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.

I head straight for my closet. My fingers fumble with the clasps of my tactical gear—the reinforced vest first, then

in my head, but my

nothing anywhere that I can sense. It doesn't mean nothing's there; it just

figure anything out

It's

"Is it the taint?"

At least, not

what I

on my last knife. Kellan stands in

door closed, his eyes sharp despite his breathlessness. He's on full alert, already dressed

my boot knife. "All of them triggered at once.

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

I'm not." I check my last knife strap. "These

forward, radiating all the intimidating aura of an alpha. It isn't as strong as Lucas, or even Selene. But it's enough for me to know he's serious. "Think about it, Ava. Every single ward going off at

pause on the buckle. "Or a large-scale

it, Ava. Would they spread their forces that thin? Someone's trying to entice

but my instincts scream to protect

eyes soften. "We're trained for this. Let us

I already know a harsh truth I don't want to face. If

lives on my

back frustration. "How far out

cover more ground. They're... farther than

cold knot forms in my stomach. For something like this to happen when he's

know

can't reach Aurum either, Selene adds,

to ice. "Kellan, check

closes his eyes, his face slack as he reaches through the pack bonds for the healer. After a tense moment, his expression

voice sounds hollow to my own ears. "Maybe you

tried before I got here." Kellan shakes his head.

Fuck.