Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 391 Lisa: Talking with the Grand Sage

LISA

With Ava out to purify the large mass of corruption she calls a taint, and Lucas busy being Alpha, I've been stuck in Kellan's cabin, surrounded by ten werewolves in tactical gear and impassive faces.

They don't talk, no matter how much I try to be friendly to them. Maybe they're the kind of wolves who don't like humans. Or maybe they're just really professional.

They aren't holding me hostage or anything, though, so I learn to ignore them. Eventually they follow me to the Grand Sage's cabin.

Thick gray smoke curls from his chimney, letting me know that it will at least be warm inside. Maybe no tea or food, though. Ever since Elverly's been working in the kitchen to feed the pack, his cabin's turned into a bit of a bachelor pad.

My boots crunch on the path to his home, shoveled free of feet of snow thanks to someone Kellan assigned to the task during the last round of snowfall.

I duck through the doorway into blessed warmth.

Only two of my guards follow me inside. The others spread out around the cabin's perimeter like silent shadows in tactical gear. At least I won't have ten pairs of eyes boring into my back while I'm in here.

one knows the Grand Sage is actually a gnome. Everyone just thinks of him as the eccentric

catch the slight wrinkle of their noses. The Grand Sage's cabin smells like a mix of burning metal, ozone, and something

on

and crystal lie scattered among the documents. The man himself hunches over his workbench, muttering as he sketches something that

quill scratches against the parchment as he

latest drawing. "Oh!

arm, I nod toward the brace, its metal glinting in the lamplight. It's always dim

wire-rimmed glasses. "Really? How did it

expectantly as he waits for my response. I've given him so many

notice. When it comes to his inventions, he's blind to everything else. "It manifested exactly as designed. Clean hit, complete incineration of the target. Seemed more powerful than normal, though. Is

excellent!" He scribbles frantically. "It might, as it's bonded to you by your blood. How was the power consumption? Did you notice any drain on

my mind, and I cringe away from the memory. "No drain.

tone. "Good, good. No matter how much testing is done, it's always

remembering the searing heat of my rage. "I was feeling more murderous than usual, and the brace seemed to pick up on that. The blast was much stronger than our practice

mid-stroke. "Fascinating. Tell me more about your emotional state

so far removed from the moment, it's crazy to me that I could have that