Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 416

416 /449

LUCAS

Something isn't right.

Maybe it's the smooth run through the night. Maybe it's the peace in the air. I'm so used to something coming around every corner these days; for plans to move without a single hiccup, it's no wonder my paranoia is on the rise.

The flat landscape stretches before us, an endless expanse of winter-kissed grass and scattered snow patches. My paws eat up the distance with practiced ease, though my mind wanders to the watch secured in the pack strapped to my back. One quick shift and I could check on Ava.

No. I promised myself I wouldn't hover.

Aurum rumbles in agreement, but a whine escapes him anyway. The scent of honey and vanilla has long faded, but lingers in our mind.

Soon, I promise him. We'll be back before you know it.

My wolf's restlessness mirrors my own. The territory ahead shouldn't be so bare, and I should be able to sense something with my pack link. Yet we've encountered nothing but empty plains and unsettling silence.

There's not a single sign of Ryder's passing.

Vester appears by my side, keeping our steady pace easily. We should have crossed paths with at least three different patrols by now.

His thoughts echo my own. We're close enough to Jericho's safe haven that I should sense him, should be able to reach out through our bond. But there's nothing beyond our small group.

We knew this was a possibility. We'll know more when we get closer. Any word from Vanessa?

His mate's reach is farther than mine. I'm not certain of its exact limitations, but I know she's messaged him at long distances in the past.

Nothing since well before dawn.

The sun beats down from its highest point, marking noon's arrival. We're maybe two hours out from our destination, but each step feels wrong.

Aurum's hackles rise as we cross a familiar marker—an old oak split by lightning. I haven't seen it myself, but its impression lies deep in my memory, given by my scouts.

There are no birds. No small game. Just the whisper of wind over crusted snow.

Something isn't right.

Agreed, Alpha. But I scent nothing. Not even his vampire friends.

That's what bothers me most. No trace of friend or foe. Just... emptiness.

Someone must have been through here in recent days. But not even a rabbit?

Nature shouldn't be this clean of life's traces. It's unrealistic.

Just keep your senses open.

Understood, Alpha.

Unnerved, my thoughts circle back to Ava. It's hard to shake this sense of dread, and the urge to shift and check in through the watch grows stronger with every thud of my paws against the snow.

But, I tell myself, she's capable. She's grown so much, changed so much, in a short time. The flight risk that was my mate has become a capable Luna, despite the responsibilities I've heaped onto her shoulders.

Aurum huffs. Our mate is strong. These responsibilities will not break her.

Flat ground gives way to rolling hills. We're close. There should be sentries. Signs of life.

Instead, there's more silence.

My muscles coil with tension as we press forward.

A breeze cuts across the plains, carrying with it a scent that stops us dead in our tracks. Aurum's nose lifts to the air, testing each note with growing unease.

Magic. It's an itchy smell, not clean and pure like Ava's. Something darker, like I'd imagine corruption to smell—not that the taint in our region has any scent, but if it did, I'd expect this.