Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 177 Ava: Accepting Her Pack

During the few funeral rites Alpha Renard held in Blackwood, he spent a lot of time pontificating. Especially during the rites for his sons.

Here, Lucas says nothing. Does nothing. Only stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, as he watches the pyres burn.

The amount of human bodies decreases as they all take to their wolf forms, standing and waiting. When I glance at Kellan, I can see that unfocused look in his eyes.

Lucas must be talking through the pack link.

That's why it's quiet.

There are wolves to either side of him, and I don't recognize any of them. Then again, I know very few members of the pack.

I'd chafed over that, used it as an excuse to go to the party.

But how much effort had I made to get to know these people?

At every turn, I felt stifled by their regard for me as Lucas' mate.

Did I ever engage the wolves around me in conversation? I don't even know most of their names.

If I can't even get to know the bodyguards sent to keep me safe at the cost of their own lives…

What kind of person doesn't even try, and just complains about her lack of freedom?

If I had gotten to know them, perhaps things would be different. Instead of complaining that I couldn't go anywhere without them, maybe outings would have been fun with them. Maybe the other pack members would have seen me trying to be friends…

Ah.

All those people watching me during training take on a different meaning in my head now.

Who would welcome an aloof wolf into their midst, knowing she's made no effort to assimilate into the pack?

My whining is a sour taste in my mouth, especially knowing that some of those people have now lost their lives because of me.

feeling terrible over the loss of life and injuries, I'd never once put a single one of their lives as a priority.

beside me with her ears flat against her skull. I once led my pack. I would have

words trail off in confusion once more, and I stroke a hand over her

contact with those burning pyres and the smoke covering the sky in a dense,

feeling the tears filling my eyes once more. We cannot lose more people. I don't know what to do.

Selene stiffens. Ava.

voice catches me off guard. She's no longer staring toward the bodies burning in front of us. She's staring into the forest,

What is it?

as she scents

one here does, and

I remain in

mine from across the clearing, his amber eyes fiery as they reflect the light of the burning

weight, a comfort in my chest, even through

meet mine. Not wanting to cause panic with words, I jerk my thumb toward Selene, still alerting to

her body language and turns in the same direction with a frown, before

from the pack in

can hear her mental whine,

can go, too, I offer to her, but she presses her body against my shins, even as she continues

They might focus

thought of that. It isn't like every member of the pack is attuned to Selene's

any of the others. His fur is so dark it's nearly black, but the flickering

the sky as the last vestiges of twilight fade into the oncoming night. A howl rips from his throat, deep and mournful, the sound vibrating through my

their song of grief and loss. Tears streak down my cheeks, but I make no move to

to burn, several wolves break from the pack and

will spend the night in their wolf forms," Kellan murmurs in my ear, his voice taut with tension. "A pack

back at me, his amber eyes glowing in the flickering light. The bond between us pulses, and I want nothing more than to go to him, to bury my face in his fur and share in

beside me, a low whine escaping her. Ava, we should get

towards the forest. Before I can even respond, Lucas bolts. His powerful legs

the car. Now!" Kellan barks, shoving me none-too-gently

that sound far too vicious for a simple