Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 271 Lisa: To Safety

LISA

Eventually, there's nothing else I can help the nurses with, and I wander back to the table. It's been hours. We came to the farmhouse in the early morning, and now it's well past noon. Aside from a few packages of crackers and some water from the sink, my belly's empty.

My stomach growls. The crackers and water did little to satisfy my hunger.

The Grand Sage speaks to Ryder, his voice low but clear. "The problem isn't with the individual phones. They're fine, but the networks are all corrupted. They aren't communicating properly. From what I can tell, it's all hacked. Someone's taken control."

"So…" Ryder takes his phone with a sigh. "It won't be fixed anytime soon."

"Correct."

The Grand Sage hands Chloe and Mia back their phones. The two women exchange a glance before leaving after a brief word from Ryder. Something about their interaction feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

While the Grand Sage and Ryder continue discussing, curiosity gets the better of me. I slip outside, thankful that I'm not particularly noticeable.

A cool breeze brushes against my cheeks as I watch Chloe part ways with Mia. To my surprise, Chloe doesn't head back to wherever she came from. Instead, she steps behind a nearby building.

I frown, inching closer. What is she doing?

From my vantage point, I can see Chloe tapping away at her phone. It's strange—didn't the Grand Sage just explain that no cell phones are getting a signal? Yet here she is, acting like everything's normal.

My heart races as I watch her bring the phone to her ear. I strain to hear what she's saying, but she's too far away. I take a step closer, leaves crunching under my feet.

Chloe's head snaps up, and I duck behind a bush. When I peek out again, she's ending the call, her movements quick and furtive.

Something's not right here.

I make my way back to the farmhouse, my mind whirling. As soon as I spot the Grand Sage, I sidle up to him, keeping my voice low. "I just saw something strange," I murmur, relaying what I witnessed outside.

the matter

follow his gaze, noticing for the first time that Ryder's no longer here. The room feels emptier

Sage catches my eye again, tapping on his wrist. I glance down at the bracelet he gave me earlier, confusion clouding my thoughts. What is

I can ask, the air is rent with shouts. My blood runs cold as I recognize the sound—a sound that's now devastatingly familiar to

Battle cries.

fear and

the Grand Sage and Elverly are at my side. Their hands close around my arms, and I'm being hustled out the back door of the farmhouse. "That

"You expected this?"

I saw her

our feet pounding against

shifters are locked in combat with a seemingly endless stream of attackers. But it's not their opponents that make my breath catch in my throat—it's where they're coming

shimmering portal hangs in the air, defying all logic and reason. People pour out of it, weapons raised and faces contorted with rage. It's like watching the world tear at the seams, reality giving way to something I

voice snaps me back

from the battle and focus

I push my legs to their limit, sprinting towards the barn. The Grand Sage and Elverly flank me, their urgency palpable in the air. We burst through the barn doors, and for a split

Grand Sage's sharp intake of breath, followed by a string of muttered curses. I whirl around, my eyes

a dozen of them, racing towards us with inhuman speed. Their faces are twisted into snarls, fangs glinting in the

whip, snapping me out of my

told twice. I scramble towards the familiar contraption, my hands shaking as I reach for the top hatch. It feels like an eternity before my fingers find purchase, and I haul

inside of the safe room is just as cramped and uncomfortable as I remember, but right now, it feels like the most welcoming place in the world. I press myself against the far wall, making room for Elverly as

eyes fixed on the opening. Where's

face appear. He's panting heavily, his eyes wild with fear and determination. With a grunt, he squeezes his tiny

feral. My whole body trembles, and I have

going back to

buttons and levers.

to

face pops over, red eyes staring

catches in my throat, and I squeeze

a resounding clang as the hatch