Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 340 Ava: Reunited Mates

A shimmer in the air draws my attention back to Aurum. His massive form begins to shrink and change, fur giving way to skin, until Lucas stands before me in his human form.

I don't remember deciding to move, but suddenly I'm running towards him. We collide in a tangle of limbs, holding each other so tightly it's hard to breathe. But I don't care. He's here, he's back, and nothing else matters.

"You're back," I whisper into his chest, my voice thick with emotion. "God, Lucas, you're really back."

His arms tighten around me, and I feel his lips press against the top of my head. "Thanks to you," he murmurs. "You took care of everyone. Thank you, Ava."

I pull back slightly, looking up into his face. His eyes are the same, filled with warmth and love, but there's something else there now—a depth, a wildness that wasn't there before. It's breathtaking and a little terrifying.

My gaze drifts back to the bodies laid out nearby, and a wave of guilt washes over me. "I couldn't save them all," I say, my voice barely audible. "I tried, but I—"

Lucas cuts me off, pulling me back into his embrace. "You did everything you could," he says firmly. "More than anyone could have expected. You protected our pack, Ava. You led them when I couldn't."

Kellan and Vester approach, also covered in blood, with a bleak look on their faces.

I know they need to speak with him, to update him on everything that's happened. And I have somewhere I need to be, too.

This isn't the time for our reunion.

He's Alpha.

I'm Luna.

We have jobs to do.

stepping back from Lucas's embrace. "They need you. I

and delta. As they begin to speak in low,

of organized chaos. Vanessa is at the center of it all, her entire body stained with blood and dirt. She moves from patient to patient with practiced efficiency, barking orders and administering treatment,

guarantee she hasn't treated herself at all, running straight to

at me, her eyes tight with stress. "Luna," she says, her voice clipped. "Good, we need all the help we can get. The evacuees are on their

want to yell at her to take care of herself first, but I get it. A sprained ankle is bad, but it's nothing compared to the wounds of others. "What do you

* * *

rush from one patient to another, my hands shaking but determined. I've lost track of time,

need more gauze over here!"

with a familiar face. It's the human receptionist from my first day at Wolf's

hands me

guard, but there's no time to dwell

nods and hurries off, leaving me to wonder at the shift in her demeanor. But that's a small blip on my radar, and

night wears on, the tide of emergencies begins to ebb. The return of the evacuees helped. All the nurses and doctors are back, and

mingles with the gentler scent of herbal tea, a

hands as I take a moment to breathe. The lobby is quieter now, the frantic energy of earlier replaced by a bone-deep weariness that

the watchful eyes of the doctors, I find myself at a loss. My body aches, my mind reels from the night's events, and I'm not sure what

slide down to sit on the

a while, we just there, watching the slow, methodical movements of the mops. The

No chatter.

No screams.

No sobbing.

amazing tonight, Ava,"

watched you work for hours. What you did