Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 343

Ivy and her people are settled into a place of their own, and I’m left feeling awkwardly unbalanced between trusting her and feeling like I can’t.

Lucas doesn’t seem to have the same misgivings, and—despite Selene’s soft growls in my head—I leave him to handle the Aspen wolves, resolving to talk to him later.

It doesn’t feel like the issues with Ivy will be detrimental to the pack or cause issues with our alliance with Aspen, but it’s not something I want to ignore, either.

She’s a strange one, Selene murmurs.

Grimoire sounds thoughtful. She seems to have a great amount of power and respect in her pack. Perhaps she had always hoped to mate another alpha and become Luna, rather than an alpha’s sister.

"Maybe." Heading toward the gnome’s cabin, I add, "She was strange before Lucas ever entered the picture, though."

Yes, when you mated with the Aspen alpha.

My feet stumble over nothing. "I didn’t mate with him. I was in heat."

He marked you, Grimoire points out. That’s mating. Though you’re lucky it didn’t take.

It’s a grim reminder of a dark past I really don’t want to think about. "Let’s move on from this topic."

It didn’t take because we are stronger, Selene says, proudly ignoring my request. She is only matched by our Alpha.

Her smug tone irks me. "You hated him, remember? I distinctly recall you making snide remarks and encouraging me to sleep with—"

The past is the past, she mutters, and I can practically feel her metaphorical tail tucked between her legs.

Oh, so the all-knowing wolf is capable of mistakes? Grimoire sounds positively gleeful at this new knowledge of Selene’s past. She isn’t perfect after all?

Shut up, book. All you have is theory with no real life experience. You’ve lived between pages all your life.

Better than a wolf who pretends to know everything when she doesn’t.

My head aches with their back and forth, and I slip into the gnome’s cabin after a quick knock. "Hello? Dr. Blackwell?"

The Grand Sage’s head pops up over a pile of gadgets and gizmos on his dining table, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Ava! Just the witch I wanted to see!"

His enthusiasm is infectious, and I can’t help but smile back. "Hello, Dr. Blackwell. How’s the prototype coming along?"

"Oh, my dear, you wouldn’t believe the progress we’ve made!" He waves an arm wildly around to gesture at everything, nearly knocking over a precariously balanced stack of papers. A few flutter to the ground.

I don’t even know where he’s gotten that much paper from. It must have come from one of the supply runs. Everyone wants to help Dr. Blackwell, though most wolves are confused about who he is and why he’s so important.

"Come, come, let me show you!"

I carefully navigate around the clutter, glancing over the (presumably) organized chaos. The dining table, once a place for meals, now serves as a workbench for the Grand Sage’s work.

"So, where are we at with the magic watch?" I ask, genuinely curious about his work.

Dr. Blackwell’s eyes light up, and he launches into an explanation that leaves my head spinning. "Well, you see, we’ve successfully integrated the quartz magic batteries you provided into the basic digital watch structure. The energy conversion rate is remarkable! We’re achieving a 98.7% efficiency in translating magical energy into usable power for the device."

I nod, trying to follow along. "That sounds... impressive?"

"Oh, it is!" He beams, picking up what looks like a normal digital watch. "We’ve managed to create a stable magical field within the watch casing, which allows for the storage and manipulation of magical energies without interfering with the electronic components."

He points to various parts of the watch as he speaks, his excitement palpable. "The crystal display now serves a dual purpose - not only does it show the time, but it also acts as a focal point for magical energy projection. This is what will allow for long-distance communication."

"That’s amazing," I say, genuinely impressed by the words I’m not fully understanding. "So, what’s the hold-up?"