Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 160 Ava: Eyes Wide Open

It smells like him, Selene grumbles, her wet nose twitching as she sniffs around the plush rug in the center of Lucas' bedroom. Everywhere.

I glance up from where I'm unpacking my suitcase, one eyebrow arched. "Well, it's his room. What did you expect?"

She huffs, her tail swishing in annoyance. I expected not to be assaulted by the scent of alpha male posturing every time I breathe. Her mental words are sour, but without the bite they used to have when she spoke of Lucas.

A laugh escapes me despite the heaviness still lingering in my chest from the earlier confrontation with Margot. "Posturing? Really? It's just his scent."

Yes, really. She flops down on the rug, her chin resting on her paws. It's like he's marking his territory. Letting everyone know this is his space.

"Is it really posturing when he just sleeps in here?"

Yes.

I roll my eyes, turning back to my suitcase. She's reaching for reasons to complain, but knowing that her grumbling doesn't have the fierce hatred of before helps a lot. "He's the alpha. Isn't that kind of his job?"

There's a difference between being an alpha and being obnoxious about it.

Her complaints continue as I move about the room, hanging up clothes and arranging my toiletries in the en-suite bathroom.

It's a beautiful space, all dark wood and rich fabrics, with a massive king-sized bed dominating the center. It's all masculine without a single feminine touch, which somehow pleases me.

The thought of sleeping here, surrounded by Lucas' scent, makes me smile—even if my wolf hates it.

But Selene's complaints nag at me, pulling me out of my reverie. I pause, a shirt dangling from my fingers, and turn to face her.

"Okay, what's your deal with Lucas? I thought you were over your issues with him now that we're together."

seems to deflate her entire body. It's not

sit beside her, my fingers sinking into her thick fur. "Because

being stubborn. She's still grouchy, but there's less heat

proven himself time and time again. He's been there

a good man, Selene admits.

demeanor and cryptic words of some sage, but at times like this, she's just a sassy friend in my

"But…?"

tail thumps against

I'll

argue, just pet her head and ears. "Promise that it's not the same kind of 'another

hadn't gotten yourself kidnapped again in the first place, Selene grumbles, though it's obvious she doesn't mean

quicker, it wouldn't have been that long either." Teasing her a little to get her out of her little funk, I add, "Besides, I didn't get kidnapped by the vampire this time." My heart sinks as I think that over, my heart sinking. Maybe if I had been, Lisa

lot of confidence for someone who hasn't finished

"Hush."

at the pack lands spread out before me. The small city feels stagnant, a far cry from the bustling modernity of

in time by

sense of urgency, as if they're afraid to linger too long in any one place. It's a stark contrast to the men who strut

display of the gender dynamics that have always been present in the Blackwood

about gender dynamics. I'd even seen the difference when I attended school in White Peak, or worked there. But I always felt, deep down, that the

Now?

and freedom of Aspen and

glaringly obvious, disturbing me to my core. This is not because we're shifters; it's because of our

voice echoes in my mind, her concern

across the street, her

her to stop short. He says something, his posture aggressive, and the female

male strides over, breaking up their confrontation, that I realize my shoulders are tense and drawn up, my fingers gripping