Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 78 Ava: An Old Enemy

The terror that had grippedso tightly finally begins to loosen its hold, washed away by the exhilarating rush

of my feet pounding against the ground, the world flying past in my periphery.

It's a simple rhythm.

One foot in front of the other.

Vault over an obstacle. Veer to avoid a tree.

The wind against my skin is harsh, like a thousand icy whips snapping against my cheeks. But the pain is almost

euphoric.

My feet pound against the forest floor, each step fueling the fire of freedom burning within me.

It's a feeling unlike anything I've ever experienced—raw power, an almost frenetic energy, thrumming through

my body with an intensity that steals my breath away. The trees zoom past in blurs of shadow.

| can hear the wolves keeping pace beside me, their breaths ragged growls that harmonize with the frantic beat

of my heart. My unnatural speed helpskeep pace. I'm not faster than they are, but I'm far faster than their

human forms.

They probably have questions.

I don't know how to answer them.

But, that's for another time. Right now, we need this.

There's no fear now, no uncertainty. Only an overwhelming sense of freedom so pure and intoxicating that | want

to lose myself in it forever. | am unleashed, unchained—a force of nature given form.

My lungs burn with the effort, but I don't slow. Can't slow. This is what it means to be truly alive, to embrace

what dwells within me. To hell with being human; right now, I am so much more.

The trees begin to thin, and through the gaps | can see the faint glow of distant lights. Civilization. Safety. My

throat tightens with a sudden surge of emotion—hope, relief, gratitude. I'm going to make it. After everything,

I'm finally going to escape this nightmare.

A piercing howl shatters the night, closer than before. My heart stutters, but | don't falter.

| have wolves beside me. Wolves willing to risk their lives by entering enemy territory to find me.

The last of the trees falls away, revealing the city of White Peak. An hour's drive has taken much longer on foot.

A breathless laugh escapesas | pour on even more speed, reveling in the rush.

I'm so close. So damn close.

Another howl, this one laced with a chilling resonance that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The wolves

are gaining, closing the distance with every second. | can sense their urgency, their hunger.

They've found us. | can tell by how Lucas and Vester crowd into me, teeth bared and hackles up.

| let the power withinsurge, a tidal wave of energy that propelsforward with impossible velocity. The city

is closer with every passing heartbeat, the details sharpening.

Something slams intofrom the side, a massive force that drives the air from my lungs and sends me

tumbling across the uneven ground. | scramble for purchase, fingernails scrabbling against the dirt and rocks as |

fight to stop my momentum.

The world explodes into snarls and growls, of vicious, inhuman noises torn from the vocal chords of wolves.

When I finally grind to a halt, I'm breathless and disoriented, the world spinning around me. Twigs and leaves

cling to my hair, my palms stinging from the impact. | blink tears from my eyes, struggling to make sense of

what just happened.

There are shadows everywhere, glints of white teeth in the darkness, and eerie shrieks of pain interspersed

between the rumbles. Fur and fangs clash in a frenzied melee, a tangle of snarling beasts. Their forms are

indistinguishable from one another.

Massive jaws snap mere inches from vulnerable flesh, saliva flying in glistening arcs. The ground trembles with

the force of their collisions, each impact punctuated by deep, guttural growls that reverberate through my

bones. The scent of earth and rage hangs thick in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.

In the chaos, | catch fleeting glimpses of familiar wolf faces. But they are mere flashes, lost in an instant as the

battle rages on.

And then | have something far worse to worry about.

| scramble backward, my hands clawing at the earth as a familiar wolf emerges from the shadows, its golden

eyes locked onwith an intensity that chillsto the core. The raw hunger in that gaze is unmistakable—a

predator sizing up its prey.

All the power that had surged through my veins mere moments ago has evaporated, leavingfeeling weak

and sluggish in its wake. The euphoria of my newfound freedom has been replaced by a visceral terror that

seizes my lungs, making each breath a struggle.

Todd Mason's wolf is an average-sized wolf, but still menacing to someone who can't shift. I've seen him

hundreds of times through the years. I'd never mistake him for another.

He stalks towardwith a menacing silence that's somehow more terrifying than any snarl or growl. The air

around him is filled with the energy of barely restrained violence, a promise of brutality in past and present.

There's a predatory gleam in his wolf-yellow eyes that seems to strip away every last shred of my humanity,

reducingto nothing more than a trembling rabbit for dinner.

Terror dries my mouth as he prowls ever closer. If he were human, | could envision the arrogant smirk that would

be curving his lips right now, the wild look in his eyes that mirrors that of his wolf so accurately.

The rough bark of a tree collides with my back, halting my retreat. I'm trapped. Lucas is fighting off a number of

wolves. | can't call out to him.

The sounds of the battle raging around us fade into a distant murmur, the world narrowing to this single,

horrifying moment.

Todd pauses, his muzzle wrinkling as he scents the air. My fear has probably soaked this area in its scent,

something he's always delighted in. A low rumble builds in his chest, a sound that reverberates through my

bones and sets my nerves on edge with frittering panic.

| want to scream, to cry out for Lucas or Vester or anyone who can savefrom this nightmare, but the terror

has robbedof my voice.

I'm mute.

Helpless.

His muscles bunch, his haunches tensed as he prepares to pounce, and | finally regain sof my senses.

I'm not helpless.

I'm not powerless.

| can defend myself.

I've trained for this.

I am not a victim of this circumstance.

I slide my hand into my pocket, willing my fingers to stop shaking as | grab the pocket knife I'd placed into it

hours before.

word

word

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