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?

can hear you

their interaction. It's at me, myself, and

dealing with these kind of emergency situations, Selene offers, her attempt at understanding

to

My inexperience isn't an excuse when lives are

but right now separate issues. I need to figure

to catch up to the eternally polite, angry beta, I hope no one

anyone reported back

crisp, professional tone that cuts worse than any angry outburst. It's not quite similar to my mother's cold distance, but it makes me feel

muses. We are

radius. A single mile 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 quite far from

his

tripped our perimeter alarms has 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

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 burn

lashes out to grab my arm, tugging me

was just

toward Selene. "Just be

than that over such a minor stumble, but my skin still

flashing back to my life at home, feeling

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

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

sounds far away when he talks. She's struggling. Why does she keep

Fuck.

my cheeks hard, the sound ringing out and causing several of

"Luna? Are you okay?"

I take a deep breath. Inadequacy will always be my trigger,

voice sounds normal

on each step. This isn't the time to sink into bad habits or feel sorry for myself.

thought I was getting better,

Wallowing, Selene says.