Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 419

Our strange captive never does wake, and we drag them on a makeshift sled. Kellan and the others make do with some long, willowy branches and armfuls of pine.

Practical skills like this are so much more impressive to me than conjuring fire out of nothing.

Really thought we'd run into the intruders out here. It's strange there's nothing.

Selene's musings almost have me tripping over my feet, and Kellan glances over his shoulder in concern.

I wave him off with a weak smile.

You mean this person isn't the reason they went off?

Selene and Grimoire are quiet.

When they're intentionally silent like this, their lack of noise has a heavier weight in my head.

My silver husky looks up from my side, and I swear her pale blue eyes are digging their disappointment straight into my stupid brain. You thought this one was responsible for the alarms?

Grimoire adds, The wards are quite a distance from camp. For all of them to go off at once, do you really think a single being could do it?

Okay. Okay, look. Maybe it was the epitome of stupidity to think that—

It was, the book confirms without hesitation.

But seriously, two epic situations at the same time? Who expects that?

Literally every wolf surrounding us at the moment, mine says. I thought you were waiting to hear from the scouts. I didn't realize you left your brain back at the hospital.

Of course. Damn it. All that hyping myself up about being a responsible and capable Luna—

She's spiraling again, Grimoire observes. Should I tell her this is an inappropriate time?

She can hear you just fine.

My groan this time isn't over their interaction. It's at me, myself, and I.

You aren't used to dealing with these kind of emergency situations, Selene offers, her attempt at understanding ringing inauthentic. You aren't trained the way they are. It's understandable you would let down your guard.

Grimoire grunts. So we lie to her now? Is that acceptable?

All right. No spiraling. No self-flagellating. Focus, focus, focus. My inexperience isn't an excuse when lives are at stake. Move on and forward.

Multiple alarms plus strange attack by strange being plus missing Ivy. Three separate, possibly related but right now separate issues. I need to figure them out instead of relying on Kellan to do it for me.

Jogging up to catch up to the eternally polite, angry beta, I hope no one else has noticed my incredible lack of self-preservation. Of pack-preservation.

"Has anyone reported back from the perimeter?"

"No signs of intrusion detected yet." Kellan's voice maintains that crisp, professional tone that cuts worse than any angry outburst. It's not quite similar to my mother's cold distance, but it makes me feel just as small. "All of Wolf's Landing remains on high alert. We will find them, Luna."

Curious that they haven't struck, Grimoire muses. We are quite exposed out here.

It isn't that easy to find someone, even in a mile's radius. A single mile can be impossibly large when someone is hiding from detection. Selene breaks off from my side, trotting further ahead. There is a lot more than a single mile to check. We could be quite far from any of them, or they can be watching us now. That's why we must remain vigilant.

Grimoire doesn't respond, but his mental presence remains thoughtful.

Her words make sense, but I'm with Grimoire. Whoever's tripped our perimeter alarms has a reason for doing so. Wouldn't they be on the hunt for any of us? And a giant group of us, slowed down by our unexpected baggage, would be a perfect target.

That is under the assumption you—or the pack—is their target. It could be anything. Keep your mind open, Ava. The scouts haven't found their trails yet. Not a single one. That suggests there isn't an army about to burn us to the ground.

My feet falter, and Kellan's hand lashes out to grab my arm, tugging me forward. He must have thought I was about to fall.

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

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