Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 370 Ava: Moose

Marcus pokes his head through the tent flap. "Taking the sled to pick up the firewood." His breath clouds in the cold air. "Greg's got a good pile going, but it's too far to carry."

"Be careful out there." The words slip out before I can stop them. He's more than capable of handling himself, but after everything we've seen lately, caution feels necessary.

He nods once before disappearing into the growing darkness. The runners of the sled scrape against packed snow as he moves away from camp.

The percolator starts to bubble, filling the tent with the rich aroma of coffee. My stomach growls. Trail mix and jerky only go so far.

Through my bond with Selene, I feel her satisfaction. Whatever she's tracking, she's getting closer. Her excitement bleeds into my own awareness, making it hard to focus on the mundane task of stirring the stew.

"The others seem to have found something good," Vanessa says, noticing my distraction. "Selene, too?"

"She's on a trail." I add another piece of wood to the stove. "Fresh tracks in the snow. Are they hunting together?"

"No. She must have found something else."

The tent grows warmer as the stove works its magic. Between the heat and the smells of coffee and stew, it's a lot cozier than I thought this experience would be.

Another howl splits the night, closer this time. Victory rings in that sound—they've cornered their prey.

"Sounds like we might have fresh meat after all," Vanessa says, already pulling out extra cooking supplies.

The percolator bubbles faster now, coffee nearly ready. I breathe in the steam, letting it chase away the lingering chill in my bones.

"What did they catch?"

"Moose."

from hearing a few comments about how strange it is that

"It was stuck. They got lucky once they

laden with split wood. The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the air as they stack

more?" Greg arranges the pieces with

Vanessa stirs the stew. "Just pile

and heads back

isn't long before

his head back in. "Shouldn't take long with this many hands. They'll

watching the flames dance through the small plastic window. "What are we going to do with an entire moose worth of

the packing." Vanessa ladles some stew into bowls. Steam curls up from the thick broth. "We'll

everyone? They've already broken trail all day, and now they have to haul all

rings through the tent. "I'm teasing, Ava. The hunting team will come by in the morning to collect most of

my face. "Oh." Yeah, that makes a lot more

an entire moose around?" She

didn't know." The stew warms me from the inside out, leaving me comfortable. "I've never been on a winter camping trip before. For all I

snorts into his bowl,

settles onto her sleeping bag with her own portion. After a second, she snorts with laughter. "Though I'd love to see Marcus' face if we told

image of Marcus' usual stoic expression cracking makes me laugh, too. "He'd probably just give me that look. You

polite to say

least he's diplomatic about it. Unlike

"You mean Grimoire?"

His indignant voice bellows in my head. I am

share his response, and Vanessa nearly chokes on