Chapter 419: Ava: Trauma Lingers

Our strange captive never does wake, and we drag them on a makeshift sled. Kellan and the others make do with some long, willowy branches and armfuls of pine.

Practical skills like this are so much more impressive to me than conjuring fire out of nothing.

Really thought we'd run into the intruders out here. It's strange there's nothing.

Selene's musings almost have me tripping over my feet, and Kellan glances over his shoulder in concern.

I wave him off with a weak smile.

You mean this person isn't the reason they went off?

Selene and Grimoire are quiet.

When they're intentionally silent like this, their lack of noise has a heavier weight in my head.

My silver husky looks up from my side, and I swear her pale blue eyes are digging their disappointment straight into my stupid brain. You thought this one was responsible for the alarms?

Grimoire adds, The wards are quite a distance from camp. For all of them to go off at once, do you really think a single being could do it?

Okay. Okay, look. Maybe it was the epitome of stupidity to think that—

It was, the book confirms without hesitation.

But seriously, two epic situations at the same time? Who expects that?

Literally every wolf surrounding us at the moment, mine says. I thought you were waiting to hear from the scouts. I didn't realize you left your brain back at the hospital.

Of course. Damn it. All that hyping myself up about being a responsible and capable Luna—

She's spiraling again, Grimoire observes. Should I tell her this is an inappropriate time?

can hear

groan this time isn't over their interaction. It's at me,

kind of emergency situations, Selene offers, her attempt at understanding ringing inauthentic. You aren't

lie to her now? Is that

focus, focus. My inexperience isn't an excuse when lives are at stake. Move

but right now separate

I hope no one else has

back from

angry outburst. It's not quite similar to my mother's cold distance, but it makes me feel just as small. "All of

Grimoire muses. We

can be impossibly large when someone is hiding from detection. Selene breaks off from my side, trotting further ahead. There is a lot more than a single mile to check. We could be

respond, but his mental

make sense, but I'm with Grimoire. Whoever's tripped our perimeter alarms has a reason for doing so. Wouldn't they be on the hunt for any

anything. Keep your mind open, Ava. The scouts haven't found their trails yet. Not a single one. That suggests there isn't

to grab my arm, tugging me forward. He must have thought I was about to

was just

eyes cut toward Selene. "Just be

mild rebuke. Not that he would do more than that over such a minor stumble, but my skin still crawls

flashing back to my life at home, feeling tiny

aren't tiny or worthless. You're Luna. Selene's words are simple enough, but there's another whisper inside

returns to my side and hits my thigh hard with her nose. Get out of your wallowing. Why are

says, and he sounds far away when he talks. She's struggling. Why does she keep thinking of

Fuck.

hard, the sound ringing out and causing several of the guards to look my

"Luna? Are you okay?"

take a deep breath. Inadequacy will always be my trigger, I guess. That, and people I care about showing they're upset with

sounds normal again, right in my

and blowing out a deep breath, I focus on each step. This isn't the time to sink into

I was getting better,

Wallowing, Selene says.

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