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?

no real life experience. You've lived between pages

a wolf who pretends

head aches with their back and forth, and I slip into the gnome's cabin after

his dining table, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

can't help but smile back. "Hello,

wouldn't believe the progress we've made!" He waves an arm wildly around to gesture at everything, nearly knocking over a precariously balanced stack of papers. A few flutter

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 are confused about who he is

come, let me show

navigate around the clutter, glancing over the (presumably) organized chaos. The dining table, once a place for meals, now serves as a workbench for the

we at with the magic

explanation that leaves my head spinning. "Well, you see, we've successfully integrated the quartz magic batteries you provided into the basic

trying to follow along.

a stable magical field within the watch casing, which allows for the storage and manipulation of magical energies without interfering with the

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

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

falters slightly. "Ah, well, that's where we've hit a bit of a snag. You see, while

to degrade after about fifty miles. We need to find a way to amplify and

But to me, it just looks like

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

mind if I took a small

times my magic has been unpredictable or dangerous. "Is that

it into this crystal. It's been specially prepared." He holds up a piece of what

the quartz, I ask in confusion, "How is this different from the stones I've been infusing with

with are meant to store magical energy, like batteries. It feeds off the power given to it. This crystal, however, is designed to capture the essence of your

keep my vision clear, I tilt my head

Still looks like

"How so?"