Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 427

Chapter 427

XENOIS

The interior of the Silvercrest nest was exactly as nightmarish as I’d expected-stone corridors that absorbed sound, minimal lighting that put werewolves at a disadvantage against nightwalkers, and an oppressive atmosphere that made every breath feel heavy.

I moved through the darkness with Thorne at my right, Marcus and Klaus flanking us on either side. Four werewolves against god knew how many enemies, searching for my parents in a hostile stronghold while communications failed and bombs exploded in the distance.

Just another Tuesday in the Blackwood pack.

The bombs were Zade’s doing-Team One making their dramatic entrance at the main gate, drawing attention and forces exactly as planned. I could hear the explosions echoing through the stone, feel the vibrations underfoot as his team demolished the nest’s primary defenses.

My team had infiltrated through the ventilation system exactly as planned, dropping into a storage area and making our way toward the cell block. We’d encountered minimal resistance so far-one werewitch who’d been patrolling alone and whom we’d managed to knock unconscious before she could raise an alarm.

Too easy. Everything was too easy, and that made my tactical instincts scream warnings.

I reached for my communicator, trying to contact Zade for an update. Had Team One encountered my parents? Had Carol’s Team Two found anything?

Static.

I tried again, switching channels. More static.

“Communications are compromised,” I said quietly to my team. “We’re on our own until we can reestablish contact.”

“Could be magical interference,” Thorne suggested. “Werewitches can create dampening fields that block electronic

signals.”

“Or it’s a trap,” Marcus said grimly. “Silence us, separate us, pick us off individually.”

“Either way, we keep moving,” I decided. “My parents are in here somewhere, and I’m not leaving without them.”

We reached the cell block faster than I’d expected, which only increased my sense that something was wrong. The corridor

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Chapter 427

opened into a larger space with multiple cells lining the walls-exactly as Marcus’s intelligence had suggested.

All of them empty.

I moved quickly from cell to cell, checking each one despite knowing what I’d find. No prisoners. No guards. No signs that

anyone had been here recently except-

I stopped at one cell, recognizing the scent immediately. My mother. She’d been here, probably for hours based on how

strong the scent was.

But she wasn’t here now.

“They moved them,” Thorne said, reaching the same conclusion. “Jerome knew we were coming. He relocated the prisoners

before we arrived.”

“Or they escaped,” Klaus added, pointing to a cell door that hung slightly open. “Look at the lock. It’s been picked from

the inside.”

I examined it closer and felt a surge of hope mixed with exasperation. The scratches around the lock mechanism were distinctive-made by something thin and metal, used by someone who knew what they were doing.

My mother’s hairpins. I’d recognize her lockpicking technique anywhere. She’d taught it to me when I was twelve, insisting that every alpha should know how to escape captivity.

“They broke out,” I said, unable to keep the admiration from my voice. “My parents actually picked the lock and escaped

on their own.”

“That’s either brilliant or incredibly stupid,” Marcus observed. “Depends on whether they had a plan or just improvised.”

“With my parents, it’s always improvisation disguised as planning,” I muttered. “Come on. If they broke out, they’re

somewhere in this nest trying to get to an exit. We need to find them before Jerome does.”

We moved back into the corridors, following my mother’s scent as best I could in the artificial air flow of the underground complex. Another explosion rocked the structure-closer this time, suggesting Zade’s team was making serious progress.

Or encountering serious resistance.

Without communication, I had no way of knowing which.

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