Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
Why?
I force myself to study the image again, committing every detail to memory.
“Where was this taken?” I growl, my voice a low rumble as I struggle to contain the wolf clawing at my insides, desperate to give chase. Mate! They have our mate!
War!
Rowan’s expression is grim. “White Peak International Airport. They must have flown her out immediately after taking her from the city.”
They.
The Blackwood Pack.
Again, why? Why target my mate?
Pieces start falling into place, each one more damning than the last. Ava’s reluctance to share details about herself, her refusal to contact anyone in her family or any friends.
The memory of her scent the day I met her flashes. through my mind once morefear, distress, and something else. Something I couldn’t quite place at the time, but now recognize as desperation.
She was trying to run. Once she realized we were shifters, too, she felt panic instead of reassurance.
A sudden, horrifying thought occurs to me, and I feel as though the ground has fallen away beneath my feet. “Rowan,” I rasp, my voice barely above a whisper. “What was the name of Lucas’ mate?”
”Ava Grey, sir.” He sounds strangled as he gives the words he knows I won’t want to hear.
Ava Grey.
Phoenix Grey’s younger sister.
Phoenix, who’s standing next to my Ava.
The world tilts on its axis as the implications sink in. Ava Grey, daughter of Alexander Grey, the beta of the
R 10
Blackwood Pack. The same Ava that Lucas has been searching for, his fated mate torn from his grasp by unknown forces.
My mate is Lucas Westwood’s fated mate.
The realization is like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. How is this possible?
Unbidden, memories of our time together flash through my mindthe searing heat of her touch, the softness of her lips, the way her body molded perfectly against mine. Moments I treasured, now tainted by the knowledge that she belongs to another.
Lucas. My ally, my friend.
Bile rises in my throat as guilt and shame war within me. I’ve betrayed him in the most fundamental way, even if it was unintentional. The bond I want with Ava, though chosen, is real….
Yet she is not mine.
Rowan’s voice cuts through the maelstrom of emotions swirling within me. “Sir, what are your orders? Do we still send our men to Blackwood?”
I force myself to take a steadying breath, tamping down the turmoil raging inside me. Now is not the time for personal strugglesAva’s safety is paramount.
“Yes,” I say, and my voice is rougher than intended. “We must be there for our allies. I’ll go in person.”
Clayton, you break my heart.
There’s nothing to pack. The few clothes I have are courtesy of Mom shopping for me, and I have no interest in keeping them when I leave.
I’ll go with a ripped pair of jeans and a shirt that I took scissors to, cutting off its holey hem until it looks tattered on purpose instead of because it’s been washed too many times.
The only shoes I have are the heels I wore when they brought me home. Those, I put in a backpack Phoenix gave me from his old school days. Despite a decade of sitting in our attic, it smells like marijuana mixed with the cedar our home is built with.
-Big brother was a bit of a rebel, I guess.
I have a pair of sneakers that are a halfsize too small. I’ll have some blisters, but I can buy a new pair somewhere. It’ll be easier to run in them than heels.
The burner phone stares at me from its position on my desk. I know without a doubt that it has a tracer on it. I still have no idea if the phone Clayton gave me was tampered with; I know I had a level of paranoia that bordered on ridiculous during my stay with the Aspen wolves. But this phone?
I’m not paranoid.
Phoenix has decided that it’s better to wipe my existence from memory than keep me as a hesitant ally.
So stupid, to ever think our interests could align.
I consider reaching out to Lisa, but I don’t want Phoenix or his goons to get to her.
What if my desperate attempt to seek solace from Lisa only leads them straight to her doorstep, putting her in harm’s way?
No way.
I can’t risk Lisa’s safety. She’s too precious. I won’t be the one to drag her into the darkness that has consumed my life.
Phoenix is sneaking me out, ostensibly to the airport, tonight. I have to figure out another plan before then. So far, I’ve got nothing.
If there’s a tracker on my phone, there’s a good chance that he wants me to make itat least for a little while.
Or, it’s just there as insurance in case I escape whatever ambush he has planned…
Fuck, I can’t keep my head straight around all the possibilities. Paranoia has me in a chokehold I can’t escape, no matter how much I try to think my way through.
No money. I can try to steal some, but from who? Mom and Dad are out. Jessa’s out. Phoenix isn’t here yet. Only the guards outside are near, and they’re not about to whip out any wallets for me.
I can try overpowering them, but it’s a fool’s dream to think I could take three of them. My training was in selfdefense, not selfoffense.
Circle upon circle, my thinking can’t escape this trap that I’m set to walk into. Lisa’s the only way out I can think of, but there has to be something else. Anything else.
But there’s nothing.
By six, I’m desperate. I can hear the sounds of my family returning home, one by one. Dad’s heavy, thudding footsteps. Mom’s stilettos clicking against the floor. The way Jessa’s truck roars into our driveway, like it’s trying to announce its presence to the entire fucking neighborhood.
None of them call me down for dinner. None of them give a shit if I eat. The only reason I even cook is because if I don’t, there won’t be any meal for me from what Mom brings home.
They’re in the kitchen. Laughter and conversation flows upstairs, the sounds of a happy family. Dad’s rumbling voice paired with Jessa’s chatter, and Mom’s occasional directions called out with a smile.
Yeah, when it comes to the four of them, they’re perfect.
It’s only me who’s never fit in.
I struggle in the silence of my room, listening in to a family who doesn’t want me, only missing the person who’s intending to kill me tonight.
Selene’s absence hurts more than ever.
The crystal around my neck reminds me of her, and I’ve developed a habit of fiddling with it. Every time I do, I have to tell myself to stop before I break the chain
An ominous sensation crawls up my spine, making me shudder, my arms jerking a bit with the force of the motion. Despite the early evening hour of 6 pm, the summer sun still blazes bright, casting long shadows across the yard as I stare out the window.
A hollow ache settles in my chest.
If I die-
The thought of leaving without saying goodbye tears at my resolve.
What if this is the last time I get to talk to her? The weight of that realization is suffocating. With a trembling exhale, I snatch up the burner phone and begin to type.
[AVA: It’s me. I just wanted to check in before things get crazy. I love you, bestie bae, my soul twin, my other half of crazy.]
The response is almost instantaneous.
[LISA: Ave! What’s going on? You okay?]
A sad smile tugs at my lips at her concern. Lisa has been my rock through everything, and I don’t know what I’d do without her steadfast friendship.