Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 59

59 Ava: Homecoming (I) 

When I walk downstairs, Phoenix is hanging up the phone. It strikes me how much I’ve changed when I realize I have no curiosity, no spark to ask who he was talking to.

I don’t care.

It’s either related to me in a way that isn’t going to be pleasant, or it will have nothing to do with me. That’s it. Those are the two options.

I have no urge to grow closer to the asshole who shares my genetics, so I don’t ask.

Instead, I plan.

I won’t be able to escape right away. I’m not even sure how I can escape. I have no money, no phone, no

contact with the outside world. But now that I’ve been

out there? Now that I’ve been on my own?

It doesn’t seem as impossible as it did when I lived

here.

If I just have a chance, I’ll take it.

“Some of the guys will be coming by to watch over

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59 Ava: Homecoming (1)

you,” Phoenix announces, coming by to sniff at me. “Don’t start anything. There’s plenty in the fridge, so just make something for dinner. Don’t forget that Alpha Renard is coming.”

Hah. So not only have I been dragged home, now I have to make them dinner?

No, thank you.

I ignore Phoenix to plop down on the worn couch, reaching for the remote. The soft fabric smells like the artificial scent of clean linen. A scent I’ve grown to despise over the years.

Phoenix lingers nearby, his frown deepening as I lazily flip through channels. I can feel the weight of his gaze, disapproval radiating off him in waves. He’s struggling, I can tell. Part of him wants to chew me out like the disappointment I am. The other part is trying to play nice, to lull me into a false sense of security for whatever twisted game he’s playing.

I don’t give him the satisfaction of acknowledging either side. My eyes remain glued to the TV as I rapidly cycle through channels, a kaleidoscope of colors and noise filling the living room.

12:38

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59 Ava: Homecoming (1)

Then, a familiar scene catches my eye. A hunky male lead with tousled hair and a roguish grin. The over–the–top soundtrack swelling with orchestral passion as the camera pans over his chiseled torso.

It’s the same cheesy shifter romance Selene had been obsessed with at the apartment.

The ache in my chest sharpens as I take it all in, judging it clinically in my head to try to stop the feelings from overwhelming my heart. Terrible acting. Melodramatic plot. Cringeworthy dialogue. A lump forms in my throat, grief threatening to overwhelm

1. me. 

On the screen, the alpha hero cups the face of his trembling omega mate, his eyes smoldering with an intensity that could set the screen on fire. “I will never choose her,” he growls, his voice a deep rumble that is probably sending thousands of women across the country into a dramatic swoon. “And I will never let

you go.

I nearly choke on a bitter laugh. If only my life was as simple as worrying that my mate would want another

woman.

12:38

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A sharp knock sounds on the door. I try not to tense as Phoenix opens the door, but my body betrays me. The scent of a familiar, nausea–inducing wolf washes over me, thick and musky with undertones of sweat and aggression. My heart pounds against my ribcage as if begging to be let out.

59 Ava: Homecoming (1)