Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 18

LUCAS 

The frost of winter thaws, giving way to the brisk air of spring. The days drag on, each moment blurring into the next as my frustration builds. Weeks have passed since that fateful night at the Lunar Gala, and still, the

Blackwood Pack’s intentions remain shrouded in

mystery, even with summer peeking around the corner. My wolf paces restlessly within me, yearning for answers, for action, for her. 

My obsession grows.

I slam my fist on the desk, the impact reverberating through the room. Kellan, ever the loyal beta, barely flinches. He knows better than to disturb me when I’m

like this, consumed by the need to unravel the web of

secrets that surrounds us.

A missive arrived last week from Alpha Blackwood, a terse notification that his beta’s daughter, Jessa Grey, would be attending the local university here in Granite City. The balls on that asshole, sending her into our territory without so much as a proper request for

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permission. It’s an unspoken rule among our kind, a courtesy extended to the ruling pack when an outsider plans to stay within their domain.

I can’t help but wonder if this is another ploy, another move in the twisted game that Blackwood seems intent on playing. Jessa’s presence here, so close to the heart of our pack, sets my teeth on edge. What secrets does she carry? What lies will she spin to further her alpha’s agenda?

My thoughts drift naturally to her, the girl who haunts my every waking moment. Ava. The memory of her scent, her touch, the way she surrendered to me in the garden–it’s seared into my very being. And yet, my hatred grows by the day.

I push myself away from the desk, pacing the length of my office like a caged beast. The cool air brought in by an open window does little to soothe my restless

spirit. I need answers.

“Kellan,” I bark, my voice slicing through the silence. “I want eyes on Jessa Grey the moment she sets foot in Granite City. I want to know her every move, every breath she takes. And if you find even a whisper of information about her sister…”

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18 Lucas: Realization (1)

I leave the sentence hanging, the implication clear. Kellan nods, his expression grim. He understands the gravity of the situation, the weight that rests upon our shoulders.

The silence stretches between us as I once again contemplate the possible motives behind the Blackwood Pack’s actions, like we have a thousand times. But this time, I let my mind linger on Ava. On the garden. On that scent that I can never forget and how there was something different about it all. My mind races, trying to piece together the fragments of information we’ve gathered.

“What if they’ve developed some kind of pheromone enhancer?” I muse aloud, my eyes focused on something beyond the walls of this room. “A way to force a mate connection, to manipulate the bond between wolves.”

Kellan frowns, shaking his head. “I don’t know, Lucas. When I met Ava that night, I didn’t sense anything unusual. No hint of artificial pheromones or

manipulation.”

I scoff, turning to face him. “She probably applied it in the garden, knowing I was watching her. It’s the

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perfect setup, don’t you see? Lure me in, make me believe there’s a connection, and then use that to gain a foothold in our pack.”

Kellan hesitates, his brow furrowed in thought. “I suppose that’s possible, but her relationship with her family seemed strained. The way they interacted, the tension between them, wasn’t faked. It didn’t feel like a