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?

you have is theory with no real life experience.

than a wolf who pretends to know everything when

with their back and forth, and I slip

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

smile back. "Hello,

wildly around to gesture at everything, nearly knocking over a

supply runs. Everyone wants to help Dr. Blackwell, though most wolves are confused about who he is and why

come, let me show

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

at with the magic watch?" I

provided into the basic digital watch structure. The energy conversion rate is remarkable! We're achieving a 98.7% efficiency

follow

"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 the electronic

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

genuinely impressed by the words

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

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

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

It's like the last of an echo. Your magic, however, is live, coming straight from you. If we could somehow incorporate

you mind if I took a small sample of your magical energy? Just a tiny bit to analyze

hesitate, remembering all the times my magic has been unpredictable

specially prepared." He holds up a

ask in confusion, "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 off the power given to it. This crystal,

vision clear, I tilt my head and peer a little

Still looks like

"How so?"