Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 351 Ava: Investigating

Don't take everyone.

"What?"

The more people, the more victims.

"Oh." Shit. I hadn't thought of that. Biting my lip, I look over my entourage. Vanessa's brows raise as she watches me, her breath puffing out in the frigid air.

They're my bodyguards, but they can't save me from something magical.

Selene's thoughtful hum vibrates in my head.

"Marcus, you and..." I scan the faces, settling on a stoic-looking wolf. I think his name is Greg. "You. Stay with me. The rest of you, I need you to be our lifeline."

Vanessa frowns. "Ava, are you sure about this?"

I nod, trying to project more confidence than I feel. "I can sense magic and familiar energies, but there's no guarantee I haven't missed something. Or someone."

The other wolves shift awkwardly, as they always do when I speak of magic. It's still an uncomfortable subject for many in the pack.

"If something goes wrong, you need to get word to Lucas immediately."

Discontent ripples through the group. I can see it in the set of their jaws, the tension in their shoulders. They don't like the idea of letting me walk into potential danger without them.

"I know you don't like this," I say, addressing the group's unspoken protests. "But none of you are able to help with a magical force. I need to make sure the pack is warned if anything goes wrong."

Marcus, ever the professional, takes over. "We'll check in with Vanessa every ten minutes. Standard procedure."

to Vanessa, holding

sync our watches. We can't

steadying breath. The dark, cloud-like presence I sensed

my shoulders. "Let's

scanning our surroundings. Greg brings up the rear, watching our backs. And Selene roams ahead,

smells strange,

gotten too cold against my skin. As we get closer, it sends small, pulsing shocks into

we reach the area where the dark, cloud-like energy

there's nothing wrong. All Selene can sense is a

can feel its existence,

turn to Marcus and Greg, my words

they obey, retreating several paces. As they move away, Grimoire materializes before me, no longer in his usual humanoid form. Instead, he's a small white fox, his fur gleaming against the snow. He bounds forward,

standing in the middle of

I can sense it, just beyond

"Do you recognize this?"

even twitch as he stares ahead. It has a horrible feeling

seems to shift, turning towards me like a flower following the sun. My skin prickles. "I think it's following

freeze in place, but the energy continues its slow creep in my

Grimoire warns. Don't let

Selene lets out a sharp

step forward, but I hold up an arm, waving them back. "Are you okay,

Something stung my nose.

his ear. Be more

its location

irritation seems disproportionate to Grimoire's words, but maybe she's just

snow until he makes it to my feet, winding around my ankle in a coquettish gesture. He's learned that his fox form gets him a lot more affection than his human