Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Three minutes of arguing. Three minutes of reports bombarding the pack link. Three minutes wasted.

Lisa's there. Kellan's already reported that. | try not to think about it; she has her bodyguards, who have orders

to get her out.

| sprint toward the hospital, lungs burning from the frigid air. But as fast as | run, Kellan's faster. He's already

there to face the carnage.

Something's wrong. This energy isn't right.

Grimoire's voice isn't tellinganything new. My magic is excited, dancing in my gut, desperate to lash out—

but when | try to reach for the strange presence in the hospital, my magic fizzles away.

It's reminiscent of the strange corruption in Ivy.

Obviously. It's her wolf. There's no other explanation.

"We can't assthat," | gasp out, wondering here all my physical conditioning has gone. Now that there's an

emergency and I'm sprinting at full speed, it's like I've never run before. My side already hurts, and | can't get

the right cadence. "Vanessa couldn't get eyes in the room."

The last word comes out on a high-pitched squeal as | stumble. One of my guards—I assume—grabs my arm and

yanksforward without ceremony, barely breaking stride as he does so.

It takes a second, but | regain my balance and bolt forward.

This is not the tto be clumsy and incompetent.

It feels like ages, but is only a few seconds later when the hospital comes into view.

A body lies crumpled near the entrance. The building is done for; half of the roof is collapsed. Several walls are

down.

The shadow-wolf towers over the hospital's entrance. Its form shifts and grows, like smoke given substance.

Even Aurum, the largest wolf I've ever known, would look small beside this monstrosity.

Can that really be Ivy's wolf?

Grimoire's frustration bleeds through our connection. My magic slides right off. But she's right there.

| reach for my own power, trying to sense what we're dealing with. Nothing. Even the non-magical elements

around us—the building, the ground, my pack—have ssort of existence that my magic can acknowledge.

The shadow wolf? It's like she—it—isn't there at all.

And yet there's all this destruction saying it is.

The shadow-wolf's head swings toward us, and unnaturally bright green eyes pinin place. Its mouth opens in

a silent snarl, revealing nothing but void.

More bodies litter the ground—wolves who tried to engage this thing directly. Their blood paints macabre

patterns in the snow.

The shadow-wolf takes a step forward. The ground doesn't crunch under its paw, though the darkness of its form

devours the sunlight that should reflect off the snow. It's wrong. Everything about it is wrong.

Wolves dive forward, but | can already see it. They can't do any damage. They're biting air.

Meanwhile, the shadow wolf swipes a single paw and three bodies go flying.

| don't care what my magic says. It's there. Killing people. My people.

Kellan dashes forward, with several others. But every strike, every snap, does nothing. It doesn't even get the

creature's attention.

No. That's all on me.

This is what true horror feels like—not the fear of what you can see, but the terror of facing something that

shouldn't exist at all.

How the fuck are we supposed to fight something like this?

We can't hurt it.

My magic can't even see it.

And it's coming straight for me.

My fingers tremble against Grimoire's leather binding, tucked securely into my messenger bag. Those eerie

green eyes bore into me, promising violence and death. The shadow-wolf's form ripples like ink in water, defying

reality itself.

Don't even think about it, Selene snaps in my head. You can't reach it with magic. You'll drain yourself for

nothing.

"There has to be something." My voice comes out steady despite my racing heart. "We can't just watch it kill

everyone."

I'm trying to understand what we're dealing with, Grimoire mutters. This isn't normal. It's like a void. An absence

where magic should be.

Another wolf charges the creature. Another body hits the snow with a sickening crunch. The metallic scent of

blood fills my nose, mixing with the crisp winter air.

My bodyguards press closer, muscles tense. Half of them are in wolf form now, fur bristling as they growl. The

others remain human. | have no idea what they're saying to each other; I just have to trust they know what

they're doing.

Several position themselves betweenand the monster.

The shadow-wolf takes a step toward me. Its massive form towers overhead, blocking out the weak winter sun.

Those green eyes never blink as they stare in my direction, and I'm pretty sure this monster is intelligent.

My magic swirls inside me, useless and frustrated. But | keep my gaze locked on those unnatural eyes.

Someone grabs my arms, trying to yankback, but my brain's already centered on a plan of action.

Not a great one. But is there such a thing as a great plan right now?

| only have one focus.

Minimize the damage.

This is suicide, Selene snarls.

"Maybe. But | won't watch any more of my pack die."

Ava, Grimoire's voice holds an edge of desperation, wait. Lettry to analyze—

"We don't have time."

More wolves are charging in. More lives at risk.

My lip curls as | stare into the creature's eyes, baring my teeth. "Hey!"

Whoever has my arm yanksback, but | surge forward a step. "Hey, you piece of shit! Try picking on someone

your own size!"

Okay. Yes, in the realm of talking shit... I'm not winning any awards.

For one, it makes no sense. The monster's clearly enormous, and I'm not.

For two, am | five?

But the shadow-wolf seems to tense and bristle, even if its body is made of black smoke.

It doesn't liketalking back.

| can feel Selene in my head, radiating panic and worry. But she stands by my side and growls at the monster,

who throws a few more bodies to the ground with an idle swipe of its tail.

The unnatural gaze flickers away from me, just for a moment. They focus on Selene.

"Enough," | say, and my voice carries across sudden silence. "You want me? Here | am."

"Ava! No!" Vanessa's voice is a shriek in the wind.

Then | do something that would be considered cowardly by any pack—in most circumstances.

| yank my arm out of my guard's grasp and bolt to the left. They're all thrown off by my sudden movement. I'm

not going toward danger, and I'm not retreating.

It might even seem like I'm running in a random direction.

But | already have a goal in mind.

This time, the moment my feet pound against the packed snow, | remember how to breathe. How to move my

feet. How to run without feeling like I'm dying.

My magic, so frustrated at its inability to interact with the strange magic it senses, blazes forth as soon as | call

for it, surging through my limbs in a way that's almost painful, before it settles into a warm, tingling hum in my

body.

The scenery aroundis little more than a blur as | focus on speed.

My guards can't keep up.

I'm not even sure Selene can.

But, judging by the prickling feeling on the back of my neck, the shadow wolf can. And is.

| don't have tto look behindand see. Only run.

You can't fight this on your own, Selene snaps in my head, and | can feel her terror.

I'm not alone. Grimoire's heavy weight thumps against my hip with every stride. Keep trying to contact Lucas. I'll

lead this thing as far as | can.

And hopefully not die.

Hopefully.

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