Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 371

LISA

Early morning is a bitch.

I’ve never really been lazy, exactly. Having to wake up early isn’t something that usually ruins my day. But there’s a huge difference between waking up in your apartment and driving to work or school, and waking up in the middle of your strange werewolf compound, dressing yourself in a thousand layers to keep warm, and leaving before the sun even rises—to spend hours trudging through snow.

Living out here gives me a hell of a lot more respect for those social media homestead influencers I’ve watched. It used to be vague fun to watch them make bread from scratch and gather their own milk while eating something I picked up from a drive-thru on the way home.

Living this life is…

Well.

It’s definitely a different experience.

And I don’t hate it. Most days.

But this morning, I’m seriously regretting begging Kellan to bring me along

Snow crunches under my boots with each labored step. My thighs burn, but I keep pushing forward, following the path Kellan’s long legs have carved through the deep drifts. The sled he’s dragging behind him mocks me, bouncing along behind him like it’s nothing.

No way am I sitting in that thing.

My breath comes out in harsh puffs of white vapor. The cold air stings my lungs, but I maintain my steady pace. Sure, I complain about the ungodly hour and arctic temperatures, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to wimp out.

It was my idea to come here. I need to prove I can handle it.

A flash of movement catches my eye as one of the refugee she-wolves pulls up beside me. She matches my plodding pace with effortless grace, barely breaking a sweat despite the freezing temperature.

"You’re doing amazing," she says, her voice warm and encouraging. "Most humans wouldn’t even attempt this."

"Thanks." I recognize her heart-shaped face and copper-colored curls from the newcomers who arrived last week. "Mira, right?"

"That’s me." Her smile brightens her whole face. "I have to say, I’m impressed. You’re keeping a solid pace."

My legs feel like they’re made of lead, but her words give me a boost of energy. "Trying to prove humans aren’t completely useless out here."

Her genuine laugh makes me smile.

"No one’s useless. Humans are just different. You guys deal more with technology. I locked myself out of my smartphone once. See? Different." Mira gives an exaggerated shrug.

"Which pack are you originally from?" I ask between breaths, genuinely curious about her background. Most refugees don’t volunteer information about their past unless asked directly. I guess Kellan and them know where they’re from, but they don’t tell me, anyway.

I have no idea how to differentiate between the packs. Maybe Ava knows how. I should ask.

"Silvermoon. I was a Westwood wolf before, though."

My foot catches in the snow, and I pitch forward with a yelp. Strong hands catch me before my face meets the ground, and it takes a second to get my legs properly settled.

All these thick layers make it impossible to move sometimes. Like a gazelle in four casts.

"You okay?" Mira steadies me, her grip firm but gentle.

"What do you mean, you were a Westwood wolf before?"

"My mate was from Silvermoon." A soft smile plays on her lips. "I moved there after we met. I was actually on my way to visit my parents in Westwood when everything happened."

"Oh." I brush snow off my pants, relief flooding through me. For a second, I thought she was some sort of defect and I was making friends with someone who might have a questionable past. "At least you get to spend time with your family now."

The moment the words leave my mouth, her smile vanishes. My stomach drops as I realize what I’ve done.

"Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—"