Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

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?

hear you

this time isn't over their interaction. It's

to dealing with these kind of emergency situations, Selene offers, her attempt at understanding ringing inauthentic. You aren't trained the way they are. It's understandable you would

lie to her

No self-flagellating. Focus, focus, focus. My inexperience isn't an excuse when lives are at

plus strange attack by strange being plus missing Ivy. Three separate, possibly related but right now separate

eternally polite, angry beta, I hope no one else has

back from the

quite similar to my mother's cold distance, but it makes me feel just as small. "All of Wolf's Landing remains on high alert. We will find them,

that they haven't struck, Grimoire muses. We are quite

side, trotting further ahead. There is a lot more than a single mile to check. We could be quite far from any of them, or they can be

doesn't respond, but his mental presence remains

a reason for doing so. Wouldn't they be on the hunt for any of us? And a giant group of us, slowed down by our unexpected baggage, would be a

the assumption you—or the pack—is their target. It could be anything. Keep your mind open, Ava. The scouts haven't found their trails yet. Not a single one. That suggests there isn't an army about to

feet falter, and Kellan's hand lashes out to grab my arm, tugging me forward. He must have thought I was

was

eyes cut toward Selene.

do more than that over such a minor stumble, but my skin still crawls over how distant

my life at home, feeling tiny and worthless, all over Mom's

You're Luna. Selene's words are simple enough, but there's

thigh hard with her nose. Get out

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

Fuck.

of

"Luna? Are you okay?"

Shaking off my strange little fugue, I take a deep breath. Inadequacy will always be my trigger, I guess. That,

voice sounds normal again, right in my head, clear

blowing out a deep breath, I focus on each step. This isn't the time to sink into bad habits or feel sorry for myself.

was

Wallowing, Selene says.