Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
Then there’s me.
Paranoia. Secrets. Worries. Uncertainty. I can’t even figure out how to mend my relationship with a pack without getting advice from
Vanessa.
I didn’t even realize how much damage I had done until she’d pointed it out.
It isn’t like your family realizes how much damage they’ve done to emulate them, Ava. They’re nothing but either. Don’t try to you, flaws.
Selene’s dry words bring a little relief, easing the pressure in my chest. And mortification.
Why would I ever look at my family as people to emulate?
Because you’ve been trained to, all your life.
“Sounds like a flimsy excuse when you know better,” I mutter.
Marcus, to his credit, ignores me as he always does when I talk to Selene, glancing up only when Jericho and Kellan come rushing in.
Kellan holds out his hand, concern on his face. “Can I see your phone, Ava?”
I hand it over, watching as he scrutinizes the text message, his frown deepening with each passing second. Jericho’s gaze is intense, studying me like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to solve.
“We should talk to Steve,” Kellan says, looking up from the phone. “See if she can get any information from this message.”
I shake my head, doubting that Steve will find anything more than what’s already there. “I don’t think it’ll help. Kellan, It feels like I’m being herded to the city, like I don’t have a choice.”
Jericho sits on the window ledge and leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “We’ve been dancing around this for too long. We know you’re different from other shifters, and we know that Selene is your wolf. But these powers of yours? We need to know more. From you, not anyone else.”
N take a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. “It’s hard to explain. It’s like I have this hidden well of energy inside me, and sometimes it just… spills out.” I pick up the book, flipping through the blank pages. “And then there’s this. It shows me things, but I don’t understand what they mean, and no one else can see them.”
Jericho stands abruptly, leaving the room. He returns a moment later with a pen and paper, handing them to me. “Copy what you see in the book.”
I nod, opening the book to the first page. The symbols are there, as always, and I begin to sketch them out. But as soon as I finish the last stroke, the design vanishes from the paper, leaving it blank once more.
I stare at the empty page, shocked. “What the…”
Ava, Selene says, her voice grim. Write down every symbol, one by one. Hurry.
“You think you know what this is?” I ask, already starting on the next symbol.
It might be a coincidence, but it’s similar to an ancient language I learned long ago. My memories are a bit fuzzy, though, so we need to get this down quickly.
I nod, my hand flying across the page as I copy each symbol, watching as they disappear in turn, Kellan and Jericho watch silently, their expressions growing more concerned with each vanishing design.
I finish the last symbol, setting down the pen with a shaky hand. “That’s all of them. Do you know what it means, Selene?”
I caught a few that I recognize. Mostly elements, and the Fae. I didn’t understand them all. It hurts my head to think of them.
“Elements and… Fae? As in, a specific Fae, or just in general?”
In general.
“Ava,” Jericho warns suddenly, “Being a witch will come with a lot of problems. Especially if you’re intending to become the Luna of a wolf pack. Have you and Lucas discussed this?”
Jericho’s words leave me reeling. “No, he hasn’t said anything.” I can’t keep the surprise from my voice. “But I’m aware it’s not normal. How can any of this be normal?” I wave a hand over my body in frustration. “It’s unknown territory for all of us, but Lucas. says we can get through it together.
His eyes narrow. “Witches aren’t well regarded in history. There will be pushback from those who want nothing to do with a witch, even one born from a pack.”
Kellan shifts uneasily, conflict etched on his face. “Ultimately, the Westwood wolves will accept their alpha’s mate.” His words are confident, but his tone is not.
“If Lucas is hellbent on forcing Ava down their throats, there will be alpha challenges.” Jericho’s words are a grim warning.
And he’s not wrong.
Alpha challenges are a right of any wolf in the pack.
If Lucas chooses an unsuitable Lunamethere will be outraged wolves ready to challenge his status within his pack. It’s why I can’t take the responsibility lightly. Why I can’t take the title as my due, even when some of the guards use it for me.
I don’t want to be Lucas’ weakness.
I want to be his strength. His partner.
A Luna isn’t just their alpha’s mate; she is a leader in her own right.
“I’ve never wanted to become Luna until the pack accepts me. That doesn’t change.”
Jericho’s expression softens slightly. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, Ava. But I need to know if you’re willing to fight for your place in the pack despite all odds.”
“Jericho, stop borrowing trouble,” Kellan interjects, but Jericho rounds on him.
“We wolves are superstitious and loyal to our lore. With everything. going on and the increase in vampire presence, a witch won’t be looked at kindly.”
“Why would it be a problem when wolves once worked with witches? They called them magicians.” I can’t hide my confusion at the history I’ve learned from Selene.
Jericho shakes his head. “I’ve never learned of witches working with wolves, only of those who wished to gain control over humans and wolves.”
Glancing at Selene, I ask, “How do vampires see witches?”
“I don’t know.” Jericho’s admission hangs heavy in the air. “The Unregistered communities have been around for a long time, effectively segregating many from our world. Common knowledge. is no longer common.”
“Have either of you ever been there?” I ask, looking between them.
They both shake their heads. “We’ve lost several scouts trying to learn more about it,” Kellan admits
I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing crucial information. Why do Sister Miriam and this unknown person seem so sure I’ll enter the city? “How much does Steve know about the
Unregistered city? She seems familiar with it, even calls it by a different name.”
Kellan frowns. “She’s told us she has no information to give.”
Latching onto those words, I cling to them like a lifeline. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t know anything. It’s just that she doesn’t want to give you the information you’re looking for.”
“That’s… possible,” Kellan concedes after a moment.
“We should visit Steve.” I’m talking to Kellan, but Jericho interrupts again, bringing us back full circle.
“Ava, do you intend to fight for your position by Lucas’s side?”
I meet his gaze unflinchingly. “I will never give up my place as
Lucas’s mate.”
“What will you do if you have to choose between your magic and your mate?”
“Lucas.” There’s no hesitation in my answer.
Jericho nods, seemingly satisfied, but Kellan rounds on him, fury in his eyes. “Stop interfering. This isn’t even a concern yet. Ava isn’t a witch. She’s a shifter, just like the rest of us.”
“The position of Luna is a concern of every wolf in the pack.”
Jericho’s voice is steel. “I need to know that the Luna will work for the pack over all others. No Alpha and no Luna can lead a pack with split loyalties.”
His words settle uneasily in my gut, a disquiet I can’t quite understand.
“I won’t put the pack in any more danger. I can’t do that again.” Meeting Jericho’s gaze, then Kellan’s, I add, “I’ve learned my lesson. I want to fight with all of you. I want to keep every Westwood wolf safe. What power I have, I want to wield it for a better tomorrow for my pack. For my mate.”
“I know that, Ava,” Kellan says, but Jericho just grunts.
“Remember that resolve. You’ll need to stand by it when the challenges come.”
***