Tangled In The Moonlight Unshifted Novels & Stories

Chapter: 53 ****** TALON: I stirred from my slumber, the heavy blanket of sleep clinging to me like a fog. Blinking against the dim light filtering through my window, confusion clouded my mind for a moment. I glanced outside, and the world had transformed; night had fallen, cloaking the Elysium in darkness. The moon hung high in the sky, casting silver beams that danced upon the ground, illuminating the path for those brave enough to wander.

I felt a little relieved. The weather here was a little cold at evening or night time. I let my eyes wander to the orange sun and keep my dirty thoughts blocked in my mind. I couldn’t help but ask. I swear his endearment game was slowly becoming my undoing. First, it was love then baby. But now tesoro? I couldn’t afford such a distraction.

The moon overhead pulsed. It breathed. And suddenly... Jasmine shifted. Not gradually. Not in pain. She let it happen. Bones cracked. Skin split. The scent of her blood was rich and ripe. But she didn’t fall. She rose. The shift wasn’t smooth—it was glorious. Flesh to fur. Hands to claw. Eyes to gold. Her form was massive—sleek and black, with a shimmer like oil slick and muscle beneath. Her mouth was still wet with blood. Her fur still smelled like perfume. She was still her.

A light split through the storm, brighter than the blood moon, purer than any spell cast by the gods. It descended—slowly, steadily—until it found Ava, suspended in the air like a breath between worlds. She didn’t move. Her eyes were shut, her arms loose by her sides. But the wind around her had stilled, as if the mountain itself dared not breathe. Then it began. From her back, two currents of energy burst—one of burning silver, the other deep crimson. They twisted and wove into each other, creating a spiral of twin flames that rose into the heavens. Her skin shimmered, turning pale gold beneath the silver moonlight.

The tea had long since cooled, but she wrapped her hands around it anyway without comment. Cedric stepped nearer to Celeste. “What did you find?” Celeste looked toward Elias. She could explain parts of it herself, but she was not entirely convinced she understood enough to avoid making everything sound worse. Elias seemed to understand the look. He crossed toward the table and moved several books aside before resting one hand against the worn surface. “The Moonstone’s inversion is exactly where I expected it to be. The Moonwell left a separate energetic imprint, most likely from the reaction that occurred when the two opposing forces met. Neither of those, however, is what allowed Celeste to

My hands. They were changing. The knuckles. The shape of my fingers. My bones moving under my skin in a way I had absolutely not authorized. It was the turning. Except it wasn't time yet. The moon wasn't fully up. I could see it through the window — red and enormous and rising but not there yet. Not the peak. And I was turning. "You're shifting," Isolde said. Voice tight. "Remi you're shifting early. Why are you—" "Something's wrong." My voice came out wrong. Lower

The moon broke free of the clouds overhead, flooding the ruined courtyard with silver light. Somewhere in the north— The other Moon-Marked was awake. And the world had shifted forever.

Neither did I. The bus jerked forward. And the gates opened. The Alpha of Moonhowl compound disappeared behind us like a bad dream. But what lay ahead was worse. The road twisted through the edge of the forest of Lunaris where trees were bent like they were listening, and shadows moved in ways they shouldn't. No one talked. Not even the guards seated at the front. Just the groan of the engine and the occasional cough of exhaust smoke trailing behind. “Do you think they’ll kill us the moment we cross the border?” Von asked suddenly, voice too low for anyone else to hear.

Braxton roared, slamming the attacker down, but before he could reach her, the air around Emry changed. The moon’s power pulsed through her, white light flooding from her body—pure, divine, searing. The rogue on her back screamed as it burned alive. But then—just as quickly—the light shifted, twisting darker, the shadows swallowing the flame until the clearing was half-dark, half-day. Braxton froze. The air trembled. Her fur shimmered—half gleaming silver, half black as ink. The last surviving rogue staggered backward, blood dripping from its muzzle.

It was mine. Tonight, nothing felt predictable. The moon had risen huge and white, not soft but stark—like a coin hammered flat and nailed to the sky. Its light made edges cruelly clear. The moss didn’t blur into shadow; it glittered with frost. My breath came out in ghosts. The air was so sharp with pine and damp soil that I tasted it, resin and metal at the back of my tongue. Somewhere far away, water moved. Somewhere closer, something else did.