Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 343 Ava: Prototype Progress

Ivy and her people are settled into a place of their own, and I'm left feeling awkwardly unbalanced between trusting her and feeling like I can't.

Lucas doesn't seem to have the same misgivings, and—despite Selene's soft growls in my head—I leave him to handle the Aspen wolves, resolving to talk to him later.

It doesn't feel like the issues with Ivy will be detrimental to the pack or cause issues with our alliance with Aspen, but it's not something I want to ignore, either.

She's a strange one, Selene murmurs.

Grimoire sounds thoughtful. She seems to have a great amount of power and respect in her pack. Perhaps she had always hoped to mate another alpha and become Luna, rather than an alpha's sister.

"Maybe." Heading toward the gnome's cabin, I add, "She was strange before Lucas ever entered the picture, though."

Yes, when you mated with the Aspen alpha.

My feet stumble over nothing. "I didn't mate with him. I was in heat."

He marked you, Grimoire points out. That's mating. Though you're lucky it didn't take.

It's a grim reminder of a dark past I really don't want to think about. "Let's move on from this topic."

It didn't take because we are stronger, Selene says, proudly ignoring my request. She is only matched by our Alpha.

Her smug tone irks me. "You hated him, remember? I distinctly recall you making snide remarks and encouraging me to sleep with—"

The past is the past, she mutters, and I can practically feel her metaphorical tail tucked between her legs.

Oh, so the all-knowing wolf is capable of mistakes? Grimoire sounds positively gleeful at this new knowledge of Selene's past. She isn't perfect after all?

book. All you have is theory with no

than a wolf who pretends to know everything

and I slip into

his dining table, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Ava! Just the witch I

I can't help but smile back.

to gesture at everything, nearly knocking over

where he's gotten that much paper from. It must have come from one of the supply runs. Everyone wants to help Dr.

let

The dining table, once a place for meals, now serves

with the magic watch?" I ask, genuinely

he launches into an explanation that leaves my head spinning. "Well, you see, we've successfully integrated the quartz magic batteries you provided into the basic digital watch structure. The energy conversion rate is remarkable! We're achieving a 98.7% efficiency in translating magical energy into usable

trying to follow along. "That sounds...

looks like a normal digital watch. "We've managed to create a stable magical field within the watch casing, which allows for the storage and manipulation of magical energies without interfering with

points to various parts of the watch as he speaks, his excitement palpable. "The crystal display now serves a dual purpose - not only does it show the time, but it also acts as a focal point for magical energy projection. This is what will allow for long-distance

I say, genuinely impressed by the words I'm not

You see, while we

degrade after about fifty miles. We need to find a way to amplify and stabilize it without

in, examining the watch more closely. But to me, it just looks like any old

used here is dormant. It's like the last of an echo. Your magic, however, is live, coming

moment before snapping back to attention. "Would you mind if I took a small sample of your

times my magic has been unpredictable

It's been specially prepared." He holds up a piece of what looks like pristine quartz, not the little rocks with

this different from the

Sage begins, his excitement barely contained, "the quartz stones you've been working with are meant to store magical energy, like batteries.

strands of hair behind my ear to keep my vision clear, I

like

"How so?"