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 afford any

directly, and the plan set, I take a steadying breath. The dark, cloud-like presence I sensed earlier is a little closer now. It's moving at

my shoulders. "Let's

up the rear, watching our backs. And Selene roams ahead, no longer happy-go-lucky in the snow as she scouts ahead

smells strange,

cold against my skin. As we get closer, it sends small, pulsing shocks into my wrist. Not enough to affect the use of my hand or arm, but just irritating enough to keep

the area where

eye, there's nothing wrong. All Selene can sense is a strange scent in the

can feel its existence,

and Greg, my words

faces tighten but 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, stopping just shy of the dark energy's

just standing in the middle

can sense it, just beyond

"Do you recognize this?"

stares ahead. It has a horrible feeling to

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

the energy continues its slow

Don't let it touch

Selene lets out a sharp

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

Something stung my nose.

his ear. Be more

can only approximate its location through Ava's

she's just embarrassed. "What's the purpose of this thing?" I

in a coquettish gesture. He's learned that his fox form gets him a lot more affection than