Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 342 Ava: Ivy's Motives

I push the doubts aside, focusing on the task at hand. "What brings you here, Ivy?" I ask, injecting a note of authority into my voice. "Lucas mentioned you asked for me specifically."

"Always straight to the point, aren't you, Ava?"

Was I? I don't really remember our past encounters that way. It always felt as though I were dancing around her, never sure what she really thought of me.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing well. Clayton said you would likely be with the Westwood Pack. It's been a long time, and I had no way of contacting you since you left your phones behind."

The way she speaks makes it sound as though I'd left them behind on purpose.

I push aside the nagging unease about Ivy as Lucas guides me to the table. As we sit, she takes a seat across from us, her smile still warm and inviting. It's this warmth that throws me off balance, making me question my earlier impressions.

Why does Clayton's sister have to be so enigmatic? Her brother is straightforward, his intentions clear as day. But Ivy? She's a riddle wrapped in a mystery.

"How are things in Washington?" Lucas asks, calm beside me. He doesn't seem to sense anything strange with the woman.

Ivy's face transforms, the smile fading into a somber expression. "We barely made it through a vampire attack," she says, her voice low. "It was intense. We lost many lives."

As she describes the attack, I can't help but compare it to what we faced here. The force she talks about seems almost paltry compared to the onslaught that hit Westwood. It's hard to reconcile the two experiences.

"What about the rest of the area?" I ask, leaning forward slightly. "Have there been other attacks?"

Ivy nods, her green eyes meeting mine. "Some of the larger human cities have been hit, but it's been mostly quiet on the coast. The biggest issue is communication. We can't get cell towers or internet up and running."

"How are you getting information then?" Lucas asks.

"Radio, mostly," Ivy replies. "All the news networks are basically dead. It's like we've stepped back in time."

it been here? The closer we got, the more evidence of

shifts beside me, his arm brushing against mine. "It's dangerous to leave Wolf's Landing," he says, his voice grave. "There are hunters out there, searching

"Hunters? We haven't encountered any

been in the

did travel by car, but the past three days have been

seem to be allied with the attackers. A traveling pack would

confusion is evident. "That can't be right. Our supernatural communities were attacked, just like our

that?" Lucas

started reaching out to see how widespread the devastation was, I volunteered to make contact. We have no real affection for them, but this isn't

freely?" I ask, unable to keep

her expression softening. "It hasn't been easy, but yes. We've managed

been attacked?"

varying degrees," Ivy confirms. "Some worse than

my own confusion mirrored in his eyes. If what Ivy's saying is true, then the situation outside our little bubble is vastly different from what

attacks," Lucas says, leaning forward.

begins to detail the various attacks she's heard about or witnessed, I find my mind racing. The discrepancies between her account and our experiences are stark. While we've faced organized, strategic assaults, the attacks she

any way to fight back. Aspen,

for weaknesses, but not committing

seen here," I interject, rubbing a finger against my temple as

concerning," she says slowly. "Have you had any contact with

focused on survival and rebuilding. The few attempts we've made to reach out have

faces we've seen from outside in... well, it feels like forever now. We're completely

see why Clayton was so worried about all of you. Unfortunately, we don't bring

rests his arm behind my chair, and I swear Ivy's eyes follow that movement like

support. We're your official liaison with the Aspen Pack. Seeing as your situation is more dire than ours, I can put in a request for extra manpower and

"We'd appreciate that."