Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted

LUCAS

Pip is surprisingly resilient to our questions, and we learn nothing else. She's decided to stay silent, even when I let some of Aurum's presence leak out of me, to the point she struggles to breathe.

In the end, we've lost Jericho's trail and still have no answers for Ryder's scent, leaving us aggravated. Pip seems to understand we aren't the enemy, and yet she won't confide in us—probably because I came on too strong from the beginning.

It's going to take us forever to get back to Wolf's Landing at this rate, Vester says as he prods Pip into speeding up her pace once again.

The young Fae has no endurance to speak of.

A deep sigh escapes my lips as I watch Pip stumble through another snowdrift. The sun hangs low on the horizon, and we've made little progress toward Wolf's Landing.

"Stop." My voice cuts through the wind. "Take a break."

Pip collapses into the snow, her purple hair stark against the white. The chains on her clothes jingle as she shivers.

We should have gone north, tried to find the survivors. Aurum is annoyed with her slowing us down.

I watch the strange Fae child suffer in silence, panting hard despite the short distance we've walked in the past few hours. She'd never make it. We would have been ripe for ambush. It is better we are bringing her back.

Killing her would be more efficient.

No. His lack of empathy for the Fae was understandable at first, but now borders on extreme. It's as if she has no value to him because she isn't a shifter. He's never had a problem with humans, but Fae… Well, it's understandable. I probably would have felt the same before Ava's trip to the Unregistered city and her stories from that place.

Vester stands by my side, his eyes also trained on our strange captive. At this point, neither of us are sure if we've kidnapped her or are keeping her safe from the New Order. "We need to make better time. It will take us days to return at this rate. Maybe even a week."

"I know." The words taste bitter. Every moment we waste puts more distance between us and any survivors. This mission feels impossible.

My fingers brush against my watch, but it's still not working.

Pip's teeth chatter as she hugs her knees. She's not dressed for this weather, and the coat we've pulled out of our travel pack is far too large for her. Still, it's better than nothing.

Despite her rebellious appearance, she's just a child. A child who chose silence over betrayal when pressed, even if she was a bit of a chatterbox at the start. That kind of loyalty deserves respect, even if it complicates our mission.

But we still have to move faster. "Ten minutes. Then we move."

Her eyes widen at the gesture, but she stays silent. Smart girl. She's learned she can't trust herself to keep information safe in even casual conversation.

Better if she would just talk, Aurum mutters. Once we have the information, we could leave her. He's worried about Jericho; I can feel it down the end of our bond link.

Vester keeps his voice low. "We're wasting time here." He's not advocating to get rid of her, like Aurum, but he's also struggling with the timelines.

I motion to my two nearest scouts, both still in wolf form. "Watch her."

They pad over to flank Pip without complaint. Now that I think of it, they're both married, with pups of their own. They must have some compassion for a child like her.

"Vester." I tilt my head toward a copse of trees. Far enough that even Fae hearing won't pick up our conversation, I hope. There's too much I don't know about the Fae and their capabilities. So far, this one has shown no sign of magic, aside from appearing out of nowhere with the press of a button.

We walk in silence until the distance feels right. The wind whips harder here, cutting through my coat. If I'm cold, that child must be freezing.

"Her hands are red." The words come out harsh. "Her feet are probably soaked through her ridiculous shoes." They're for fashion, not utility.

Vester looks over his shoulder at our captive. His jaw tightens as he takes in her hunched form.

"If we don't get her to Wolf's Landing soon, we'll lose her to exposure." I rake a hand through my hair. "She's our only source of information about Jericho and why they attacked him."

"You have a plan." It's not a question. Vester's known me long enough to read the set of my shoulders.

"Take two others and find the nearest town." I meet his eyes. "We need a car."

His eyebrows shoot up. "You want us to steal transportation?"

"Unless you have a better idea. We can't keep walking with her like this." I gesture toward Pip. "She needs to warm up, and we need to make better time. While you're at it, find her some proper winter clothes. Boots. A coat that fits."

"And if we encounter resistance?"

"Don't get caught." My lips quirk. "But ultimately, do what needs to be done."

"What about you and the girl?"

If you let me out, I can get her to talk. She's just a child. She will break easily under fear.

Ignoring the wolf in my head, I answer, "We'll keep her safe until you return. Just hurry."

"You know this is risky. They'll be looking for the car, and we might lead them back to the pack."

Shaking my head, I can only say, "It's less risky than letting her freeze to death before we get answers." We need to know more, and we finally have someone from the other side to give us what we need.

Vester nods once, already moving to gather his team. Efficient and calm, he's wasted as a delta. Still, as long as he remains loyal to our pack, I will keep him. Other packs would likely promise him a beta position in an attempt to poach his skills—and his mate comes as a competent healer, as well.

He is loyal, Aurum agrees. But soft. He does not have the ruthless streak we need in our beta.

Aurum's disapproval radiates through our bond, but I push his thoughts aside. His bloodthirsty nature has its uses, but not with a child. His opinions were never so pointed before, but our bond has changed in many ways over these past months.

"We'll head west." Vester points through the trees. "There's a town about two miles from here. Small enough that security might be lax."

"Good." My eyes drift to the south. There's a rural road there; one of the scouts reported it earlier. "I'll take the others that direction."noveldrama

I turn back to our captive as Vester's group disappears, melting into the skyline. Pip hasn't moved, still shivering on the ground, helplessly breathing on her fingers in an attempt to keep warm.

She is the enemy, Aurum growls. Do not let your guard down.

I shake my head. She's a child, and she's on our side. She just doesn't understand that yet.

And when her 'help' leads our enemies straight to us?

I ignore him again, striding toward Pip. "Time to move."

Her head snaps up, purple hair falling across her face. Fear flashes in her eyes before she masks it.

I motion for her to stand. "We have to move."

She stumbles to her feet, clearly exhausted. The coat drowns her small frame, making her look even more vulnerable.

An act, Aurum mutters.

If he's right, it's pretty fucking convincing.

The guards flank her as we start walking, their wolf forms massive compared to her slight build. She trips twice in the first few minutes, and I wonder if her toes are already frostbitten.

Kill her now, Aurum suggests. Before she becomes a liability.

Enough. I slam our bond shut, cutting off his protests. As young wolves, we learn to close this door; it's a necessity to keep our humanity in check during times of shifting. His rage at being silenced pulses against the barrier, but I maintain it.

Sometimes my wolf forgets that being an alpha means protecting the weak, not just dominating them.

It isn't the first time and won't be the last time we have a difference of opinion. If we ran everything the way our wolves wanted, most packs would look similar to Blackwood.

Pip stumbles again, catching herself against the wolf to her left. Her breathing comes in sharp gasps, visible in the frigid air. At this rate, we won't make it to the road before dark.

"Stop." I move closer, ignoring her flinch. "You're not used to this terrain."

She nods, but still doesn't speak, even as she struggles for oxygen. This trek isn't even terrible. Most of the snow is packed down, and it's warmer today than it was a few days ago, though still frigid.

"Here's what's going to happen." I keep my voice level, non-threatening. "We're going to carry you. You're slowing us down, and we have to move. Okay?"

Her eyes widen.

I gesture to one of the guards. "He won't hurt you."

The wolf approaches slowly, lowering his head to appear less intimidating. Pip takes a step back, clutching her hands against her chest, shaking her head vehemently.

"Your choice." I cross my arms. "Either you accept help, or you keep struggling until you collapse. Then we carry you anyway."

She stares at me for a long moment, weighing her options. Finally, her shoulders slump. "Can it be you?"

It's the first words she's spoken in hours.