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

isn't over their interaction. It's at me, myself, and

attempt at understanding ringing inauthentic. You aren't trained

we lie to her now? Is

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

separate, possibly related but right now separate issues. I need to figure them out instead

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

reported back

signs of intrusion detected yet." Kellan's voice maintains that 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 just as small. "All

struck, Grimoire muses. We are quite exposed out

radius. A single mile can be impossibly large when someone is hiding from detection. Selene breaks off from my side, trotting further ahead. There

his mental presence remains

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

Ava. The scouts haven't found their trails yet.

my arm, tugging me forward. He must have thought

was just

toward Selene.

that he would do more than that over such a minor

my life at home, feeling tiny and worthless, all

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

my side and hits my thigh hard with her nose.

he talks. She's struggling.

Fuck.

my cheeks hard, the sound ringing out and causing several of the guards to look my way. Kellan frowns,

"Luna? Are you okay?"

little fugue, I take a deep breath. Inadequacy will always be

Grimoire's voice sounds normal again, right in my

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

was getting better,

Wallowing, Selene says.