Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 459: Lucas: Mastermind

Chapter 459: Lucas: Mastermind

LUCAS

A flash of fire erupts across the battlefield, and we snap our attention toward the source. Lisa stands with her magitech brace extended, her face fierce with concentration as a vampire falls back.

Kellan’s mate is more than just talk. Good to know.

Magister Orion extends his hand, and the same vampire’s head explodes.

Huh. Ava can really choose her friends.

Another vampire lunges at us, teeth bared. Aurum drives his shoulder into the creature’s abdomen. The momentum carries us to the ground, but we’re on top, pinning it with our weight.

Aurum drives our claws deep into his chest before ripping his heart out with a strong snap of his jaws. Bone and organ come out together. Bloodsuckers might be strong, but their bone density isn’t any different than an average human’s.

But Aurum’s bite has far more force than the average shifter, thanks to his alpha bloodline.

Something else is here, my wolf says, his hackles up as he bounds to the next victim, knocking down a vamp with an arm through one of an unshifted wolf’s chest.

Justin slides to the ground, eyes already glazed in death. But there’s no time to mourn in battle.

Something’s watching. Something powerful.

A chill crawls across my skin despite the heat of combat. I trust Aurum’s instincts without question, but I don’t sense what he does.

Stay together,

I call out through the pack link, but orders can only do so much at this stage.

There. Aurum turns his head to the eastern edge of the clearing. I can smell it.

A figure stands, watching the carnage from a safe distance. Tall. Despite the cold, he’s dressed in a suit, his shirt bloody and torn and one of his pants legs ripped clean off.

His face is unnaturally beautiful, and silver hair flows over his shoulders. Vampire, obviously.

He’s smiling.

taking my things," he says, his voice somehow carrying across the carnage. "How terribly rude of

at this distance, his presence hums in my bones. Aurum growls, teeth

a strangled sound of pain behind me; Lisa. As expected, then, this must be the

smile widens.

to panicked as I’ve ever heard him. Even

my shoulder. His hands glow with a faint red light. "I suggest you

The so-called prince gestures lazily. From the trees

Clayton mutters. He’s come up behind

Aurum observes

vampire crooks

anguish overpowering his pain as he

curl with rapture. "Come to me, kitten," he croons, and there’s no doubt who he’s

"Never."

bolt of fire flies toward him, only to dissipate midair. It misses me by mere centimeters, leaving my skin with the

sounding as if she’s only half alive. I can’t spare the time to look back and see if

his hands. "He is not like the

blood has stained the snow crimson. We’ve reached a strange stalemate. Wounded vampires have retreated to join their reinforcements, and I can sense my pack behind me in

many are already gone, but none have lost their will to

the odds we’re facing. "The spell I’m preparing won’t discriminate between friend

ears to

flutter, and there’s no breeze; it’s eerie. Some strange vampire magic, I presume, though I can’t fathom the point of it.

stay tight, I command. Break formation and you

in from

toward Orion. Then three paces toward Clayton. Back and forth, fighting

I want to feel his blood on my tongue, rip his skin with my teeth. Crack and crush his bones with the force of

control I’ve been maintaining, letting my alpha power

as a shield, wrapping it around his Aspen wolves. Smart. I can sense the slight resistance where our energies meet, but

stagger under its weight, and the Mad Prince’s eyebrows lift. "Oh? You’re an impressive dog, but it won’t be enough to save your

check on her, but Kellan’s anguish overpowers