar wolf faces. But they are mere flashes, lost in an instant as the battle

then I have something far

hands clawing at the earth as a familiar wolf emerges from the shadows, its golden eyes locked on me with an intensity that chills me

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

wolf is an average-sized wolf, but still menacing to someone who can't shift. I've seen

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

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

my mouth as he prowls ever closer. If he were human, I could envision the arrogant smirk that would be curving his lips