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 real life

than a wolf who pretends to know

and forth, and I slip into the gnome's cabin after a quick knock. "Hello?

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

and I can't help but smile back. "Hello, Dr. Blackwell. How's the prototype

gesture at everything, nearly knocking over a precariously balanced stack of papers. A few flutter to

don't even know where he's gotten that much paper from. It must have come from one of the supply runs. Everyone wants to help Dr. Blackwell, though most wolves

come, let me

organized chaos. The dining table, once a place for meals, now serves as a

are we at with the magic watch?" I ask, genuinely curious about his

provided into the basic digital

to follow

what 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

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

amazing," I say, genuinely impressed by the words I'm not fully understanding.

of a snag. You see, while we can project magical energy through the crystal, we're having

furrowing in concentration. "The magical signal tends to degrade after about fifty miles. We need to find a

lean in, examining the watch more closely. But to me, it just looks like any old watch. "Is there anything I can

"Yes. You see, the magic used here is dormant. It's like the last of an echo. Your magic, however,

lost in thought for a moment before snapping back to attention. "Would you mind if I took a small sample of your magical energy? Just a

my magic has been unpredictable or dangerous. "Is

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

"How is this different from the stones I've been

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

clear, I tilt my head and peer a

Still looks like

"How so?"