Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 339 Ava: Defend the Pack

Aurum's golden figure streaks through the wolves defending us, in an unerring line straight for the closest vampire.

Seconds later, there's a blood-curdling roar.

Stop standing around staring, Grimoire says, unaffected by the fear crawling through my skin. They need your help.

Tearing my eyes from Aurum/Lucas, I dash forward, my magic-crafted blade cool against my sweaty palm.

"What's next?" I ask, squeezing through a mass of fur and hot bodies. The noise is too loud to hear my own voice, but Grimoire picks up my words straight from my head.

Get closer. You'll hurt an innocent if you try to do anything here. You don't have the control yet.

Ducking under a wildly swinging arm, I come face to face with a stranger. Pale skin. Lips glistening red, cracking at the corners, where you can see pale flesh peeking out beneath the blood.

Fangs. Long fangs, far longer than I ever thought a vampire could have, and red eyes that lock onto mine with unerring accuracy.

Don't go straight for the head, Grimoire warns as I do just that.

My blade whistles through the air. It's a clumsy strike, born of fear and adrenaline rather than skill, and I'm too far in to abort.

A vice-like grip closes around my forearm. The vampire's strength is inhuman, and I'm yanked forward, losing my balance.

never be able to replicate again, I manage to wrench my arm free of the vampire's grasp. Moving with the momentum, I throw myself into an awkward roll. My shoulder hits the ground hard, but I manage to scrabble back to my feet,

various directions. Everyone's grabbing, snapping, clawing at him, even as

hands, I drive my blade into his back, angling

to the blade. Grimoire's

blade. The effect is instantaneous. The vampire's body stiffens, then begins to glow from within. He tears away

bones, leaving me staggering as he frees himself. The wolves in front of

inky clouds materialize around the vampire's form. They writhe and pulse, shot through with flashes of crimson lightning. It's as if the very fabric of reality is tearing apart around him. To my horror, I watch as the vampire's body begins to grow,

the creature turns lunges at me

left! Grimoire's voice cuts through my panic. I obey without thinking, feeling claws whistle past my ear. Get your hand on him. Any part

The vampire-thing lunges for me and I slam my hand against its face, feeling its fangs cut at my palm. A spurt of flame erupts from my skin, greedily reaching toward

reels back with another

it

left hand, willing it to frost over. There's no thinking left in my magic. It just does what I want, as if the magic itself can listen

charges again, but I'm ready this time, filled with an otherworldly calm. Maybe it's Grimoire's presence inside my head. Maybe he's taken control of my body. It doesn't really feel like me, and yet it's my body that's moving, with

of frost in its wake, slowing the

Now for his head.

fully register. The strange vampire thing's head separates from its shoulders with a sickening squelch, its body still struggling against the ice

and warping until it settles

fills my nostrils, making me want

chaotic battlefield has frozen

floor. And yet no