Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 250 Ava: Clear Her Mind

My phone rings, and I nearly leap out of bed to reach for it.

Marcus grabs it as I fall into an unceremonious tangle of blankets and legs on the floor, staring at me with an impassive face that hides his amusement.

I know he's laughing inside, because there are little crinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his jaw's a little tenser than normal, as if holding back laughter.

"Unknown number," he reports, handing it to me.

Damn. Not Lucas.

Then again, maybe it is.

I answer eagerly, before I'm free of the mess I've created. "Hello?"

"Is this Alpha Westwood's mate?" The voice is soft and feminine, her words coming out in a rush.

I don't recognize it. "Yes. Who is this?"

"You must return to the pack, or everyone will be slaughtered." The woman's voice trembles, urgency lacing every breathy word. "You can't trust the Fae."

My heart leaps into my throat. The room spins, and I grip the phone tighter, its edges cutting into my fingers. "What? Who is this? What's happening?"

"There's no time to explain. Just come back as soon as you can. We need you."

"But who's in danger? What's going on?" My voice rises, panic seeping into every syllable.

"Everyone. Or else Alpha—"

The line goes dead.

"Hello? Hello!" I shout into the phone, but there's nothing but silence.

Marcus snatches it out of my hands, hands tapping at the screen. "Can't dial back."

No surprise there; the number didn't even show up. I struggle out of the tangle of blankets trapping my legs. "We need to go back. Everyone's in danger."

He frowns. "Ava, calm down. Sit, first."

"I can't calm down. Lucas—"

He shoves a hand over my mouth, shoving me back until my knees hit the bed.

over the edge

he repeats, his heavy brows drawn in as his eyes bore into mine. "You need to listen to me before you do

a war drum, each beat reverberating through my body. The rush of blood in my ears wants

expression. Narrow eyes.

about to do

close my eyes and breathe through my nose, drawing oxygen into my lungs and stretching them as far as I can bear, before releasing it all in a single measured breath. One. Two. Three. I count each inhale and exhale,

I meet Marcus' gaze. His hand drops from my

by the panic fluttering

say, my voice steadier than I feel

up my phone, tapping the screen as he stares at me. "First, we can't trust random phone calls. Anyone could be on the other end of that

if Lucas and the pack really are in danger?

them," Marcus counters. His tone softens slightly. "I know you're worried. But we need to be smart about this. You can't run off half-cocked. That's how you get

"—or worse."

course he's

impulse and instinct, and I don't have a

take another deep breath, ignoring how small I feel when I realize how much I'm still lacking. Being upset over good advice is

I take a moment to mull it

just ask Marcus what to do, but there's a reason he isn't throwing

job, as

think it through, Ava. Strange phone call, vague statements, and a voice I

Wait.

Ward. It shouldn't have gotten through to

hadn't realized how bunched

encouragement in his voice makes it feel like we're in

as it is, it helps my

Westwood's mate. She didn't call me by name, yet she has my

nods. "Good. Keep

That's what the other wolves do, when they find out I'm his mate.

strange," he agrees. "Anything

said I

Another nod.

knows I'm with the Fae. Only Lucas." Everyone who knew is

very few know I'm mated to Lucas. "None of

"Exactly."

Marcus' voice has my back straightening and my chin

there anything else that strikes you from

"I don't think so. She was cut off in the middle of talking about Lucas…" My voice trails off. "No,

disgust. "Just call him Renard. He is no longer Alpha

Ah.