Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 453 - 453: Clayton: Sister

CLAYTON

It's good to see Lucas again.

I clasp his forearm firmly, feeling the tension ripple through his muscles as we pull each other into a one-armed hug. The solid thump of my palm against his back carries more meaning than words could express between alphas. Our history sits between us like a third presence—unspoken but undeniable.

"It's good to see you, Lucas."

The words come easily, despite everything. Despite Ivy. Despite Ava. The complicated web binding us together has never fully untangled. Some boundaries, once crossed, leave permanent markers on a relationship.

Lucas studies my face, his golden eyes searching mine. Whatever he finds there seems to satisfy him—his shoulders drop a fraction of an inch, the line of his jaw softens.

The subtle shift speaks volumes to someone who's known him as long as I have.

It's been months, and my infatuation has faded. Even my wolf is calm in my head, no longer possessive over the whiffs of her scent, prolific in this place.

I thought coming here would be tinged with a little more sadness. A little more regret. Instead, I only feel fondness as I see my friend's face.

Their bond burned bright. It seems to have only grown brighter in the time I've seen them, and the horrors their pack has endured. Their kind of connection is rare. Worth protecting.

And in today's world, allies who can be trusted without question are worth more than any territory or power.

Wolf's Landing sprawls before us, a patchwork of temporary structures and permanent foundations. Not what I expected from Lucas' pack—more improvised than I thought.

Signs of recent conflict mark the landscape: construction, mainly, and the weary look on faces walking by. They're on alert, but the danger keeps wearing at them.

No matter how strong a pack is, repeated conflict will always wear down our people.

called him—leads my group toward the eastern edge of the settlement, and my wolves follow in silence, taking in every detail with wary eyes. None of us expected to be here under

and I break off from

I—" Lucas clears his throat. "I'm sorry we couldn't

like a blade

one way or another." The words are bitter, but they're true. As shifters,

mean her loss doesn't hurt. I just can't

piled here, packed down over time and covering the

even when the mind is numb

I ask, forcing my thoughts toward practical matters.

a small cloud in the cold

we're living in now, it only makes sense." He gestures

the thought. He doesn't need

than I mean for it to, and I haul my grief back with an iron fist. Lucas doesn't seem

it." Lucas' tone is measured, careful. "Not

creature that consumes not just flesh but essence—soul—turns

possible to get

vague hope

of Westwood wolves. Their movements pause as we walk by,

in the attack?" I ask, noting

voice is flat. "Good wolves." Thе mоst

Twenty-seven lives, twenty-seven families mourning. And Ivy. The pain threatens to rise again, but I push it down. There will be time for that later, in private, away from eyes that watch for any sign of

name. I don't want to reopen wounds between

evolving. Her power grows daily. Sometimes I think she

if she's

of