Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted novel Chapter 430

LUCAS

The fabric of my shirt slides over my skin as I dress, keeping an eye on our unexpected guest. Pip huddles against a tree, her small frame almost disappearing into the shadows. Her purple hair stands out against the white snow, making her look even more like a lost child than she already does.

"You mentioned clearance levels." Vester's tone stays gentle, but I catch the sharp edge underneath. "How many are there?"

Pip pulls her knees closer to her chest. "I can't tell you that."

"We're on the same side here." Vester crouches in front of her, maintaining a respectful distance. "Fighting against the New Order."

"Maybe." Her chains jingle as she shifts. "But that doesn't mean I can share everything."

My boots crunch in the snow as I approach them. "Loyalty is admirable, but it can get you killed if misplaced."

"Better dead than a traitor." Her voice carries conviction way beyond her years, even as it shakes. She seems to have realized we won't kill her, but she isn't certain of it, as her eyes dart between us and into the shadows, where my wolves have disappeared.

Vester glances at me, his expression grim. "At least tell us who you answer to."

Pip's face disappears behind her knees. "I don't know."

"You're lying."

Her head snaps up, eyes flashing. "I'm not. We don't all know everything about everyone. It's safer that way."

"Safer for whom?"

"For everyone." She tugs at one of her chains, wrapping it around her finger. "If someone gets caught, they can't reveal what they don't know."

Smart. Dangerous, but smart. The resistance has clearly learned from past mistakes. I button up my shirt, considering our options. "The beacon you mentioned—"

"I didn't mention it. You did."

Her focus on semantics causes Aurum to grumble in my head. He's still not convinced she's an ally, insisting on coming out to frighten her.

It works for pups, he says, snapping at mental air.

She isn't pack. We need her to trust us.

Deciding to give a little honesty, I kneel in front of her as Vester walks away to get dressed as well. We'll both remain in human form to keep watch over her; the others have melted into the shadows, watching but silent, in hopes she'll be less afraid.

I meet her eyes. "The Rejects has been attacked. There's no one there anymore."

The color drains from her face. "What?"

There's no way I can give a child like her details. She's young enough without those nightmares. "Everyone's gone."

Pip's fingers tug at her bottom lip, her eyes distant as she processes the news. "N-No, that's not possible. We were careful. So careful."

She's lying.

You think everyone's lying, I tell Aurum.

Because they usually are.

He has a point. Still, something about the raw fear in her scent gives me pause.

She knows more than she's saying. Aurum paces in my mind, his hackles raised. Look at her face.

I see it. She doesn't look as devastated as she should, though she continues to pluck at her bottom lip, and her entire body still trembles.

Vester steps closer, his boots crunching in the snow. Do you trust her?

No. But I don't think she's dangerous.

You're soft, Aurum growls. A child doesn't mean innocent.

I know that, too, but...

Pip stops toying with her lip to fiddle with the strange chains on her clothes. Her aesthetic doesn't match her demeanor, looking like a human kid straight out of one of their punk rock bands.

With a sudden lurch, she launches herself forward; I plant my feet a little wider, but all she does is grab for my hands, holding on with surprising strength. "Take me there. I need to see it."

"Let go." My voice carries steel, but she doesn't flinch, her eyes wide as she stares into mine. Even the growls of my subordinates from the shadows doesn't faze her.

"Please." Her fingers shake, but her eyes are hard and determined, a far cry from the terrified child she was just moments ago. "I have to see for myself."

Her fingers dig into my hands with surprising strength for someone so small. The contrast is striking. At first, she was like a terrified rabbit. Now steel glints in her eyes, her jaw set.

There's more to this little Fae than meets the eye.

"You need to let go of me." _{freewebnσvel.cøm}

She shakes her head, purple hair flying with the movement. "Not until you take me there." Her words still shake, though, her bravado a facade over her fear.

She's dangerous, Aurum snarls. End this now.

No.

You're being foolish. Look at how quickly she changed.