Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 428

LUCAS _{freeweɓnovel.cѳm}

If there's a button in the snow, there's a reason for it.

But there's still no hint of oncoming attack, leaving us all on edge. Is this another sick prank of the vampires? Lead us on a merry chase with nothing at the end, time and time again, until we become complacent and lazy?

Months of chasing empty leads has proven we won't fall for that tactic.

Fall back. I send out the command just as the air shimmers in front of me and a young girl falls about five feet to the ground with a curse.

"Dammit, they can at least calculate the coordinates properly," she mutters, pushing herself to stand.

She's a tiny thing, with short purple hair, wearing black jeans, a tight black shirt, and a lot of chains. There's one from her belt loop into her pocket, another from her shoulder to her belt, one from her wrist to her elbow—it's a strange aesthetic.

The growls of my pack echo. Vester takes point, hackles raised and teeth bared in a vicious snarl as he approaches the strange girl. Her scent carries traces of magic, but nothing like what we tracked here.

The girl's head snaps up from where she's been brushing snow off her black jeans. Her eyes widen, and the color drains from her face.

"Oh, Royal King, I'm so fucked."

The chains on her outfit jingle as she takes a step back. Her pulse races, the sound clear even from this distance. She's terrified.

Her ears are pointed under all that purple.

Fae, then.

Vester, I warn, but I can already feel his understanding in response. He's seen it, too.

"I'm not a threat!" she blurts out, holding up her hands. A book falls to the ground, but she's too scared to pick it back up, her eyes darting from one wolf to another. When her eyes land on me, she flinches, her eyes widening even further.

My wolves tighten the perimeter, their golden eyes fixed on our unexpected visitor. Someone wanted us to be here for this meeting, though our guest seems less than prepared for it.

The shift ripples through my muscles, bones cracking and reforming as I return to human form. Aurum's displeasure rumbles in my mind.

One bite. Quick and clean.

No.

The Fae girl's eyes widen as she looks below my waist, then she covers them with her hands, nearly slapping herself with the frantic movement. "Oh, sir. No. I'm not here for that. I swear I'm not here for that."

Her chains jingle as she trembles, and a laugh almost escapes me. Almost. The situation doesn't call for humor, even if her reaction is amusing. She doesn't seem to have much experience with shifters.

I grab my backpack from where it fell on the ground, pulling out a pair of pants. The fabric scratches against my skin as I slip them on, still watching the girl. Her hands remain firmly pressed to her face.

My feet already feel half-frozen against the snow, but I don't expect to be human for too long.

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

Her trembling intensifies. "C-Can I look now?"

"Yes."