Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 411: Ava: Run -- SEASON SIX END

The next seven minutes are a whirlwind.

At first, Kellan wastes precious time trying to argue with me. To tell me I have to stay behind, for safety.

But a Luna doesn't hide when her pack is in danger. They've put their lives on the line for me; it's only right for me to do the same.

Three minutes of arguing. Three minutes of reports bombarding the pack link. Three minutes wasted.

Lisa's there. Kellan's already reported that. I try not to think about it; she has her bodyguards, who have orders to get her out.

I sprint toward the hospital, lungs burning from the frigid air. But as fast as I run, Kellan's faster. He's already there to face the carnage.

Something's wrong. This energy isn't right.

Grimoire's voice isn't telling me anything new. My magic is excited, dancing in my gut, desperate to lash out—but when I try to reach for the strange presence in the hospital, my magic fizzles away.

It's reminiscent of the strange corruption in Ivy.

Obviously. It's her wolf. There's no other explanation.

"We can't assume that," I gasp out, wondering here all my physical conditioning has gone. Now that there's an emergency and I'm sprinting at full speed, it's like I've never run before. My side already hurts, and I can't get the right cadence. "Vanessa couldn't get eyes in the room."

The last word comes out on a high-pitched squeal as I stumble. One of my guards—I assume—grabs my arm and yanks me forward without ceremony, barely breaking stride as he does so.

It takes a second, but I regain my balance and bolt forward.

This is not the time to be clumsy and incompetent.

It feels like ages, but is only a few seconds later when the hospital comes into view.

A body lies crumpled near the entrance. The building is done for; half of the roof is collapsed. Several walls are down.

The shadow-wolf towers over the hospital's entrance. Its form shifts and grows, like smoke given substance. Even Aurum, the largest wolf I've ever known, would look small beside this monstrosity.

Can that really be Ivy's wolf?

Grimoire's frustration bleeds through our connection. My magic slides right off. But she's right there.

I reach for my own power, trying to sense what we're dealing with. Nothing. Even the non-magical elements around us—the building, the ground, my pack—have some sort of existence that my magic can acknowledge.

The shadow wolf? It's like she—it—isn't there at all.

yet there's all this destruction saying it

pin me in place. Its mouth opens in a

ground—wolves who tried to engage this thing directly. Their blood paints macabre patterns in the

though the darkness of its form devours the sunlight that should reflect off the snow. It's wrong. Everything about it

it. They can't do any damage. They're

a single paw and

magic says.

with several others. But every strike, every

all on

fear of what you can see, but the

the fuck are we supposed

We can't hurt it.

can't even

it's coming straight for

my messenger bag. Those eerie green eyes bore into me, promising violence

head. You can't reach it with magic. You'll drain yourself

to be something." My voice comes out steady despite my racing heart. "We can't just watch

with, Grimoire mutters. This isn't

sickening crunch. The

bristling as they growl. The others remain human. I have no

between me and

the weak winter sun. Those green eyes never blink as they stare in my direction, and

swirls inside me, useless and frustrated. But I keep my

me back, but my brain's already centered

such

only have one

Minimize the damage.

is suicide,

But I won't watch any more

voice holds an edge of

"We don't have time."

are charging in. More

lip curls as I stare into the creature's eyes,

surge forward a step. "Hey, you piece of

of talking shit… I'm not

it makes no sense. The monster's clearly enormous, and I'm