Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 378 Ava: Mira's Choice

"This wasn't how our trip was supposed to go," Vanessa murmurs, watching as an entire horde of wolves descend upon us.

Vester leads them all. Apparently there was a huge ruckus over the position, but Lucas lost because he was terrible at rock-paper-scissors. (I didn't know important things could be decided by a fist or two fingers, but there it is.)

Instead, our venerable Alpha—my beloved mate—sent orders in no uncertain terms. Get Ava's ass home as soon as possible, taint be damned. According to Vester, that's a direct quote.

Until we know what's going on, it's too unsafe for me to be far from Wolf's Landing.

It's a typical Lucas move, but I can't disagree with the decision, even as my stomach churns at the idea of leaving that dense patch of corruption behind.

Crunching a small patch of pristine snow beneath my boots, I wait as people discuss and confer and do all their tactical-minded decisions. It leaves me, Lisa, and Vanessa off to the side, just waiting for our escort home.

Being around here with so many wolves should make me feel more at ease. There's protection everywhere, right? But that also means there are more potential targets. More lives I'm responsible for.

Mira's loss is already too much to this pack of aggressive rogue wolves and a vampire's thrall.

Lisa's shoulders stop shaking as she wipes her face with the back of her hand. Her eyes remain red and puffy, but the wild panic from earlier has settled into something quieter. More controlled.

"Why was she even out here?" Lisa's voice cracks. "She was pregnant. She should have been safe inside the compound."

"Lisa—"

it. Who lets a pregnant she-wolf take guard duty? What kind of pack puts their pregnant women in danger? It

kind of pack that respects a woman's right to choose her own path." Vanessa's voice cuts through the frigid air, firm but not unkind. A tone carrying the

taken aback by the

been friends for years. She's come to me over her concerns about her

why would

answers Lisa's question. "She never sat on the sidelines.

wind whistles by us; it's been slowly picking up

Vanessa continues. "No one assigned her. No one forced her. She chose to be here because she believed in protecting others." A pause. "Just as she chose to

Lisa's breath hitches.

for her choices, you diminish the strength she showed throughout her life. Mira knew the risks. She accepted them. And she died

"But her baby—"

her own stomach, so subtle I almost miss it. "We're wolves, Lisa. Our children are part of our strength, not our weakness. Mira understood that better

she absorbs Vanessa's words. "I just... I keep thinking if I hadn't been

died instead. Or worse."

looks like they're done talking. We'll be heading home soon. You'll feel better after a hot shower and some sleep. It won't take the pain away,

Death walks hand in hand with our kind—we face it, accept it, honor it. The price of freedom is steep, but it's

I understand Lisa's pain. Because I, too, carry the weight of every wolf's death on my

steering her toward the sled. "You

feet in

Your