Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 438: Lucas: Slow

LUCAS

Pip is surprisingly resilient to our questions, and we learn nothing else. She's decided to stay silent, even when I let some of Aurum's presence leak out of me, to the point she struggles to breathe.

In the end, we've lost Jericho's trail and still have no answers for Ryder's scent, leaving us aggravated. Pip seems to understand we aren't the enemy, and yet she won't confide in us—probably because I came on too strong from the beginning.

It's going to take us forever to get back to Wolf's Landing at this rate, Vester says as he prods Pip into speeding up her pace once again.

The young Fae has no endurance to speak of.

A deep sigh escapes my lips as I watch Pip stumble through another snowdrift. The sun hangs low on the horizon, and we've made little progress toward Wolf's Landing.

"Stop." My voice cuts through the wind. "Take a break."

Pip collapses into the snow, her purple hair stark against the white. The chains on her clothes jingle as she shivers.

We should have gone north, tried to find the survivors. Aurum is annoyed with her slowing us down.

I watch the strange Fae child suffer in silence, panting hard despite the short distance we've walked in the past few hours. She'd never make it. We would have been ripe for ambush. It is better we are bringing her back.

Killing her would be more efficient.

No. His lack of empathy for the Fae was understandable at first, but now borders on extreme. It's as if she has no value to him because she isn't a shifter. He's never had a problem with humans, but Fae… Well, it's understandable. I probably would have felt the same before Ava's trip to the Unregistered city and her stories from that place.

Vester stands by my side, his eyes also trained on our strange captive. At this point, neither of us are sure if we've kidnapped her or are keeping her safe from the New Order. "We need to make better time. It will take us days to return at this rate. Maybe even a week."

"I know." The words taste bitter. Every moment we waste puts more distance between us and any survivors. This mission feels impossible.

My fingers brush against my watch, but it's still not working.

Pip's teeth chatter as she hugs her knees. She's not dressed for this weather, and the coat we've pulled out of our travel pack is far too large for her. Still, it's better than nothing.

Despite her rebellious appearance, she's just a child. A child who chose silence over betrayal when pressed, even if she was a bit of a chatterbox at the start. That kind of loyalty deserves respect, even if it complicates our mission.

But we still have to move faster. "Ten minutes. Then we move."

Smart girl. She's learned she can't trust herself

Aurum mutters. Once we have the information, we could leave her. He's worried about Jericho; I can feel it down the end of

wasting time here." He's not advocating to get rid of her, like Aurum, but he's also struggling with

my two nearest scouts, both

flank Pip without complaint. Now that I think of it, they're both

I tilt my head toward a copse of trees. Far enough that even Fae hearing won't pick up our conversation, I hope. There's too much I don't know about

harder here, cutting through my coat. If I'm cold, that child

are probably soaked through her ridiculous shoes." They're for fashion, not

his shoulder at our captive. His jaw tightens as he takes in her

lose her to exposure." I rake a hand through my hair. "She's our only source of information about Jericho and why

plan." It's not a question. Vester's known me long

and find the nearest town." I meet his eyes. "We

"You want

"She needs to warm up, and we need to make better time. While you're at it, find her some proper winter clothes. Boots. A coat

we

"But ultimately, do

about you

me out, I can get her to talk. She's just a child.

my head, I answer, "We'll keep her safe until you return. Just

for the car, and we might lead them back to

than letting her freeze to death before we get answers." We need to know more, and we finally have

loyal to our pack, I will keep him. Other packs would likely promise him a beta position in an attempt to poach his skills—and his

is loyal, Aurum agrees. But soft. He does not have the ruthless streak

with a child. His opinions were never so

head west." Vester points through the trees. "There's a town about two miles from here. Small enough that security

to the south. There's a rural road there; one of the scouts reported it earlier. "I'll

the skyline. Pip hasn't moved, still

the enemy, Aurum growls. Do not

and she's on our

her 'help' leads our enemies

striding