Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 359 Ava: Reinforcing Wards

Lucas is almost to Wolf's Landing, Selene reports, my ever-dutiful link to the pack since I can't hear them myself. He sounds exhausted.

"I'm sure he is."

I trudge through the snow, each step a battle against the elements. The white expanse stretches before me, sometimes reaching my waist.

"Damn it," I mutter, yanking my foot free from a particularly deep drift. "We really need to invest in some snowshoes."

Ahead of me, my bodyguards forge a path in their wolf forms. Their massive paws act as natural snowshoes, distributing their weight and making it easier for them to navigate the treacherous terrain. I envy their effortless grace as I stumble along behind them.

Without them breaking the trail, it would be even worse.

We're approaching the first ward, Selene encourages me. We've made better time than I expected.

I nod, focusing on the task at hand. The wards are a crucial part of our defense, and maintaining them has become a significant part of my duties as Luna. It's time-consuming work, but necessary. Especially now, with the recent blizzard potentially compromising their integrity.

"Grimoire," I call out, my voice muffled by the thick scarf wrapped around my face. "Any signs of damage?"

The magical tome materializes beside me, taking the form of a silver fox. His fur shimmers against the white snow.

Not that I can sense. Remember that while a strong storm can wipe out the energy signature of a weak ward, it isn't common when they are properly maintained. I still think you're being overly cautious.

chances. Not with

caution is commendable, though we might all freeze to

fashioned into a coat, courtesy of our hunters. As we draw closer, I extend my senses, probing the magical barrier for

a testament to the care and

the obfuscation element," I tell Grimoire, who's bounding through the snow as if he's a pup himself. "Make it harder for those taint-touched wolves

pauses in his joyous bounding. A

easy to reinforce obfuscation wards. It's an additional one, not part of

fire, I simply draw a simple glyph into the ground and

though he admits the history is a little fuzzy, even to him. Despite his longevity, he technically only came

and strange, and apparently the concept of time back then was quite fluid to his senses. Grimoire's very existence is

any sort of god, and not even

Grimoire's quiet instructions. The

the forefront of your mind. This glyph will absorb its instructions from you and act accordingly. It is

I open my eyes, swaying slightly; my balance is off now that my focus is back in my physical

of my bodyguards—pretty sure it's Marcus—steadies me with his massive furry

flank. To Grimoire,

nose twitching as he assesses my work. The obfuscation element is significantly stronger. It should prove quite challenging for any unwanted

But we're not done yet. How many more

on this patrol