Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I contemplate how to respond. Part of me wants to deny any knowledge of her, knowing she’s probably told these people nothing. But there’s something about the woman’s gentle demeanor that compels me to be honest.
“Yes, I know her,” I admit quietly. “But I’m afraid I’ve done something terrible to her, and I’m not sure how to make it right.”
Her gray eyebrows rise, but she doesn’t press me for details. Instead, she pulls out the chair across from me and settles into it, her expression one of patient understanding.
“Well, the first step is recognizing that you’ve made a mistake,” she says sagely. “That’s more than a lot of people can manage.”
I bark out a humorless laugh, shaking my head ruefully. “Trust me, it was more than just a mistake. I…” I trail off, swallowing hard as the memories of that night come flooding back.
The way Ava had looked at me with such hurt and betrayal in her eyes. The scent of her tears mingling with the sweet honey and vanilla that clings to her skin. The anguished howls of my wolf as our mate fled from us, leaving us both bereft and hollow.
Knowing what I know now, my soul shrivels even more. She must have looked at me as salvation, and I’d betrayed her hopes.
It’s little wonder she wants nothing to do with me.
“I hurt her,” I finally manage to choke out, my voice thick with selfloathing. “Badly. And I don’t know how to make it right.”
She regards me with a thoughtful expression, her fingers steepled beneath her chin as she considers my words. Finally, she leans forward, her voice lowered to a conspiratorial murmur.
“Have you tried apologizing?” she asks gently.
I blink at her, thrown by the simplicity of her suggestion. “Apologize?” I repeat, flummoxed. It occurs to me that I’ve never said those words to her. Granted, I haven’t spoken to her at all until just now, buthow can it be that the first words out of my mouth weren’t I’m sorry I was such an asshole?
She nods, her gaze unwavering. “Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness. It’s not easy, mind you,” she adds with a wry smile. “But if you truly regret what happened and want to make amends, it’s the first step.”
“You’re right,” I murmur, more to myself than to her. “I need to apologize. To tell her how sorry I am for the way I treated her.”
The old woman nods, reaching across the table to pat my hand gently. “I can’t promise that it will be easy, or that she’ll accept your apology right away,” she cautions. “But it’s a start.”
I grip her hand tightly, feeling a surge of gratitude towards this kindhearted woman. “Thank you,” I say, genuine in my gratitude. Somehow, she’d shed light on such a simple oversight. I’ve apologized to Ava a million times in my heart, but how would Ava know that? Of course she doesn’t know.
She smiles at me, her eyes shining with a warmth that reminds me of my own mother’s gaze. “I have a feeling that if you approach her with an open heart and true remorse, she’ll surprise you,” she says softly. “Our Ava is one of the kindest, most forgiving souls I’ve ever known.”
With a gentle squeeze of my hand, she rises from her chair and moves to greet another customer. My gaze drifts back to Ava, drinking in the sight of her.
Apologize. Such a simple concept.
It’s only the first stepbut I’ll take thousands of steps until she finally turns and calls my name.
She’s worth everything
I step into my apartment, muscles aching from another grueling selfdefense session with Kyle. Despite the pain, I can feel myself getting stronger.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I kick off my shoes, relishing the feeling of being home, safe within these walls. Selene’s thoughts brush against my consciousness, a comforting feeling after an awful day, as she pads over to the couch to take a nap.
You did well today. You’re progressing rapidly, as I knew you would.
I nod, offering a weary smile. “Thanks. I feel like a truck hit me, but in a good way, you know?”
A low chuckle reverberates through our bond. Rest, my human. You’ve earned it.
Peeling off my sweatdrenched clothes, I make my way to the bathroom, the promise of a hot shower beckoning me. As the water cascades over my aching muscles, I allow my mind to drift, replaying the events of the day.
And inevitably, my thoughts turn to him.
Lucas.
Just the mere thought of his name sends a shiver down my spine, a heady mixture of longing and resentment coiling deep within me. I can still see the intensity in his golden eyes, the way his gaze seemed to strip me bare.
Unbidden, my body responds to the memory, a traitorous flush creeping up my neck as desire unfurls in my core. I curse inwardly, hating the way he still has this effect on me, even after everything that transpired between us.
Selene’s disapproval washes over me, a cool balm against the raging inferno of my emotions. He threw you away like trash, she growls. It does him no good to come around now, begging for forgiveness.
I wince, her blunt assessment striking a chord deep within me. She’s right, of course. Lucas had his chance, and he squandered it, crushing my heart beneath the heel of his contempt. The pain of that rejection still lingers, a raw, festering wound that refuses to heal. The ache will never go away. Stupid fated mates bullshit.
“I know,” I murmur, rinsing the shampoo from my hair. “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten.” And yet, a treacherous part of me yearns for his touch, his embrace, his acceptance.
Selene’s presence ebbs and flows. Do not let him in just because the bond tries to call you, she finally says. You are worth more than the demands of a bond.
With a deep breath, I push him from my mind. He hasn’t done anything to me in weeks, if you don’t count breaking into my apartment when I’m not home. Even at work, he’d stepped aside as soon as I brushed him away.
So far, he isn’t dangerous. Wellnot that kind of dangerous.
My heart, though… That, I need to guard carefully.
***
The next week passes in an odd manner.
Every morning, there’s a note on my apartment door.
It only says, “I’m so sorry,” with Lucas’ signature at the bottom.
I see him around lunch every day at work. He orders. something different each time. Every time I take his card, he looks me in the eyes and says, “I’m sorry. I don’t need you to answer me; I just need you to know that I mean it.”
And then he takes his coffee and leaves.
He doesn’t sit there watching me for hours, like the first day.
It’s bizarre.
Selene grumbles in the back of my head every time she sees him. I’m grateful that Lucas has yet to realize she’s anything more than dog.
Every night, there’s a warm dinner waiting for me at home. Granted, he’s broken in to leave it on my table, butit’s free dinner.
I’m not going to complain if that’s all he’s doing. Clearly I can’t keep him out, anyway.
There was even a new bag of dog food the first time I came home to dinner, though Selene announced that she was not eating out of that bag under any circumstances.
AFT
I donated it to the animal shelter.
I can’t lie; there’s a part of my heart that wavers, just a little. But a week of cute little notes and simple apologies and the occasional meal aren’t enough to make up for what he did, so I just ignore it all.
It isn’t until I hear a shifter muttering to his friend about how the Westwood alpha has been spending a lot of time in the Aspen Pack territory that I realize there’s a real problem with what Lucas is doing.
I wonder if the Aspen Pack alpha knows that Lucas is here. Clearly, he’s unsettling the shifters. With the complaints about tensions between Westwood and Blackwood, it makes no sense that he’s still here.
I wait for Lucas to show up at lunch, tapping my pen restlessly against the counter. The cafe is fairly empty today, just a few regulars tucked into their usual corners. Mrs. Elkins shoots me a questioning look from the kitchen, but I just shrug, feigning nonchalance.
Twelvethirty comes and goes without any sign of him.
Selene snorts in the back of my mind. You shouldn’t be worried about that arrogant alpha. Focus on yourself, little one.
I frown, refilling a customer’s coffee mug. “I’m not worried about him, per se. It’s just…”
An image of snarling wolves flashes through my mind, claws and fangs bared. The memory of screams and the coppery scent of blood assaults my senses. I shudder, pushing the vision away.
Don’t embroil yourself in pack politics, Ava, Selene chides.
“But what if a war erupts because of me?” I protest, gripping the counter until my knuckles turn white. “I can’t have that on my conscience.”
Selene is silent for a long moment. That isn’t your responsibility. Alphas make their own decisions. Lucas will either return for his alpha duties or not. That isn’t on you, but him he wouldn’t have to be here if he had done the right thing in the first place.
I open my mouth to argue, but she cuts me off. No, little one. Listen to me. You have finally found a semblance of peace and freedom here. Focus on that.
I’m walking to the bus stop after my evening class, my mind still focused on the lecture. The streetlights flicker overhead, casting long shadows that seem to shift and dance in the corners of my vision. An uneasy feeling prickles at the back of my neck, but I push it aside, chalking it up to my overactive imagination.
Then, without warning, a searing pain explodes at the base of my skull. A strangled yell tears from my throat as my knees buckle, and I crumple to the pavement. Spots dance before my eyes, and for a disorienting moment, the world tilts on its axis.
Ava! Ava, listen to me! Selene’s frantic voice cuts through the haze of agony. Get up! You have to run!