The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 208

Alexander

After a lengthy discussion, Merrick finally hands us a rough map, crudely marking the spots where sightings and disturbances have been reported. The sun is still high, casting warm light through the canopy, so Dominic and I waste no time. We follow the winding forest trails, which become increasingly untamed as we venture deeper into an area seldom patrolled by the royal guards.

“This place feels like stepping into a different world,” Dominic remarks, glancing around as the forest’s character shifts. The trees here are older, their trunks thick with moss, and the underbrush thickens, creating a dense, almost impenetrable green wall. The air is heavy with quiet, as if the forest itself is watching us.

I nod, sensing the truth in his words. There’s a peculiar energy in the atmosphere—an ancient presence that hums beneath the surface. As we press onward, I become aware of something else—a faint, almost imperceptible vibration that resonates with my healing abilities, like a distant echo just beyond my conscious grasp.

“There’s power here,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Old power. Something deep and enduring.”

By mid-afternoon, we arrive at the location Merrick indicated as the source of the disturbance. At first glance, it looks like nothing more than dense woodland, but a closer look reveals signs of recent activity: snapped branches, churned-up earth, and in a small clearing, the remnants of a campsite abandoned in haste.

“They left in a rush,” Dominic observes, crouching beside a cold fire pit, his fingers brushing the ashes. “No effort to cover their tracks.”

“They were running,” I conclude, piecing the clues together. “The healing enclave Merrick’s patrol heard about—they were found and forced to flee.”

I lower myself to the ground, placing my palm flat against the soil. Closing my eyes, I extend my senses the way my mother taught me long ago—a skill few know I possess. The earth beneath my hand pulses faintly with echoes of recent events, carrying impressions of fear and desperation embedded in the soil itself.

“There were children here,” I murmur, a chill running down my spine. “Families. Not just lone healers.”

“You can tell that?” Dominic asks quietly, awe coloring his tone.

I nod, continuing to explore this deeper layer of perception. “They scattered in different directions, splitting up to make it harder for anyone to follow.” Rising, I move toward a nearby tree whose bark bears a subtle symbol I recognize from my mother’s lessons—a healer’s waymark, discreet but unmistakable. “They have safe houses, backup plans. This isn’t their first time escaping danger.”

“So they’ve survived previous hunts,” Dominic says thoughtfully. “Maybe they’re already safe.”

“No,” I say firmly, a cold certainty settling in my gut. “These marks are fresh, but there are older ones beneath them—warnings left behind long ago.” I trace my fingers over a faint symbol, nearly invisible unless you know exactly where to look. “This enclave has existed here for generations, hidden in plain sight. They wouldn’t abandon it without a very serious reason.”

We venture further into what must have been the heart of the settlement. Though designed for rapid dismantling, signs of habitation linger—a child’s wooden toy left behind, herbs strung up to dry on tree branches, and a communal fire pit larger than the one we found earlier.

“Alex,” Dominic says softly, holding up a torn scrap of fabric stained with dark red. “Not everyone got away unscathed.”

A surge of anger ignites inside me, fierce and raw. These are my mother’s people—my people, in a way—hunted like animals for gifts they were born with. If the Northern delegation orchestrated this, if Selene was involved…

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