Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 409 Ava: Warnings

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

My food goes from delectable to soggy cardboard as my heart drops.

This isn't good. Book, what's happening?

Something's triggered the wards. Every single one. But it's strange; I can't sense anything.

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My chair scrapes against the floor as I bolt up. The wards alarm through my head, discordant and jarring enough to nauseate me. My breakfast sits abandoned as my feet carry me through the door; Elverly shouts something, but my senses are too busy with the racket in my head.

"Luna?" Brett asks, but I'm already running.

They all follow without another word, but my mind's tuned inward, my magic reaching out to the bright beacons of my wards. It isn't like a net that encompasses everything in the area, but direct lines; I wish I had the ability to sense everything like a net right now, though.

That's the thing about power. It's never enough.

"I can't feel what triggered them. Every ward at every site is going off. That can't be possible."

Neither can I, he replies. The magic feels strange. But going to investigate will be dangerous.

Whatever this is—it's clearly part of someone's plan.

"Not investigating isn't really an option, though." We have to know what's happening out there.

Snow whips past my face as I sprint toward my cabin. The familiar path stretches endless before me, my lungs burning with each frozen breath. My guards' footsteps thunder behind me, but I don't slow down.

Selene, I need Vester, Marcus, Greg, and Kellan at my cabin now.

On it. Vester left with Lucas last night, though.

Damn it.

my closet. My fingers fumble with

in my head, but my magic keeps coming up

mean nothing's there; it just means it's beyond my

figure anything out

It's like

"Is it the taint?"

At least, not that

what I thought,

as I strap on my last knife. Kellan stands in

door closed, his eyes sharp despite his breathlessness. He's on

I check my boot knife. "All of them triggered at once. But we can't

not going out there." Kellan's grim words halt my movements for only half

knife strap. "These are my

alpha. It isn't as strong as Lucas, or even Selene. But

on the buckle. "Or a large-scale

forces that thin? Someone's trying to entice you

instincts scream to protect what's mine. "The

alive and safe." Kellan's eyes soften. "We're trained for this. Let us

if they're trained, I already know a harsh truth I don't want to face. If there's something

want lives on my hands anymore.

swallow back frustration. "How far out is

jaw tightens. "They wolfed it to cover more ground. They're...

forms in my stomach. For something like this to happen when he's not in territory…

how I know they're

adds, her mental voice tight

to ice. "Kellan, check if Vanessa

his face slack as he reaches through the pack bonds for the healer. After a tense

My voice sounds hollow to my

here." Kellan shakes his head.

Fuck.