Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 179 Ava: Surprise Visit

Selene lies curled in a patch of moonlight, her head resting on her tail, eyes closed. Her presence usually brings me comfort, but even she can't soothe the anxiety that grips me now.

The room feels more like a prison than a sanctuary, the air thick with unspoken animosity. I glance out the window again, searching the darkness for any sign of movement, any indication that Lucas and the others are okay.

Nothing, of course.

They're miles away.

Their howls fill the air, raising the hair on my arms and the back of my neck.

It takes time, Selene murmurs, her eyes still closed as she basks in the moonlight.

She looks as relaxed as can be, but the edge in her mental voice tells me otherwise.

The knot in my stomach refuses to unravel. It's the same feeling I had before the attack on the party, a sense of impending doom that crawls beneath my skin and sets my nerves on edge.

The two shifters standing guard don't help matters. They're strangers to me, with unfamiliar faces and rigid stances. The tension in the room is palpable. I can't bring myself to attempt conversation, not when every instinct screams that they despise me.

Minutes drag by, and nothing changes.

No updates.

Only the occasional cough from the guard with short hair and a scar under his left eye.

By the unfocused look that comes over their faces here and there, I know they're listening in to the hunt. They know something.

My thoughts keep circling back to Lucas and the others out there hunting the vampire. The not knowing is torture, my imagination conjuring up increasingly horrific scenarios with each passing second.

longer, I turn to the shifters, my words tight with barely

broad-shouldered man with cold brown eyes, regards me with open disdain. "Why do you

if he'd struck me. Heat rushes to my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. "I'm worried people will get hurt

warning. They both turn away from

this is where Selene would normally tell me to stand up

feels the treatment

in the silence.

Oh.

Was I wallowing again?

Yes.

Damn it.

then expanding my field of march. The guards step back, giving me space, though they share a look that doesn't

of cigarette smoke wafts through the air as the tall guard lights up, filling the room with a haze. My nose wrinkles in distaste. "Could you please not smoke in here?" I

long drag before blowing the smoke in my direction. "Save

elbows him sharply in the ribs, hissing under his breath. "Stop it

deterred. He leans against the wall, a sneer twisting his features. "She's not even our alpha's mate. She was

from my lungs. I know I'm not well-liked here, but to hear it

vampires were only there for her," he continues, jerking

like that? Questions swirl in my mind, but before I can voice them, both guards suddenly collapse to the ground, their bodies

throat as a figure materializes out of thin air. Sister Miriam. She bends down, picking up the still-smoldering cigarette from the tall guard's limp fingers.

sound, even as a small, vindictive part of me

Miriam turns to me, an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry for the dramatic

the enigmatic woman. She shouldn't be able to get in here, she growls in

cigarette ashes in Selene's direction. "Never able to see past the nose on your face. Ava, you'll be pleased to hear that the Mad Prince hasn't been

"A merry chase?"