Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 299 Ava: Lucas is Alone

Lucas watches us both, calm despite only hearing one half of our conversation.

Grabbing his hand, I give a gentle squeeze to show I'm still paying attention to his presence.

"Do you know how?"

Selene's idea is a tall order. It isn't like amnesia has some sort of cure.

The dhampir has an idea. We can talk to her about it.

Wow. I'd forgotten about Sister Miriam entirely. Between Lucas and now Selene's return…

My thoughts are interrupted when Selene suddenly darts out of her comfortable position to shove her nose into my chest, sniffing intensely.

Showing mild irritation, Lucas grabs her by the scuff and yanks her away. To my surprise, Selene merely slinks low in submission as her ears tilt in my direction, blue eyes hard and suspicious. What's that scent?

Slapping my hand over the new mate mark, right next to my crescent scar, I ask defensively, "What scent?"

Lucas sniffs at me. "You smell fine to me."

There's something new, she insists, pawing at my leg. What is it? What did you get into?

"I didn't get into—"

The string near my magic tugs, and I pause. "Oh. Maybe it's that."

"What?" Lucas nuzzles into my neck, brushing his lips against the raw skin of my mate mark. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Selene can just sense something I almost forgot about." Sorry, Grimoire. "Actually, I—"

The string yanks again, almost painful in its insistence, and I pause. This isn't a safe place to mention him. "I'll tell you both later." Where it's safe, I add silently to Selene, wishing Lucas could hear me. Wait. Shouldn't he be able to…?

question. I guess he can't hear me. I'll have to

discharged home." I pause. "To the place I'm staying, I guess.

He shakes his head.

when they discharge you and I

me now, Selene points

me focus on

her head against

understand, because his hand squeezes mine and he changes the subject. "The doctors say everything's fine. Aside from waiting on the results of

has my stomach flip-flopping. We've shared a

it isn't exactly

our time as mates has been spent away from each other. It's high

semi-teacher now in the form of Grimoire. My magic seems stable-ish. We're all in hiding due to the new-found apocalypse. As dire and terrible as it is, maybe it'll finally afford us both a little time to deepen our bond with each

linings and storm clouds, I

into his embrace. The warmth of his body and the steady thrum of his

my last heat, content

The mark helps.

Lucas' body seems to have lost its feverish temperature as

against my leg. I crack

shifting to accommodate her bulk.

a wave of indignation through our bond. I am not some common canine, she huffs, her mental voice dripping

hand reaches down to scratch behind Selene's ears, and her eyes close in bliss despite her

be too hard on her," Lucas murmurs, his voice soft and tinged with

her air of nonchalance, as if Lucas's words mean

run my fingers through Selene's fur, marveling at the complexity of our situation. My wolf, my mate, and me—all tangled together. Only his

in my head

I bet.

every word. The thought of Lucas alone in this sterile room, cut off from his memories and his pack, makes my heart ache. "Thank you for

the recognition. Someone had to look after him, she replies, her mental tone softening. He's