Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
Stray dog, my wolf snorts, his nose twitching as he catches the odor. Probably some human’s lost pet.
But there’s something familiar about it, something that tugs at my memory. I can’t quite place it, but it draws me in like a magnet.
We change course, following the trail deeper into the woods. The scent grows stronger with each bound, urging us on.
And then we see it. A husky, its fur matted and dull, ribs showing through its skinny frame. It looks up at us with wary blue eyes, hackles raising slightly at the sight of a wolf.
But I’m not just a wolf. And this is no ordinary stray.
Selene.
The name whispers through my mind, a halfremembered fragment from days of watching Ava in Cedarwood.
But what is Selene doing out here, alone and bedraggled? And why do I get the feeling that there’s more to this dog than meets the eye?
Slowly, cautiously, I approach the husky, my wolf watching intently from behind my eyes. Selene stands her ground, her gaze locked with mine.
There’s an intelligence there, a depth that no ordinary dog should possess. As if she knows exactly who and what I am.
My wolf’s reaction catches me completely off guard. One moment he’s all aloof disdain over stray dogs, and the next he’s groveling on his belly like a pup begging for attention. I can only watch in stunned disbelief as he armycrawls his way over to Selene, his tail wagging so hard it blurs.
What the hell are you doing? I demand, but he ignores me, too intent on his goal.
Selene watches his approach with a cool, assessing gaze. She doesn’t move, doesn’t react, even as my wolf wiggles closer and closer, his nose stretched out to sniff at her paws.
I brace myself for her to snap at him, to put him in his place. But to my utter shock, she allows the contact, her eyes narrowing slightly as his tongue darts out to lick her muzzle.
Stop that! I growl, mortified by his behavior. You’re making us look like an idiot.
But he pays me no heed, too lost in his own world of puppylike adoration. He lavishes Selene with frantic kisses, his whole body wiggling with the force of his excitement.
And Selene… tolerates it. Oh, she’s not exactly thrilled, if the faint snarl curling her lip is any indication. But she doesn’t lash out, doesn’t reject his overtures.
It’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. My wolf, the fierce and proud beast that he is, reduced to a slobbering mess at the paws of a halfstarved husky. And Selene, aloof and mysterious, deigning to accept his worship with a queen’s grace.
Enough, I finally snap, exerting my will to rein him in. You’re embarrassing us both.
He whines, low and pleading, but reluctantly pulls. back, his tongue lolling out in a dopey grin. Selene regards him with an inscrutable canine expression, her blue eyes glinting with some secret knowledge.
I shake my head, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. This whole encounter has thrown me for a loop, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew.
Mate, my wolf whispers.
That’s crazy.
My wolf is
LUCAS
Selene follows us to the Blackwood pack lands, only veering off once we get close to Ava’s family home.
She refuses to listen when I try to herd her back in the direction of the alpha’s home, slipping around my besotted wolf to trot her way into the front yard, inspecting every inch.
She won’t talk to me, my wolf whines pathetically in my head.
Fuck, is that what I sound like when I complain to him?
I hope not. He sounds like a lovesick teenager.
Why won’t she speak to me? It must be your fault. She’s mad at you. I told you not to reject our mate.
Again, with the meblaming. I already know it’s my fault; he doesn’t have to rub it in. She’s a dog, not a wolf. She’s not talking to you because she can’t. But my own explanation sounds… wrong.
There’s no way that husky is a normal dog.
LUCAS
Selene follows us to the Blackwood pack lands, only veering off once we get close to Ava’s family home.
She refuses to listen when I try to herd her back in the direction of the alpha’s home, slipping around my besotted wolf to trot her way into the front yard, inspecting every inch.
She won’t talk to me, my wolf whines pathetically in my head.
Fuck, is that what I sound like when I complain to him?
I hope not. He sounds like a lovesick teenager.
Why won’t she speak to me? It must be your fault. She’s mad at you. I told you not to reject our mate.
Again, with the meblaming. I already know it’s my fault; he doesn’t have to rub it in. She’s a dog, not a wolf. She’s not talking to you because she can’t. But my own explanation sounds… wrong.
There’s no way that husky is a normal dog.
She smells like a dog, but she doesn’t act like one.
Mate mate mate mate mate mate mate, he chants, following behind her with utmost devotion.
We’ve gotten more than a few stares from the shifters in the area, and whispers besides. None of them know why we’re stalking a halfstarved domestic dog in wolf lands.
I can’t blame them for their curiosity, but I want to rip all their throats out for even questioning Selene’s presence here.
My wolf growls in agreement, and Selene suddenly looks back at us with a distinct look of disapproval. Is that possible?
She just looks like a dog, and yet every bit of her radiates her disapproval of our frustration with the onlookers.
There’s an enforcer watching us. One of mine. You. Go open the doors for her. Every single one. I’m not sure what she’s looking for, but let her search.
Understood, he acknowledges, immediately jogging for the door.
My wolf snarls when he gets a little too close to the husky, but he’s already used to our bad temper and continues on, opening the unlocked door.
The house is under guard at all times, so there’s not need to keep it locked.
Selene stalks forward with purpose, her fluffy white tail held high, her hackles bristling. Iceblue eyes narrow as she sniffs the entryway rug, a low snarl rumbling in her throat.
She’s angry, my wolf observes with concern. Why is she angry? Is she hurt? What’s wrong?
Selene whips her head up to glare at me. Did she hear that? Her lips pull back, revealing sharp white teeth as she growls again, the sound echoing off the high ceilings.
My wolf lowers his head and whines, his ears flattening back. Sorry, sorry. Don’t be mad. We’re here to help.
I snort inwardly. She’s a dog, remember? She can’t understand you.
Shut up, stupid human, my wolf snaps at me. Our mate is upset. We have to fix it.
Our mate? I shake my head. She’s not our mate. Ava is. This is just a dog. Ava’s dog, but still.
She’s determined to find something, based on the way she’s sniffing every inch of the entryway. What does she smell?
I lower my nose to the hardwood, inhaling deeply. Bleach, pinescented cleaner, the musty smell of the rug. Traces of Ava’s scent, honey and orange blossoms, along with the bitter tang of her fear. It raises my hackles, even now.
But nothing unusual. Nothing that would warrant Selene’s intense reaction.
Her nose must be inferior to ours, I muse. She’s a dog, after all. Our senses are far more acute.
Shut up, my wolf snarls, startling me with his vehemence. Selene is perfect. She’s not inferior to anyone.
His anger takes me aback. He’s not usually this hostile when he’s angry with me. Annoyed, sure. Frustrated, definitely. But this is new.
We follow Selene through the house, my wolf’s fannination with har hahavior amouine at mu mind Che huffs and grumbles as she investigates each room, her demeanor far too intelligent for a mere dog. It’s unsettling.
When we reach Ava’s bedroom, Selene’s agitation peaks. She leaps onto the bed, rolling and whining amidst the sheets. I can’t help but take a deep breath, Ava’s scent flooding my senses. Honey and orange blossoms, tinged with the faint trace of her fear. It makes my heart ache.