Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

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.

"She's sick—but it's more than that. There's something inside her. A corruption,

tightens. "Controlled

emotions. Responds to them. 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

"When did this start?"

team. I'd like to

of the map marked with a

no bodies?"

Lucas' jaw tightens. "The snow was disturbed enough to suggest multiple casualties, but we found no remains.

they have been

The tracks were confusing. Some led north, others south. Most were obscured

"What about Ivy's account?"

a look with Vester. "She described a brutal ambush. Said

"I believe her."

"We do, too."

the raw pain in her voice when she spoke of her lost pack members rang

over the map. "By her own

"Could she have shifted?"

"She arrived

map, trying to make sense of

the attack site. "It took her three days to reach us. In that time, she didn't run into a single patrol. None of our scouts picked up her scent until she was practically at our

my stomach. Either Ivy possesses skills she's never revealed, or something else

really happened out there." Lucas

might be able to see traces of whatever's inside her.

is