Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 402

Chapter 402 Ava: Reporting to Lucas

"Nothing." Vester's voice carries through the tent flap. "Not even static. Just dead air."

I pause outside the debriefing tent, my heart thudding against my ribs. The grim tone in Vester's voice makes my news about Ivy seem trivial.

"And the watch?" Lucas asks.

"Same as the others. No signal, no connection." A pause. "This isn't like Ryder. He knows better than to go dark without warning."

I push through the tent flap. Both men turn toward me, their faces drawn with concern. Maps and papers litter the table between them, markers dotting locations I don't recognize.

"How long since his last check-in?" Lucas asks Vester, though his eyes stay on me.

"Eight hours. He should have reached Jericho's location by now."

My fingers twist together. The weight of their conversation presses down on me, making my own concerns feel small. One of Lucas' deltas is missing—possibly in danger. My news about Ivy and her strange corruption can wait. It isn't as urgent.

"What is it, Ava?" Lucas' voice softens when his eyes land on me. He extends his hand toward me, an invitation I can't resist.

Stepping closer, I savor the warmth of his hand curling around mine. "It can wait. This is more important."

"If you're here, it's important." His thumb strokes over my knuckles. "Tell me."

Vester shifts, his attention moving to the maps. The illusion of privacy in a space too small for secrets.

Tell him, Selene urges.

something inside her. A

grip tightens.

And she's aware of it, even if she doesn't understand what it is." I glance at the maps, at the markers showing Ryder's last known position. "She passed out in the middle of telling me about it. About feeling

"When did this start?"

the attack on her escort team. I'd like to know

section of the map marked with a red X. "Blood

no bodies?" My stomach

multiple casualties, but we found no remains. The blood patterns indicated

they have been

confusing. Some led north, others south. Most were obscured by fresh snowfall before we

"What about Ivy's account?"

Vester. "She described a brutal ambush. Said her entire escort died protecting

"I believe her."

"We do, too."

the raw pain in her voice when she spoke of her lost pack members rang true. "But how

hand to lean over the map. "By her own account, she was surrounded. Yet she made it

"Could she have shifted?"

"She

map, trying to make sense of it.

run into a single patrol. None

Either Ivy possesses skills she's never revealed, or something else carried her through that frozen wilderness.

know what really happened out there." Lucas straightens, his expression

that." The words come out before I can stop them. "I might be able to see traces of whatever's inside her. Maybe track it back

is immediate. "It's

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