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.

intensifies, the sound reverberating through my chest. I can feel the naked shifter stiffen in front of me, his muscles tensing beneath

shoved forward at the animal, nearly losing my balance in the process. The naked shifter holds up his hands once I've been sacrificed, a look

enormous wolf bounds forward, placing itself between me and the other shifter. Its massive jaws snap at the naked man, a growl so loud

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

instincts are quite strong," the

if I should try to back away or stand still. Which is less likely to get the wolf's attention? It seems angry. I don't want to be within bite range of an angry shifter. Especially if they're one of those

make sense soon," he assures me, looking for all the world as fascinated as a woman sucked into Grey's

in a swift motion to get between me and the Grand Sage, snapping impatiently in the gnome's

no competition for you, wolf." Unaffected by the fierce visage of a growling apex predator, he gestures in my direction. "She

Excuse me?

huff and turns to rub hard against my thighs, almost knocking me off balance. When I grab at its fur to hold me up, I swear the damn

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

at me!" he snaps, before shifting into his wolf

lost their

run my fingers through the angry wolf's fur, unsure of how to handle this situation. To my surprise, the beast seems to melt under my touch, its eyes half-closing in bliss as its tail wags. The fierce growling from moments ago transforms into a contented rumble that vibrates

my voice. Bitterness, to be clear, that he was willing to

twinkle with amusement, and I fight the urge to shake him. "If you can't figure it out now, my dear,

a loud rumble-growl, clearly displeased by the interruption. For a moment, I think it might snap at the Grand Sage, but then it heaves a heavy sigh. Before my eyes,

ripple and bones realign, the wolf's body stretching and morphing into a

Kellan.

of his naked body. Unlike the other shifter, whose nudity had barely registered, I find myself appreciating Kellan's form with a reverence