The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Chapter 422 - 422: Following the trail...

Ramsey

"Let me at least inspect the house," Kyren said quietly. "It'll only take a few minutes."

I nodded and watched as he moved through the destroyed rooms, pausing occasionally to set an item right or pause to look at a marking. I tried to control the urge to charge out into the night for Lyla, but I forced myself to remain calm while I let Kyren work.

The leader of the Hollow Kin knelt beside the largest blood stain in the kitchen, squinting his eyes in concentration as he drew in deep breaths through his nose.

His fingers hovered just above the dark spots without touching them, and I could see the way his shoulders bunched in tension as he squinted closer to the markings.

Miriam had stopped crying but remained on her knees, staring at the destruction around us with hollow eyes. She looked like she had aged in the past few minutes.

After what felt like an eternity, Kyren opened his eyes and stood slowly. "This isn't Lyla's blood."

I nearly hugged Kyren out of the instant joy and relief that flooded through me. There was still hope.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." He nodded. "This isn't her scent, nor is it her blood. This blood belongs to someone else entirely – someone who was injured here, but not Lyla."

"Then whose—"

"Shapeshifters," Kyren interrupted, his voice carrying a note of disgust. "At least three of them, possibly more. Gosh, I hate those."

"I'm not surprised, and I'm sure they all pretended they were us. I wonder how long it took, Lyla, before she realised what they are."

"Whoever brought in those shapeshifters must have had access to us first because for you to be able to access the house, you need to move past the protective wards and spells Circe put around the house," Kyren said.

"And I know it's not Delia," I added. "Our eyes on her have been giving us detailed and live updates of her movement. There must be someone else."

"Maybe one of Xander's children?" Miriam added quietly, "And now that I think of it, the person who joined us recently was Circe. Ramsey, didn't I mention to you that Circe was acting a little strange?"

"Yes!" I nodded, remembering Miriam casually mentioning that something was off with Circe a few days back."

Circe," I nodded. "That explains a lot, while none of our plans ever worked with Delia, and while it seems that we've not been able to get anything from her

there's good news," Kyren continued, moving toward the back door. "Lyla left traces. I think she left these markers deliberately, knowing that we would come for her, and also confident in my abilities, because only

traces?" Miriam

pheromones," Kyren explained. "You know how strong they are; that is exactly what

I sighed. "How fresh are the

a few hours old." Kyren headed for the door. "We need to move now. I'm sure they couldn't

Kyren in the passenger seat, directing our route based on traces only he could detect. Miriam

coordinating with his team. I could hear fragments of his conversation – deployment coordinates, backup protocols, extraction procedures. The Hollow Kin were mobilising their full resources to find Lyla, and knowing that gave me

had my own calls

been taken when we were captured. "I need to make a quick stop," I told

"We don't have time—"

said firmly. "I need a secure phone to contact White Moon

reluctantly, and I pulled into the parking lot of a 24-hour electronics store. The automated systems allowed me to purchase a basic smartphone with

in the Van, I dialled Lenny's direct line while following Kyren's directions toward

is this?" Lenny's

perimeter around grid coordinates..." I

motion," Lenny replied. "Clarissa is here at White Moon, by the way. She's the one who figured out something

over me. "Tell her thank you. And tell her we're going to bring her

"What's your current status?"

getting close to our destination. "I'll update you once we have

Ramsey? Be careful. If this is connected to Xander's children like we suspect, you're walking into something

replied grimly. "But they made a mistake taking her. Whatever

away from the main highway. The landscape around us grew more desolate with each mile – abandoned industrial buildings, empty

I asked, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter

replied, his eyes closed in concentration. "The trail is

for another ten minutes through increasingly isolated terrain before Kyren suddenly held up

to an abandoned industrial complex. Rusted gates hung open, and beyond them I could see

with his eyes closed. When he finally

the place," he said, pointing. "Lyla is

me. The sound

I asked, turning to

was pressed to her mouth as if she were trying to hold back a