Tangled

257 Ava: Everything's Changed

Acarus holds up a hand when Marcus opens his mouth. "Before you ask-remember, communications have been disrupted. Even the video you just watched is a recording. I'm sure there are people who know more about what is happening across the oceans, but I do not have any access to that information."

Unable to keep watching the TV, I head back to the relative peace of the dining room. All three of them follow behind.

my shoulder in

"Every time we turn around, there's something new, Vanessa says, squeezing my comfort. "It's okay to feel overwhelmed.

"I know. Taking a deep breath, 1 sink back into my chair and stab at the food in front of me. not hungry, but energy is crucial right now. "I feel like our tiny story has been swallowed by a freaking space whale." "Space whale?" Marcus and Vanessa sit on either side of me, and they both reach for the food they weren't interested in before.

"Yeah. It's from a show I watched with Lisa. They jump around in hyperspace and-"

Vanessa looks fascinated, but I can feel Marcus staring at the back of my head, probably wondering what crazy woman he's accepted as Luna.

"Anyway. They were huge," I mutter, dunking another piece of bread into my stew.

"I should really watch more TV, Vanessa says with a sigh. "The world out there is vast, and all I ever see of it is blood and guts.

The bread catches in my throat, and I cough violently. Marcus's hand thumps against my back, helping me clear my airway. I wheeze out a thanks, my eyes watering.

"For most people," I rasp at Vanessa, "your entire life would be a TV show. They're not used to werewolf shenanigans."

She sighs, her eyes distant. "It definitely feels like a movie now!"

I nod silently, agreeing with her sentiment. The events of the past few weeks feel surreal, like I'm living in some bizarre alternate reality. Werewolves, magic, rebellions-it's all too much. Acarus clears his throat, breaking through my thoughts. He addresses Marcus, who's shoveling food into his mouth like it might disappear at any moment. "Do you want to know your current location?"

Marcus nods, his cheeks bulging

He resembles a grouchy chipmunk more than an apex predator. Have I ever seen him eat before?

I don't think I have.

"You're on the far border of Westwood, Acarus says, his voice steady. Then his gaze shifts to me, and my heart rate picks up. "You're only a few hours away from your alpha, if you wish to see him." 257 Ava. Everything's Changed

My body goes rigid, every muscle tensing at once. Lucas. He's close. After everything that's happened, after all the worry and fear, he's within reach. "Yes," I blurt out, already half-rising from my chair. "Let's go now."

*Slow down," Marcus says, swallowing his mouthful of food. His hand on my arm is gentle but firm. "We need to be cautious."

Vanessa nods in agreement. "We can't just rush in blindly, Ava. We don't know what's waiting for us out there."

I force myself to take a deep breath. Running headlong into danger won't help anyone, least of all Lucas. "You're right, I concede, sinking back into my chair. "But I still think we should need to meet up with our allies. There's safety in numbers, especially now."

1. go.

We

"We will," Vanessa assures me. "It's a matter of planning timing and routes."

Marcus turns to Acarus, his expression serious. "What exactly happened in Westwood? We need details"

"Lucas..." I start, then falter. I'm not sure I want to know, but I have to ask. "How badly was he

hurt?"

Acarus's eyes soften as they meet mine. "He took a bad hit defending a group of human civilians caught in the crossfire. Multiple lacerations, some internal bleeding. But he's stable now, healing."

His face clouds over, troubled lines appearing around his eyes and mouth. The pit in my grows deeper. Whatever happened, it can't be good.

stomach

"It started with small skirmishes," Acarus begins, his voice low. "Rogues testing the borders, probing for weaknesses. Like your alpha, we assumed it was the Whispering Pines pack making their move. He's hungry for power, and the Blackwood territory is enticing fruit. But it escalated quickly."

I lean forward, hanging on his every word. My hands clench into fists under the table, nails digging into my palms.

"Overnight, everything changed. Too many wolves were sent to cover the skirmishes, leaving the central lands weak. Westwood, Blackwood, and Twilight Ridge were all attacked on the same day. It wasn't rogues anymore. Vampires and Fae were involved, in frightening numbers. They overwhelmed the defenses. It was a massacre.

His eyes flicker toward me. "What happened before was nothing more than a warning"

Marcus curses under his breath. I can practically see the tactical wheels turning in his head, assessing the situation.

"But that isn't the worst of it!

His grim words turn my veins to ice.

They wer

"There were shifters among them. Not rogue. Not pack. mindless warriors. They were the most frightening of all. Like a curse ravaging the pack."

257 Ava: Everything's Changed

My stomach flips.

"Are you saying..."

"Zombies?" Marcus cuts me off, his voice tight. "Are you saying the bodies they stole became

zombies?"

"Yes, I suppose that would be the best word for them." Acarus grimaces. "They are inexorable. Already dead and unable to die again."

Yet another blow to my already shaky worldview.

Zombies.

Real ones.

Not the

Not the kinds in movies.

My arms wrap around my waist instinctively, as if I could somehow shield myself from this nightmare. A violent shudder runs through my body, and I can't stop the trembling that follows.

Beside me, Vanessa lets out a soft cry. The sound is filled with disbelief and fear, mirroring the emotions churning inside me.

That's right; she knows these people. Not only that, I'm sure she was part of the care team for the ones who passed in the hospital.

This must be even harder for her.

My thoughts race. All this time, I'd believed the attacks were centered around me, driven by the Mad Prince's desire for my power. It had been a heavy burden, but at least it had made a twisted kind of sense. Now, that fragile understanding crumbles away

"I thought..." My voice comes out as a whisper, barely audible even to my own ears. I clear my throat and try again. "I thought all of this was because of me. Because the Mad Prince wanted my

power."

Acarus's golden eyes meet mine, a flicker of sympathy passing through them. "While your situation did play a part, I'm afraid the Mad Prince's desires are likely to have been a happy coincidence in the grand scheme of things."

Another shudder wracks my body, more violent than before. "Happy?" The word tastes bitter on my tongue. "There's nothing happy about this."

Acarus's expression shifts, a look of genuine remorse crossing his face. "I apologize sincerely for my poor choice of words," he says, his brow furrowing slightly. "I don't spend much time around mortals. Sometimes my phrasing can be... insensitive."

The idea that my involvement is just a tiny part of some larger, more terrifying picture...

If I'm not the main target, then what exactly are we dealing with?

"These... zombies, I force myself to say the word, hating how it makes my skin crawl. "How widespread are they? And how... how do they work?"

Acarus looks thoughtful. "We haven't heard of any other werewolf corpses stolen before burial,

257 Ava: Everything's Changed

so it seems they are centered here. We saw most of them at Westwood, and a few during the Blackwood attacks, before Renard regained his power.

He sighs, his shoulders sagging slightly. "As for how they work, we're still trying to understand that ourselves. They seem to retain some of their shifter abilities, but they lack any semblance of consciousness or self-control. They attack indiscriminately, and they're incredibly difficult to put down for long"

My stomach churns at the thought. I've seen enough horror movies to have a vivid imagination of what these creatures might look like, but the reality is probably far worse than anything Hollywood could dream up.

"Is there any way to... cure them?" Vanessa asks, her voice trembling slightly. I can see the healer in her desperately searching for a solution, even in the face of this unnatural affliction.

Acarus shakes his head slowly. "Not that we've discovered so far. The best we can do is contain them and prevent more from being created."

Rubbing my arms as briskly as I can manage, I ask the question we're all thinking. Or at least, I assume they're thinking what I am.

"What about all the dead during the attack? Where are their bodies?"

Marcus and Vanessa stiffen beside me, so fast that I'm honestly surprised I don't hear their spines crack.

Acarus glances away. "It was all the survivors could do to bring along the injured."

Shit.