Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
“Then, what’s going on with the packs? I can’t reach my mate.” Though, now that we aren’t in the city, I should try again. Digging into my pocket, I pull out my phone with eager fingers.
No signal.
Of course there’s no signal here.
Holding my phone up high, I move it from side to side, trying to see if I can even get a single bar.
No such luck.
Acarus watches me, waiting until I set my phone down with a long sigh to finally answer.
“The packs…” For the first time, Acarus’ golden light grows dim, his face taut and lips pressed together in a tight line. Sighing, he rubs one blond eyebrow with a perfectly manicured finger. “Much has happened. My mother is searching for information as we speak.”
My stomach drops to the floor. The food, the pigs, and any other questions we may have are shoved to the side as I jump out of my seat, slamming my hands against the table as I lean toward him. “What happened? Where’s Lucas?”
Acarus holds up his hands. “Calm down, little witch. Your alpha is alive.”
Alive.
What a weird way to put it.
Wouldn’t someone normally say, your alpha is fine?
“What happened?” I ask, sitting back in the chair as I focus my gaze on Acarus.
“Great change. Rebellion. The end of days.”
1 frown. “What do you mean, a great change?”
The air is heavy, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe it’s just that my chest is tight.
Acarus leans forward, his eyes intense. “The supernatural communities have risen up against the limitations imposed by human laws. It’s not just the wolf packs. Registered communities, unregistered citiesthey’re all involved. War is everywhere.”
Marcus’s brow furrows. “How widespread is this unrest?”
“It started here,” Acarus explains, “but once the media caught wind of it, riots spread to large communities across the country. This anger has been simmering for a long time. Many feel the humans have chained us with their biased laws.”
My heart races. “Just tell me what happened to Lucas, I demand, worry coloring my tone.
Acarus inclines his head, his expression softening slightly. “He’s recovering in a hospital.”
Relief and consternation flow.
Why? By who?
me. A hospital? Then that means he was injured. How?
“Westwood is now under the control of rogue supernaturals. And Blackwood… My apologies, Ava. Alpha Renard has retaken it.”
Lucas has been defeated.
And my father’s back in power.
The implications make my head spin.
Marcus speaks up, his voice tight with concern. “That doesn’t explain why we haven’t been able to contact anyone from the packs.”
Acarus sighs. “Most modern communication methods have been hijacked. It’s impossible to contact people via phone. I’m not familiar with the technical terms, but it’s some form of hacking. It’s beyond even what humans are capable of. Probably the work of gnomes or Fae.”
“Wait,” I interrupt, struggling to comprehend. “How is it even possible to take down an entire country’s infrastructure?”
“It is limited to most of this side of the country, Acarus clarifies. “That is as much as I understand. Beyond that, you would have to discuss with someone familiar with technology. I am not that person.”
:??
My mind races, trying to make sense of it all. Then, a thought strikes me. “What about Clayton? How’s the Aspen pack doing?”
Acarus raises an eyebrow, surprise evident in his features. “You still care about the Aspen alpha?”
“No!” I deny immediately, wondering if I’ll ever outlive that presumption. “It’s just… Clayton’s been in Westwood and Blackwood for so long. I hope he’s okay, and his pack too.”
Acarus nods slowly. “I believe Alpha Shadowpine has returned to his pack, but I’m not certain. He pauses, his gaze intense. “Ava, I don’t think you understand how much the world has changed. Perhaps it is better to show you.”
The moment Acarus suggests showing me what he means, Marcus and Vanessa tense up like colled springs. I can feel the shift in the air.
“It’s not a good idea to bring Ava outside right now, Marcus says, his voice low and firm. “We need more information first. We still aren’t certain where we are.”
Acarus looks at them, his expression a mix of amusement and bewilderment. “There’s an easier way to show her what I mean,” he says, his golden eyes flickering between us. “Are you done eating?
I glance at the untouched plates in front of Marcus and Vanessa, a pang of guilt hitting me as 1 realize they haven’t even had a chance to take a bite. Then again, they don’t trust Acarus not to poison them.
Before I can say anything, he’s already leading us into the living room.
The TV flickers to life under Acarus’s touch, and suddenly, the world I thought I knew shatters into a thousand pieces.
A news broadcast fills the screen, the reporter’s voice tight with barely contained panic as she describes the scene unfolding behind her. New York City, a place I’ve only seen in movies and postcards, has become a war zone.
My breath catches in my throat as the camera pans across streets I don’t recognize, littered with… bodies. So many bodies. The reporter’s words wash over me, a torrent of horror I can barely process.
“…unprecedented riots across the city… hospitals overwhelmed… death toll rising by the hour..”
I want to look away, but I can’t. My eyes are glued to the screen, taking in every horrific detail. Smoke rises from burning buildings, casting an apocalyptic haze over the cityscape. People run through the streets, their faces masks of terror and rage.
Occasionally, one of them stops for a quick interview. They all say the same thing:
Run.
Run for your lives.
The scrolling headlines at the bottom of the screen hammer home the reality of what I’m seeing:
ARMAGEDDON: SUPERNATURALS BETRAY HUMANITY
GLOBAL UPRISING: NO CITY SAFE
DEATH TOLL SURPASSES 100,000 IN NEW YORK ALONE
SUPERNATURAL DEMANDS SENT TO WHITE HOUSE
My legs give out, and I sink onto the couch, unable to tear my eyes away from the nightmare playing out before me. I feel Marcus’s hand on my shoulder, steadying me, but it does little to ground me in this new, terrifying reality.
The peace between humans and supernaturals has broken.
What will life look like in the future? Humans will never trust us again. Will we have to hide?
Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I can feel myself dissociating from the moment, my feelings growing distant and dim as I watch the TV.
The reporter and the camera are running. From what?
I’m surprised they don’t cut away to anchors safe in a building somewhere, citing technical difficulties. Instead, we follow along a nauseating run.
Then, no visibility at all, and a lot of coughing.
“Building went down, someone says.
“How did they take down an entire building?”
“Hold on, is the camera still working?”
“Yeah, I think so. Let me clean the lens.
We watch in silence as someone brushes dirt off the lens. We can see again, the reporter’s face. illuminated against darkness.