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.

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

break off from the

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

and sudden, like a blade between my ribs. My sister.

us, one way or another." The words are bitter, but they're true. As shifters, we live with this certainty.

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

Snow is piled here, packed down over time and covering the landscape in white. It's very different from Aspen

even when the mind is numb with

ask, forcing my thoughts toward practical matters.

small cloud in the cold air. His scent shifts

makes sense." He

the thought.

need to see it." The request—demand—comes out harsher than I mean for it to, and I haul my grief back with an iron

sort of coma since Ava subdued it." Lucas' tone is measured, careful.

flesh

to get

not. But the vague hope

we walk by, eyes tracking us with a mixture

did you lose in the attack?" I ask, noting the

wolves." Thе mоst up‑tо‑dаtе vеrsiоn is оn

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

well," I say instead, careful not to use her name. I don't want to reopen wounds between us. "Taking

pride flashes across Lucas's face, mixed with concern. "Ava is... evolving. Her power

interesting choice of words. Evolving. Not learning or improving—evolving, as if she's transforming into something else entirely. I

the both of