Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
Of course it does.
There’s no way it doesn’t.
I can’t rush into this blindly, no matter how desperate I am to save Lisa. A deep price has already been paid. I don’t want to have that happen again.
“What do you think I should do?” I ask Jericho, curious to his thoughts.
He regards me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine as if he’s trying to see into my very soul. “Once you step into that world, there’s no turning ba
I think of Lisa, trapped and alone, waiting for someone to save her. I think of the pack, the lives lost and the ones still hanging in the balance. I think of Lucas, fighting to keep me safe, even against my will.
Person
“I don’t mind sacrificing my life for Lisa’s. But I can’t sacrifice this pack for her. I’m struggling to know how to juggle these feelings.”
The truth has my shoulders sagging, but he only nods.
“Responsibility will always be a shackle to your decisions. It’s a good lesson to learn.”
“Better if I’d learned it before lives were lost,” I mutter, full of selfdeprecation.
“Sit up straight,” Jericho snaps, his voice cracking like a whip. “Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t help anyone.”
My spine stiffens even as I flinch, scrambling to obey the older wolf before my brain catches up to his demands.
Training is a scary thing.
Selene’s ears perk up, and his head swivels toward the door. A few seconds later, I hear the thud of approaching footsteps. Jericho grunts, “That alpha s
The door bursts open, and Lucas strides in, Kellan at his heels.
Lucas’s amber eyes lock onto me, wild and desperate, and he rushes to my side. His hands skim over my arms, my face, as if reassuring himself I’m un
“Are you okay? Did the vampire hurt you?” His words tumble out in a frantic rush, even though I’m sure he’s been informed of my
? Devacho summarizes the situation in clipped tones. Skuter Mirams gason, her cryptic warning, the oddly incapacitater guarde acas’s face darkens with each word, a growl rumbling in his chest.
“I knew we couldn’t trust her,” he sparis, pacing the room like a caged predator. “She’s toying with us.”
Jericho mutters under his breath, “Raised an impulsive beast, I did:
wince at the harsh words, but I can’t deny the truth in them. Lucas is letting his emotions cloud his judgment, jumping to conclusions without evidence.
seems to be his weakness when I’m involved.
“We don’t know that for sure,” I say softly, reaching for Lucas’s hand. “Sister Miriam’s motives are unclear, but I don’t think she means us harm.”
Lucas whirls on me, his eyes flashing. “How can you say that? With this timing?”
“Because she’s had plenty of opportunities to hurt me, but she hasn’t, I argue, my voice gaining strength. “She’s cryptic and dustring, but I don’t believe she’s our enemy. She’s warning us.
nor frindering us ve
Kellan clears his throat, drawing our attention. “Ava’s right. We can’t afford to make assumptions. We need more information before we act”
The fight drains out of Lucas, and his shoulders sag a little beneath the weight of this past week. Running a hand through his hair, he growls, “I know. I ju fuck. These damn bloodsuckers keep coming onto my lands, and I don’t know how.”
Jericho snorts. “I’ve told you both a thousand times, never become complacent in the power of the pack. Get too proud, and you’ll be brought to your knees.”
“Jesus, Dad, not now-“
Jericho’s lip curls as he eyes Kellan, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “Watch your tone, boy.”
The air crackles with tension, their wolves bristling beneath the surface as Kellan stiffens, his shoulders squaring. He meets his father’s gaze head on, and dominance radiates off them in waves.
Lucas steps between them, his own power flaring to life. “Enough.” he commands, his voice ringing with authority. “We don’t have time for this.”
The two men back down, but the animosity lingers, simmering just beneath the surface. One day, I’ll learn more about this history between them, but now isn’t the time.
Lucas turns to Jericho, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean, we’re too complacent? We’ve been on high alert since the attack.”
Jericho scoffs, shaking his head. “High alert? You call this high alert? Your borders are as porous as a sieve, and you’re letting your emotions cloud your guards around and hope it works.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Lucas asks, his jaw clenched.
Jericho’s gaze slides to me, a calculating gleam in his eye. “You need to use every resource at your disposal. Including the ones you’re not comfortable w
I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest. He means me. My connection to Sister Miriam, to the vampire’s world.
Lucas follows his gaze, his expression darkening. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t put Ava in danger.”
“She’s already in danger,” Jericho retorts, his voice sharp. “You’re just too blind to see it.”
Selene whines softly, pressing her nose into my hand. I can feel her concern, her fear for me. But beneath that, there’s a steely resolve. A determination
My pack. The thought has settled deep into my bones, a weight and a warmth all at once. These people, this place they’re mine now. My responsibility. My family.
And I’ll be damned if I let anyone hurt them,
I square my shoulders, meeting Jericho’s gaze headon. “What do you think we should do?”
Lucas whirls on me, his eyes wide. Ava, no. You can’t-
Tm not saying I’m going to run into danger again,” I assure him, grabbing his hand. “I’m just willing to do things. Within reason. Without hiding. Without s
“We don’t,” he snaps. “It’s not safe.”
“And how would you have kept her safe if this Sister Miriam had spirited her away, right out of this room?” Jericho interjects. “I think it’s better to learn a l do you know about their cities? You’ve been throwing lives there, what have you gotten in return? It’s time to set aside pride and look at the bigger picture. There’s a war coming, and we’ll all lose if you can’t open your damn eyes.”
“A war would decimate our world,” Kellan says. “The vampires won’t take that risk. They’re outnumbered by our packs.”
“Outnumbered, yet they waltz into our lands as they please and have taken how many of our young lives?” Jericho counters. “Do you even know how m
“One, of course-“
“And what are you going to do when only one vampire can breach your defenses so easily? Imagine when twenty of them join hands.”
Kellan’s mouth snaps closed, and Lucas growls in frustration. “You have something to say, old man. Spit it out.”
“You’ve been taking this threat too lightly. Too focused on your mate to see the forest for the trees. No vampire would do this for one little thrall. What do
“They’re working with Renard. He’s always been out to increase hist land and power.”
Jericho’s gaze bores into Lucas, a withering stare that seems to strip away years of authority and experience, reducing my mate to nothing more than a through the tension like a razor, each syllable dripping with disdain.
“Why in the seven hells would vampires ever ally with an idiot like Renard?”
The question hangs in the air, a challenge and an accusation all at ence. Lucas stiffens beside me at the challenge, but the old wolf isn’t finished.
“Not all vampires live in the Unregistered Communities,” Jericho reminds us, his tone sharp with impatience. “Only the ones who refused to submit to hu
A war between vampires and shifters, spilling out beyond the borders of our territories and into the human world? The thought alone is enough to make m
But Lucas isn’t ready to concede the point. “If that’s true,” he counters, “then why aren’t other packs reporting similar issues? Everything that’s happened for Ava.”
“Until now.” Jericho jabs his thumb over his shoulder, out the window. “They took the bodies tonight. What does that have to do with Renard or Ava?”
Lucas goes quiet, because we all know there’s no answer to that.
Jericho sighs and shakes his head. “You’re still young, Alpha. Too inexperienced. Keep your eyes and ears open, if you want to keep your people alive.”
***