Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 277 Lisa: Kellan

After the third time I stumble while walking, the naked shifter stares at me with a curled lip.

"Why are humans so weak?" he asks, his tone grating on my already frayed nerves.

I bristle at his words. Who does he think he is? "None of your business," I snap, surprising myself with the venom in my voice. Jericho said I do pretty well for a human, thank you very much. I'm just weakened.

I'll get back into shape and then wipe that cocky stare off his face on the mat.

Though, I have yet to have a legitimate win without any handicaps during our training spars… But a girl can dream, damn it.

The shifter's eyebrows shoot up, clearly taken aback by my sass. He peers at me more closely, his brow furrowing. "Do I know you?"

Before I can answer, he leans in, his nostrils flaring as he sniffs at me. I recoil, but he's already pulling back, a puzzled expression on his face.

"You don't have much of a scent," he says, sounding perplexed.

I catch the Grand Sage's eye, noticing a mischievous twinkle there. The bracelet must mess with my scent, too. It bolsters my courage for some reason. "That's because humans like to shower," I retort, my chin jutting out defiantly.

The shifter's eyes narrow. "You don't smell like you've showered recently."

My jaw drops. Did he really just say that? The audacity! I'm about to unleash a tirade on this insensitive jerk when a bone-chilling growl cuts through the air.

My heart leaps into my throat as a massive reddish-brown wolf emerges from nowhere, its teeth bared and hackles raised. Without thinking, I stumble backward, instinctively seeking shelter behind the naked shifter.

Bad move.

chest. I can feel the naked shifter stiffen in front

forward at the animal, nearly losing my balance in the process. The naked shifter

between me and the other shifter. Its massive jaws

ground, bellies pressed to the earth in submission. The air crackles with tension, and I find myself frozen

quite strong,"

back away or stand still. Which is less likely to get the wolf's attention? It seems angry. I don't want

me, looking for all the world as fascinated

turning in a swift motion to get between me

by the fierce visage of a growling apex predator, he gestures in my direction. "She is

Excuse me?

a remarkably satisfied-sounding huff and turns to rub hard against my thighs, almost knocking me off

is going on?" I hiss at the naked shifter, who looks panicked by my

into his wolf form again and cowering to the ground like the

lost their damn

this situation. To my surprise, the beast seems to melt under my

mind. I turn to the Grand Sage, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. Bitterness, to be clear, that he

it out now, my dear, you will soon enough." He turns to address the wolf.

the interruption. For a moment, I think it might snap at the Grand Sage, but then it heaves a heavy sigh. Before my eyes, the wolf's form begins to shift

in my throat as the fur recedes, revealing smooth, tanned skin. Muscles ripple and bones realign, the wolf's body stretching and morphing into a human form. A very, very familiar

Kellan.

as I take him in, unable to stop myself from drinking in every inch of his naked body. Unlike the other shifter, whose nudity had barely registered, I find myself appreciating Kellan's form with a reverence that surprises me. My gaze travels from his broad shoulders down his chiseled chest, following