Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
Lisa’s face brightens instantly, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. “Really? You mean it?”
Kellan nods again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Really. But I mean it about staying put. No exceptions. Especially as Alpha Westwood is gone again.” He’s back in the Blackwood territory, dealing with things that happened while I was hospitalized.
Selene barks her approval, her tail thumping against the floor in a steady rhythm. I can feel her excitement thrumming through our bond, a warm pulse of energy that makes me feel lighter than I have in days.
I share a highfive with Lisa, our palms connecting with a satisfying smack. We did it, I tell Selene mentally, my thoughts tinged with triumph. We finally get some time to ourselves.
Selene woofs softly in response, her agreement clear. We need to talk, Ava. There’s so much I need to tell you.
I nod, my heart skipping a beat at the seriousness in her tone. I know. We will. Tomorrow; when Kellan’s gone.
Lisa’s already chattering away, making plans for our afternoon of freedom. “We can watch movies, and order in food, and just relax for once. Oh! And we can finally have that girl talk we’ve been meaning to have.” She waggles her eyebrows at me, her grin turning sly.
I feel my cheeks heat, knowing exactly what kind of “girl talk” she has in mind. The kind that involves a certain alpha and the complicated tangle of feelings I have for him.
Kellan clears his throat, drawing our attention back to him. “I’m trusting you two,” he says, his tone serious. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“We won’t,” I promise, meaning it with every fiber of my being. “And Kellan? Thank you. Seriously.”
He nods his expression softening. “You’re welcome.
)
Ava. I know this hasn’t been easy for you. For either of you.” He glances at Lisa, including her in his words.
Lisa’s smile is genuine, all traces of her earlier annoyance gone. “Thanks, Kellan. We appreciate it. More than you know.”
Kellan ducks his head, looking almost bashful at the praise. “Yeah, well. Don’t get used to it. I’m still your bodyguard, after all.”
I laugh, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep inside me. It feels good to laugh, to feel something other than the constant weight of worry and fear.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I say, my tone teasing. “We know you’re a tough guy, Kellan. No need to remind us.”
The good thing about Lisa’s apartment is that it’s soundproof.
That means, with Kellan gone, we can talk to our heart’s content.
Which is exactly what we do, as I fill Lisa in on what I experienced while I was unconscious. Lisa looks confused.
“I know I’m a human, but that doesn’t sound like wolf is emerging. It sounds unrelated to wolves entirely.”
your
Precisely, Selene says, her tone approving. She likes
Lisa.
“Selene agrees,” I translate for Lisa.
It is an awakening, but not of your wolf. She snorts and gives a quick shake of her head. I’m already awake.
I laugh, and Lisa looks at me with a questioning stare.
So, of course, I tell her.
It’s unfortunate she can’t hear Selene.
“She’s funny,” Lisa remarks, petting Selene’s ears. Despite knowing the dog in front of her is a wolf on the inside, she hasn’t stopped treating Selene as a lovable husky.
“So, an awakening of what, exactly?”
Your powers, she says, her words terse. The necklace will do no good for you now. The ring, too. You’ve grown too powerful. It’s time to train before you get yourself killed.
Oh.
That doesn’t sound good.
It does not, she confirms grimly. Unfortunately, I don’t know where we can go for tutelage.
“Okay, so I have to learn on my own then.”
That carries great risk.
The grimace that twists my face has Lisa’s eyes bouncing between me and Selene, but she sits patiently, waiting for the summary.
“Isn’t it risky for me to just do nothing? I was in a coma for three weeks. Isn’t that bad enough?”
Selene groans, her ears flicking. Even so…
“How hard can it be?”
Hard, she informs me. Do you even know how to access your power?
Come to think of itno.
Do you know what it does?
Also no.
Do you know its limitations?
Nope to that, too.
Slumping against the couch, I stare at the ceiling. “This is pointless. What am I going to do?”
“About what?” Lisa finally asks, nearly bursting with curiosity.
After a quick explanation, she squints her eyes at me with a doubtful stare. “What about Sister Miriam?”
Selene perks up. Who is Sister Miriam? Is she a vampire?
“Vampire?!” I stare at Selene in shock. “Why would you think she’s a vampire?”
Vampires usually name themselves as if they’re part of a church. Brother, Sister, Father, Mother.
That’s just bizarre.
Rubbing my eyebrow, I think back to Sister Miriam. Of the way my mother reacted to her presence. Of her bizarre behavior and unsettling gaze:
“Yeah, she might be a vampire.” She’s definitely something, anyway.
Selene cocks her head. It is possible she may know something. But it is also possible she will try to kill you.
“She seemed pretty interested in me when we met.”
That is good. Vampires like interesting things. They eat boring things.
That’s a thought I never wanted to have in my head.
“Vampire?” Lisa questions after I fill her in again. “How would a vampire know anything about a shifter like you?”
They are very longlived, and share their knowledge in their community. Despite popular opinion, they are not evil or terrifying. Just finicky.
Selene’s definition of finicky seems to be a little off. “You just said she might try to kill me, and that vampires eat boring things.”
Yes.
In
“That doesn’t sound like finicky is a great way to describe them.”
She tilts her head again. No, it is proper