Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
“We need your scouts,” I say plainly. “Your pack is known for knowing your enemy Your scous fare more expetere than any then he ass. We test semasance. Menee ko what they’re planning With Westovi and Bacorood under úviors surveilance, we need some une else to break our valemate Weve been made therapist an eligence system in
BET EFFE
The tods slowly considering Andin er? What do we get for putting our necks on the line?
I resist the urge to growl Always a bargain with these old wolves. Always looking out for their own interests above all else.
“The safety of your pack I say struggling to keep my voice even. “The knowledge that you’re doing your part to protect our way of life. In’t that enough?”
She arches a brow, a faint smirk playing at the comers of her mouth. “Pretty words, Alpha Westwood. But we both know that’s not how this works.”
the
I take another breath, forcing myself to think past the anger, frustration. “An alliance, then. A promise of aid if Twilight Ridge ever finds itself in need. My word as an alpha that Westwood will stand with you.”
She holds my gaze for a long moment, but doesn’t respond.
A silent veto.
“What of Aspen?” I ask, turning to Clayton. “Can we count on your support?”
He nods without hesitation. “Of course. Aspen stands with Westwood, as always”
Gratitude helps ease the frustration within me. Despite his feelings for Ava, Clayton has stepped forward as an alphaa Council membershould. He’s helped more than strictly necessary.
IfI didn’t want to punch him in the face every time I think of him and Ava together…
But even those thoughts are distant these days, crushed between the mountain of stress that Blackwood and their vampire friends have brought to my door.
“Then let’s put it to a vote,” Xavier says, his deep voice cutting through the tension. “All in favor of Alpha Westwood’s proposal?”
Clayton’s hand shoots up immediately, followed by my own. Xavier raises his a moment later, his expression grim, and my heart jumps. Finally, Progress.
But Alpha Talon and Alpha Twilight Ridge remain still, their arms crossed over their chests.
“All opposed?” Xavier asks, a note of resignation in his voice.
Two hands raise, slow and deliberate.
“The motion is carried.” Clayton says, a note of triumph in his voice. “We move forward with Alpha Westwood’s plan.”
But Alpha Talon shakes his head, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Not so fast. You’re forgetting the Blackwood vote.”
I stare at him, incredulous. “What Blackwood vote? Blackwood is gone. Westwood controls their territory now.”
He shrugs, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. “Maybe so. But their vote still stands. And I say it sides with me and Alpha Twilight Ridge.
I’m on my feet before I realize it, my chair clattering to the floor behind me. My words come out more growl than English. “You can’t just claim their vote for your own.”
But he just smirks, unfazed by my outburst, his eyes flaring yellow for just a moment. “Can’t I? Seems to me like the Blackwood vote is up for grabs. And I’m grabbing it.”
Clayton stands as well, his jaw clenched tight. “That’s not how this works. The Blackwood vote goes with the majority. You can’t just choose it arbitrarily.”
Alpha Talon spreads his hands, a picture of innocence. “Who’s to say it’s arbitrary? Maybe I have inside information. Maybe I know something you don’t.”
I can feel my control slipping, my wolf clawing at the edges of my mind, desperate to break free. This is insanity. Pure, unadulterated insanity.
The Council’s going to fall, because I’m going to kill this motherfucker with my bare hands.
“This is absurd,” I snarl, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “The
Blackwood vote is irrelevant.”
But even as I say it, I can see the satisfaction in his eyes, the smug curl of his lip. It doesn’t matter what I think; he’s just here for the power play. Posturing
Neutral party? Fuck neutrality. He’s nothing more than a snake. Just like Blackwood, only his real self had hidden in plain sight, overshadowed by Blackwood’s antics.
“Enough, Xavier says, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. “This bickering solves nothing. The Blackwood vote is null and void. We move forward with the original tally.”
Alpha Talon opens his mouth to protest, but Xavier silences him with a glare. “I said enough. The decision is made. Westwood has the majority. We will lend our support, as agreed.”
Alpha Twilight Ridge nods, and Alpha Talon grimaces. “Fine.”
I let out a breath, my shoulders sagging with relief. It’s not a perfect solution, not by a long shot. But it’s something. A step in the right direction.
And right now, that’s all I can ask for.
My phone rings just as Kellan pulls into the driveway of the alpha lodge, waking me from a light doze
“Hello?”
“Ava.”
Lucas’ voice is warm and soft, despite the edge of exhaustion I can hear within it.
“Hey, handsome.” My lips curve even as my cheeks heat; being flirtatious doesn’t come naturally.
Kellan’s stare in my direction doesn’t help the embarrassment churning in my gut, and I hop out of the SUV as quickly as I can.
Of course, I stumble, my foot somehow catching in the seatbelt in my hurry, and the phone clatters out of my grasp, skittering across the driveway as I shriek, falling onto half my face and scratching up both hands.
My knees are somehow spared, but there are a lot of people helping me to my feet.
Too many people. All of them careful not to make eye contact, even as Kellan rushes over to check me for injuries.
“My phone. I need my phone.” Lucas is probably freaking out.
“Marcus has it. He’s talking to him.” After reassuring himself that I haven’t broken anything and am more or lessintact, Kellan steps back and Marcus slides my phone into my hand.
“Ava? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just got tangled up in the seatbelt and fell.”
Having to actually say it out loud somehow makes the entire situation even worse.
“Pretty sure I taught you how to fall. Never once did I teach you to land on your damn face,” Jericho barks from behind the crowd, and Lucas laughs quietly in my ear.
The old shifter’s voice is way too loud.
“He’s going to be drilling you on falls again tomorrow morning,” my mate says, sounding way too amused at my plight.
“Oh, my God,” I mutter into the phone, feeling my cheeks burn. I can practically hear the old wolf’s smirk, even with my back to him.
Kellan and Marcus lead me into the lodge, which somehow feels more humid than outside. Comfortable silence settles between me and Lucas over the phone all the way to my room, though I can feel Kellan’s gaze on me every few steps, as if he’s making sure I’m not about to faceplant again.
As soon as I open the door, a blur of white and grey fur barrels into me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Selene’s tongue is everywhere, her entire body wiggling with the force of her wagging tail. No one would expect her inner soul to be wolf with the doglike overreaction to my return.
“Oof. Hi, Selene.”
You smell weird.
“So do you.” And she does. Kind of like pot roast. And potatoes. “Have you been sneaking food from the kitchen?”
I didn’t sneak it. They gave it to me
Wolf shifters seem to like having a dog around, because the list of people feeding Selene food is getting longer by the minute.
“Is that Selene?” Lucas asks.
“Yeah. I just got to my room.”
He makes a soft sound, before saying, “My wolf misses her. He’s been whining about it. He misses you, too. And so do I.”