Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 23 Ava: Paranoia and Secrets (IV)

| stare at Selene in shock, emotions roiling withinlike a sea at storm. Searing heat flushes my skin, beads of

sweat forming along my hairline. My legs tremble, the world tilting precariously, and | clutch at Selene's fur, her

solid presence the only thing anchoring me.

"Are you..." | swallow thickly, the words catching in my throat. "Are you my wolf?"

The question seems absurd even as it leaves my lips, defying all logic and reason. And yet, as Selene preens, her

gaze gleaming with an intelligence that transcends any mere dog, a hysterical giggle bubbles up from deep

within me.

"My wolf is a husky," | wheeze between breathless peals of laughter. "How does this even happen?"

Selene's ears flatten against her skull, and she emits a low growl, her displeasure rippling through our newfound

connection like a physical force. | am not a husky, her voice echoes in my mind, resolute and unyielding.

The laughter dies on my lips as abruptly as it began, and | gape at her, struggling to reconcile the reality before

me. "But... you look like one."

Appearances can be deceiving, my human. There's a hint of amusement in her tone now, as if she's enjoying my

bewilderment. | am a wolf, through and through. This form is merely a vessel, a guise to helpblend in among

your kind.

My brow furrows as | study her. Nope. Still a husky.

"Why didn't you tellsooner?" The words cout harsher than | intend, tinged with a hint of accusation. If

my wolf had appeared, my life wouldn't have been so terrible. And maybe, at the Gala, | wouldn't have been—

No. No point thinking over things that have already happened.

Though I can't help glaring at my dog in accusation.

Selene regardssteadily, her eyes ancient and inscrutable. You were not ready, she says simply. Your path has

been a winding one, filled with obstacles and pain. But you were young, and they had too much power over you.

I suck in a sharp breath, her words striking a chord deep within me. The weight of my past—the isolation, the

rejection, the constant struggle to find my place—presses down upon me, and | sag against her, suddenly

exhausted.

Selene nuzzles my cheek, her warmth envelopinglike a comforting embrace. Now, you can embrace your

destiny, she murmurs. You have learned that you are strong, but you are more than you know, my human. And |

will be by your side every step of the way, guiding you toward the path you were always meant to walk.

| pat her fur, feeling the connection between us, marveling at its existence. | realize now that it's what's been

helpingget through it all. I can even feel how it's a wall shelteringfrom the pain of rejection. But more

importantly—

"Selene," | whimper, as pain shoots through my abdomen. I'm on fire. "Why does this hurt?"

Strength comes with a roar, and weakness comes with a whimper, Selene says, like that means anything at all.

"That doesn't explain anything," | wheeze between the worst cramps I've ever felt in my life.

Selene stands and trots away a few paces, looking behind her. Get up, little cub. We have a long way to go.

| groan. "Are you serious right now? | can't move. I'm just going to die here for a little while. Why'd you take me

so far from home?"

There is a place we need to be, she explains, and | can hear the patience in her words. Cnow.

| push to my feet with a groan, swaying with every step. "We should have taken an Uber."

Not for this. She stays just out of reach, leadingsomewhere. It isn't far now.

| follow Selene's lead, every step a torturous effort as pain lances through my abdomen. Sweating, vision blurring

—it feels impossible. But Selene's steady presence urgesforward.

The trees seem to close in around us, casting eerie shadows across our path. Selene navigates the darkness with

ease, her lithe form weaving through the undergrowth with a grace that belies her apparent husky exterior.

Just when | think I can go no further, the trees part to reveal a tiny clearing. The canopy above allows just a

glimpse of the night sky.

With a groan, | collapse onto a soft carpet of moss and fallen leaves, my body trembling. The pain intensifies,

threatening to consme from within. | curl into a ball, whimpering. Selene settles beside me, her warmth a

comforting presence.

"What's happening to me?" | rasp, my voice strained and hoarse.

Selene's eyes gleam in the dim light. You are becoming, she murmurs.

| grit my teeth, riding the waves of agony that wrack my body. Every fiber of my body feels as though it's being

torn asunder, only to be remade anew. Sweat soaks my clothes, my hair plastered to my skin.

Focus on my voice, she commands, her tone gentle.

Obeying her words, | cling to the sound of her voice, allowing it to anchoras the world arounddissolves

into a haze of pain and disorientation. The stars above blur and spin, the trees swaying in a dizzying dance.

Then, just when I think | can bear no more, the agony reaches a crescendo, a blinding flash of white-hot anguish

that steals my breath away. And in that moment, something within me... shifts.

Realizing what it is, | burst upright as soon as the pain begins to fade. | hold out my hands in excitement, holding

out my hands. Fur! Claws!

But no.

I'm still me.

Chipped coral nail polish, a burn on my right index finger from cooking, and skin that was once pale and has

finally achieved a light golden hue from the sun.

My shoulders slump. "I didn't shift."

Of course not. How can you shift when I'm not within you? Selene tilts her head atcuriously. Now, dig.

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