Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
“Sorry.”
“Sit down before you wear a hole in the floor.” Elverly’s voice cuts through my pacing. “Unless you think you’re some kind of hero who can save the day by walking back and forth.”
Her attitude always seems to transcend the events of the moment. She used to intimidate me, but now I know it’s just how she is. “I know, I know. I just—” My hands clench into fists. “I hate that I can’t help. That I’m not strong enough yet.”
“Strong enough?” The old gnome’s snort could peel paint. “Accept what you are, girl. Stop trying to be something you’ll never be.”
The words sting, but I recognize the concern beneath her harsh tone. It’s just Elverly being Elverly. Still hurts though.
“That’s quite enough.” The Grand Sage’s mild rebuke carries weight even with his eyes closed. His meditation pose hasn’t shifted an inch since we arrived.
I turn to the nearest guard—he’s not one of mine. I think he’s one of the guys who follow Ava around. His name escapes me. “Any word yet?”
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t respond. Just like the last dozen times I’ve asked. Just like all of them have been doing for the past thirty minutes.
The silence grates against my nerves, but I don’t bother them. They might be talking through their pack link or something.
Thankfully, we’re in Kellan’s cabin, so it’s at least comfortable, if a little crowded. There are seven guards in here, and even more outside.
My brace is warm against my wrist; I swear I’m never going anywhere without it again, even if it makes me look like a poor man’s Wonder Woman.
My fingers tug at my sleeve for the hundredth time, the fabric bunching and releasing in a nervous rhythm. The door creaks open and my heart leaps—but no. Just Vanessa. Not Ava.
The healer exchanges a quick nod with my guards before making her way to me. “Are you alright?”
“I wasn’t hurt.” My voice comes out sharper than intended. “I never even saw the thing up close.”
She reaches for my wrist anyway, her fingers cool against my pulse point. “Let me check.”
I submit to her examination, knowing arguing with a healer is pointless. “Has anyone heard from Ava? Is she okay?”
“She’s on her way back.” Something in Vanessa’s tone makes my stomach drop.
“Is she hurt?” The words tumble out. “Did that thing—“
“No, no.” Vanessa’s hands move to my shoulders, steadying me. “Minor injuries from what I hear. Nothing serious.”
“Then what’s wrong? You sound like someone died.”
Vanessa releases me, straightening her scrubs. “The entire compound is on high alert. We’ve detected multiple breaches in the perimeter.”
“What?” I glance at my stoic guards. “More attacks?”
“We haven’t identified who or what is testing our defenses.” Vanessa’s voice drops lower. “But you need to be prepared. All of you.”
My guards knew. They’ve probably been communicating through their pack link this whole time, leaving me in the dark. I bite back a scowl—they’re just doing their jobs. “I’ll be careful.”
“Has anyone explained the evacuation protocols to you?” Vanessa’s eyes narrow at my guards.
“No?” Frowning a little at the oversight, I mutter, “I guess they were too busy protecting me to share that tidbit.”
Then I feel ungrateful, because hello, they are willing to die to keep me safe. But come on. At least communicate with me a little. It’s not like we don’t speak the same language.
Vanessa’s glare could melt steel. The guards shift uncomfortably, and one of them—the one that belongs to Ava’s bunch, I think—rubs the back of his neck. Their faces twitch in that way I’ve learned means someone’s chewing them out through the pack link.
“Unacceptable.” Vanessa’s voice drops to barely above a whisper. “What if you’re all incapacitated? What then?”
“We won’t—” one of them starts.
“Shut up.” Vanessa turns to me then, motioning for the gnomes to listen. The Grand Sage even opens his eyes, giving her his full attention. “Listen carefully. There are three escape routes. The first is through the kitchen pantry—there’s a tunnel behind the dry goods shelving. Second is beneath Kellan’s bed; I’ll show you how to access it. Third is in the hospital wing, behind the supply cabinet in exam room three.”
There’s an escape route under our bed?
How did I miss that?
This isn’t paranoia—they’re prepared for the worst. They’ve already had to leave their territory once.
“If you’re separated from your guards, get to the nearest tunnel. Don’t wait. Don’t look back. Just run.”
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Our strange captive never does wake, and we drag them on a makeshift sled. Kellan and the others make do with some long, willowy branches and armfuls of pine.
Practical skills like this are so much more impressive to me than conjuring fire out of nothing.
Really thought we’d run into the intruders out here. It’s strange there’s nothing.
Selene’s musings almost have me tripping over my feet, and Kellan glances over his shoulder in concern.
I wave him off with a weak smile.
You mean this person isn’t the reason they went off?
Selene and Grimoire are quiet.
When they’re intentionally silent like this, their lack of noise has a heavier weight in my head.
My silver husky looks up from my side, and I swear her pale blue eyes are digging their disappointment straight into my stupid brain. You thought this one was responsible for the alarms?
Grimoire adds, The wards are quite a distance from camp. For all of them to go off at once, do you really think a single being could do it?
Okay. Okay, look. Maybe it was the epitome of stupidity to think that—
It was, the book confirms without hesitation.
But seriously, two epic situations at the same time? Who expects that?
Literally every wolf surrounding us at the moment, mine says. I thought you were waiting to hear from the scouts. I didn’t realize you left your brain back at the hospital.
Of course. Damn it. All that hyping myself up about being a responsible and capable Luna—
She’s spiraling again, Grimoire observes. Should I tell her this is an inappropriate time?
She can hear you just fine.
My groan this time isn’t over their interaction. It’s at me, myself, and I.
You aren’t used to dealing with these kind of emergency situations, Selene offers, her attempt at understanding ringing inauthentic. You aren’t trained the way they are. It’s understandable you would let down your guard.
Grimoire grunts. So we lie to her now? Is that acceptable?
All right. No spiraling. No self-flagellating. Focus, focus, focus. My inexperience isn’t an excuse when lives are at stake. Move on and forward.
Multiple alarms plus strange attack by strange being plus missing Ivy. Three separate, possibly related but right now separate issues. I need to figure them out instead of relying on Kellan to do it for me.
Jogging up to catch up to the eternally polite, angry beta, I hope no one else has noticed my incredible lack of self-preservation. Of pack-preservation.
“Has anyone reported back from the perimeter?”
“No signs of intrusion detected yet.” Kellan’s voice maintains that crisp, professional tone that cuts worse than any angry outburst. It’s not quite similar to my mother’s cold distance, but it makes me feel just as small. “All of Wolf’s Landing remains on high alert. We will find them, Luna.”
Curious that they haven’t struck, Grimoire muses. We are quite exposed out here.
It isn’t that easy to find someone, even in a mile’s radius. A single mile can be impossibly large when someone is hiding from detection. Selene breaks off from my side, trotting further ahead. There is a lot more than a single mile to check. We could be quite far from any of them, or they can be watching us now. That’s why we must remain vigilant.
Grimoire doesn’t respond, but his mental presence remains thoughtful.
Her words make sense, but I’m with Grimoire. Whoever’s tripped our perimeter alarms has a reason for doing so. Wouldn’t they be on the hunt for any of us? And a giant group of us, slowed down by our unexpected baggage, would be a perfect target.
That is under the assumption you—or the pack—is their target. It could be anything. Keep your mind open, Ava. The scouts haven’t found their trails yet. Not a single one. That suggests there isn’t an army about to burn us to the ground.