Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 324

324 Ava: Luna’s First Trial (III) 

The main lodge is a humble log cabin with an open layout that somehow manages to feel both spacious and cozy. Exposed wooden beams stretch across the ceiling, and a massive stone fireplace dominates one wall. The furniture is simple but sturdy–all handcrafted, I’d bet. 

There’s a raised platform where I stand, and plenty of space for people to stand. 

There are no rooms. No kitchens. I think they even said there isn’t a bathroom. 

I tug at the hem of my black shirt, which hangs a bit loose on my frame. The jeans I’m wearing are slightly too big as well, but they’re the best I could find on short notice. My hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail, practical if not particularly stylish. 

Not glamorous. Not intimidating. The best I managed to aim for is clean and presentable. Hopefully it’s enough. 

My fingers tap an anxious rhythm against my thighs as I watch shifters file into the room. 

Calm down, Selene’s voice echoes in my mind. You’re radiating anxiety. They can pick up on it. 

They can probably smell it. 

Yes. 

Ugh. 

Straightening my shoulders a little further, I clasp my hands behind my back, trying to look confident and no–nonsense. Like I’m a leader, and not someone just fumbling around in this Luna 

role. Damn it. I want an instruction book. 

No such thing, Grimoire says cheerfully. You’ll have to make it up as you go along. 

I liked it better when he was a book who couldn’t talk to me at will. 

That’s cruel. (2) 

But honest. 

Selene stands beside me, ears pricked forward as she watches more wolves enter. They all incline their heads slightly as they pass us. 

They’re showing respect, Selene explains. They’ve all greeted you through the pack bond. 

A twinge of jealousy shoots through me. “I can’t hear it, I murmur, keeping my voice low. 

It shouldn’t be impossible for you to hear, Selene replies, sounding thoughtful. I have some ideas. 

Grimoire’s presence stirs in my mind. I agree. We’ll work on that, little witch. 

My heart does a little somersault. The idea of having a real pack bond, where I can communicate with other wolves, is a dream I’ve had since I was a young girl. 

I long ago gave up on it, but if it’s possible… 

Vester clears his throat beside me. Delta Ryder, Vanessa’s brother, leads several wolf shifters into the lodge, some sporting fading bruises. None are bound. All walk in line as if being 

$11.00 

324 Ava: Luna’s First Trial (III) 

marched. 

This is it. The moment of truth. 

Well–not exactly truth. I guess it’s more of a moment I try to pull wool over the eyes of my own people. 

I straighten my posture, trying to project an air of authority I don’t quite feel. Vester steps forward, his voice carrying easily through the room as he begins to introduce the wolves before 

1. us. 

The charges–for lack of a better word–are laid out simply. 

Vester’s voice rings clear through the lodge as he lists the charges. “Unprovoked aggression, destruction of pack property, and endangerment of pack members.” 

The terms all sound horrible and vicious, even though I know everyone’s a victim. I keep my face carefully neutral, but a bead of sweat trickles down the back of my neck. 

The first wolf, a burly man with a fading bruise on his jaw, steps forward. Vester addresses him directly. “Jerrod, explain your actions on the night in question.” 

Jerrod shifts his weight, his eyes darting between Vester and me. “It wasn’t unprovoked,” he growls. “That bastard Will’s been running his mouth, saying our Alpha’s gone soft. That we’re weak now.” His fists clench’at his sides. “I couldn’t let that stand.” 

I feel a vague ripple go through the crowd. People are standing a little straighter, listening a little more intently. 

It’s a hot topic. 

Vester nods, his face unreadable. “William, your response?” 

A leaner wolf with a split lip steps forward, his shoulders drooped in shame. “I apologize, Luna. I don’t know what came over me. My friends can tell you, I only drank one beer. We’re all limited to one, you know.” 

to 

I nod, even though I didn’t know. “Go on.” 

“It’s like I got drunk right off it. Like I’d been slamming shots all night. I don’t know what came over me. I can’t even really remember it clearly.” 

Vester nods and moves to the next wolf. 

One by one, their stories unfold, each eerily similar to the last. The words blur together, a chorus of confusion and regret. 

“It came out of nowhere…” 

“I felt drunk, but I’d barely had anything…” 

“I was looking for a fight, and I don’t know why…” 

“When I came to my senses, I couldn’t understand what I’d done…” 

Vester’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Luna Ava, how do you judge these actions?” 

11:00 

324 Ava: Luna’s First Trial (III) 

looking to for judgment.