Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 110 Lisa: Ava's Absence (III)

Lucas's shoulders stiffen, and he turns to look at the healer with a frown. "Still no answers?" he asks, his voice rough with disuse.

Vanessa sighs, her expression sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Alpha. We're doing everything we can."

Lucas nods curtly and turns back to Ava, his brow furrowed in thought. Vanessa catches my eye over his shoulder and gives me a subtle shake of her head.

At first, I'm confused. But then it hits me—she must be trying to tell me that Ava isn't pregnant. A wave of relief washes over me, followed immediately by a pang of guilt. I shouldn't be happy about this, not when Ava is still lying there unresponsive.

But at least it's one less thing to worry about. One less complication in an already tangled web.

I slump back in my chair, suddenly exhausted. It's been a long day, and the emotional roller coaster has taken its toll. I close my eyes, just for a moment, and let the steady rhythm of Ava's heartbeat lull me into a light doze.

I'm not sure how much time passes before I'm startled awake by a soft knock at the door. Vanessa pokes her head in, her expression apologetic.

"Sorry to disturb you," she says, keeping her voice low. "But I thought you might want to know—Kellan just arrived with Ava's dog."

I sit up straighter, blinking the sleep from my eyes. "Selene's here?"

the waiting room. I can bring her in, if

but I can

But he's not protesting.

her," I say, since he seems content with

the room, a scrawny silver husky trailing behind him on a leash. For a moment, I'm not sure if it's really Selene—she looks thinner than I remember from pictures, her fur matted and dull. But

leash out of Kellan's grip. She scrambles onto the bed, her paws slipping on the crisp white sheets as she tries to get closer to Ava. Lucas starts to rise from his chair, his hand outstretched to

feel the tension thrumming through him like a live wire. "I think... I think it might be good for her. To have Selene close." I can't admit why, but I can at least try to make

dark and dangerous. A growl rumbles low in his throat, and I feel my heart stutter in my chest. Oh God. What have I done? The look

down now. Not when Ava needs

grip tightening on his wrist even as my hand

doesn't move. He just stares at me, his jaw clenched so tightly I'm afraid he

But it never comes.

snap of teeth, and I realize that Selene has risen to her feet on the bed. She's standing over Ava's unconscious form, her hackles raised and her lips pulled back in a snarl. And she's not just protecting Ava—she's protecting me too, her body angled slightly to the side

barely breathe. Lucas

in Lucas's arm bunch beneath my fingers, and for a second, I'm sure he's going to lunge for

takes a step back. His eyes never leave Selene's, but he