Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 237 Ava: Wrung Dry

By the time we exit the training room, Vanessa and Marcus have to hold me up to walk in a straight line.

It isn't the type of exhaustion where my muscles are sore and stretched and tired after running or doing a thousand squats. It's more like the energy in my body has bled away, leaving me so weak that my muscles can no longer function properly.

When exercising, you can kind of feel good about your exertion. The pain and exhaustion comes with a sense of accomplishment.

This?

It just feels like I'm a wet dish rag wrung out one too many times.

The water's gone, and now I'm going to float away on the next strong breeze.

Ava! Where did you go?

Selene's panic is so explosive in my head that my legs buckle, even with the support of two shifters.

Long story. Training room. Magic place. My body's dead. Training sucks.

Even in my head, I can only speak in short sentences. It feels fuzzy and also like something's slamming into it with a sledgehammer, fueled by the rage of a thousand flying monkeys.

Not sure where the flying monkeys came from, but I'm just going to go with it.

Are you okay? she asks, and the warmth and care from her side of the bond also seems to infuse me with a little bit of extra energy.

who's panicked after they wake up in the middle of the night to see their child gone; someone who cares about me. I need food. And sleep, I tell her. Maybe not

see you've re-established contact," Magister Orion says, peering at my face.

head jerks up. "What? No.

sorry. You

like that,"

nods, despite

having years of experience," I mutter, wishing I had

my ass. They're way too comfortable making fun of me

unique, indeed. If I had the time, I'd love to pick it apart. Especially you, Ava Grey, to have a wolf outside of your body, like the Lycans of old. And yet she's a mere dog.

like he's going to slice me open and look at me under a microscope, Selene says, and I can feel her internal shudder from

interest, because she interrupts him to ask, "Why do you call her

Fae. We don't have a first and last name as you humans do, you see. We do have a family name, but it isn't

as Vanessa and Marcus help settle me into a chair. With a wave

are used to in our world; for example, their

and—most importantly—have no magic in

I brought it up, but I haven't told him the entire story of Sister Miriam and the Fae food. I'm still not certain on the allegiances

my plate with food without being asked, and I give her a smile when she catches my eye. Everything on the table is food I've had before and enjoyed; I'm not blind to the kindness that Magister Orion is showing

how

vegetables onto my plate, Magister Orion finally responds to my question. "Your identity is not defined by your family. Even when one is disowned, they remain true to their own

of pain shoots through my heart, interrupting its normal rhythm for a moment. There's no way he's talking about my family dynamics, but I still feel like I've been put on display for a

his question makes

our family," I murmur, feeling my heart