Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 476

Chapter 476: Ava: War Council

Vester stands near the main table with Vanessa beside him, poring over the map in front of him. She listens quietly, one hand resting low over her abdomen. It’s subtle, but I notice the protective way her fingers curl there. Her expression’s tight, unreadable, but I can feel the tension coming off her.

Across the room, Magister Orion speaks softly with Heize. The other Fae’s arms are folded, but his stance is alert, eyes flicking toward every noise outside the tent. The Grand Sage stands beside them, his wizened face unreadable as he strokes at his long beard. They’re discussing what additional protections can be layered around Wolf’s Landing, and I’m grateful—again—for them all.

If I was the only one here... our defenses would be paltry at best.

Not paltry, Grimoire protests. I would have helped.

True.

I don’t pace. I want to, but I make myself stay still, seated just off-center from the map. Everyone’s here already except Lucas. The air is thick—not just with strategy, but with something worse. Everyone’s pretending we’re not two inches from a battlefield.

Outside, someone drops a crate. The sharp, sudden clatter makes the whole tent flinch—but no one says anything. The silence after is louder than the sound itself.

But I can feel it. The entire outpost already knows.

They’ve heard.

Rumors spread faster than any official report ever can. Word’s already out—an attack is coming, maybe within days. The mood out there is deceptively calm, but it’s not peace. It’s prep. The kind where people are choosing what goes and what stays.

Vulnerable residents—kids, the sick, anyone too weak to fight—have already been moved. They’re in the hospital shelter, reinforced after the dream-eater attack. The Fae helped dig out a second escape route, just in case, utilizing their magic.

I try not to think about how "just in case" turned into "just in time."

Vester taps the map again, and I shake off my bleak musings to tune in. "Here," he says. "I think this is it."

He circles a patch of land that looks deceptively plain. There are too few markings in the area. Nothing’s ever been seen or notated.

"It’s like they’ve kept it invisible," I murmur.

He nods. "It’s around the right area, but I can’t recall anything about this place. We have no incidents in the general area. It’s enough to be concerning. If the vampire’s correct about their location, this is the most likely spot."

Vanessa doesn’t say anything, but I see the crease between her brows deepen. Vester’s finger taps the same spot again. "I’ve sent one scout. I don’t want to risk more."

He sounds almost apologetic; it’s technically overstepping to have sent someone out without prior approval, but it isn’t like I’m about to complain. This is the kind of thing I can’t handle. I don’t have the experience or training or understanding to plot out a mission like this.

"If you hear back, I want to be notified immediately."

He nods without hesitation. "Of course."

The tent flap opens and Lucas walks in, Clayton on his heels. I blink, a little startled to see the Aspen alpha; I’d kind of forgotten he was even here.

They both have identically grim expressions.

My eyes catch on the gun at Lucas’s hip before I even register the rest of him. He’s already in full combat gear—jacket, boots, and a no-nonsense walk, practically screaming how we’re past strategy and into execution.

Shifters don’t usually carry guns.

Selene’s voice brushes through me, dry and unimpressed. There’s usually one. You just don’t look for them. At least one guard either has one in a concealed holster or in one of the bags they carry with them when shifted.

My gaze lingers on the weapon anyway. Its existence somehow makes this all so much more real. And dangerous. Terrifying.

Lucas walks straight to the table and nods once. "I’ve heard everything."

I nod back. Tightly. I want to reach for him—squeeze my arms around him and savor in his presence, relying on his safety—but there’s no room for that here. Alpha and Luna, preparing for war. It isn’t time for my weaknesses to be on display.

Selene rests her head on my knee, giving me comfort.

He turns to Vester immediately. "Tell me about the terrain."

And just like that, the two of them are drawn into a whole different conversation—talking through sightlines, potential ambush points, areas of cover. Vanessa stands beside them, one hand still protectively curled on her stomach. Vester wraps an arm around her without missing a beat. She leans slightly into him, but stays quiet.

Clayton’s the one who breaks rhythm. "If we pull too many from Wolf’s Landing, we leave ourselves open. Are we sure about this source?"

Lucas glances at me.

I jerk a little, surprised to be included, but give a quick nod. "We trust them."

He echoes it without hesitation. "We do."

There are.

Selene’s practically vibrating beside me. She’s been quiet, watching, waiting, with muscles tense and hackles high. It will be a long night, she reminds me. Take some of your energy stones with you.

Grimoire speaks quietly as the men continue speaking tactics. This will be harder than the other times, Ava. You were always reacting then, in the thick of danger. This time, you’re striking first. There’s a difference.

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