CHAPTER 230: MY CHILD TOO

[Back at the Blackmoon Colony - Old world]

Dax didn’t even stop to lace his boots properly...he just yanked his shirt over his head, snatched his jacket, and sprinted out of the locker room.

The moment the words ’Princess Freya is missing’ sank in, Dax’s chest seized. His blood ran cold even though sweat still clung to his body from the activities moments ago.

His wolf howled inside him. He cursed himself for slacking off! He knew very well what Freya meant to his Alpha... to the Blackmoons...she was hope.

The thudding of his boots echoed in the corridor as he darted towards the exit...so fast that when he turned the corner, he nearly collided head on with Lyla.

Her eyes, usually calm, were wide with fear, her face pale beneath the strands of hair that had escaped her braid.

"Beta Dax!" she gasped, steadying herself with one hand against the wall before stepping into his path. Her voice shook, but her words were sharp, demanding:

"What is it I am hearing? Freya is missing? Is that true?"

Dax’s jaw clenched. He gave one quick, stiff nod, already trying to sidestep her. "Yes, my Luna. And I am late. I must hurry."

He moved to push past her, but she caught his arm. The force of his momentum nearly pulled her off balance, yet she held on.

"I am coming with you!" she declared, her eyes blazing, her grip unyielding. A rare sight. Nobody had ever seen Lyla like that.

Dax spun towards her, his frustration spilling over. "No!" he barked, his voice too rough. More guttural than intended.

He saw the hurt flickering across her face...she flinched under the weight of the disrespect that he inflicted...so he forced himself to soften, lowering his tone though every muscle in his body screamed at him to run.

"My Luna..." he said, each word strained as he bowed, "I can’t take you. The Alpha is already furious. If I waste another breath..."

But Lyla didn’t listen, didn’t step aside. She lifted her chin, the fire in her eyes matching his.

"She is my daughter too, Dax. Do you understand? And I will not sit idly while she is lost in those cursed woods."

For a heartbeat, their eyes locked...Kieran’s Beta and Luna,both desperate in different ways.

Dax cursed under his breath, shoving his hands through his damp hair before storming towards the motorbikes lined outside the garage hall. He swung a leg over one, the engine roaring to life beneath him.

"My Luna, rest assured that I will send word as soon as we find any lead, " he growled over the noise, "this is not up for..."

But before he could finish, a sudden weight pressed against his back. Lyla...she had climbed on without hesitation, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

Dax stiffened, whipping his head back in disbelief. "What are you doing, my Luna?"

She met his glare with steel in her eyes, her voice fierce even as it trembled with fear. "You are not ’bringing’ me. I am ’coming anyway’. Don’t worry Dax.You won’t be penalised. I need to find my daughter.And I need to be sure she is safe."

Dax’s throat tightened. For a moment, he almost told her to get off, to stay behind where it was safe. But the grip of her arms around him was unrelenting, her determination burning through her fear. He realized nothing he said would make her yield... it would only cost them more time.

Dax exhaled harshly, eyes narrowing towards the dark outline of the Greater Woods in the distance.

"Fine," he bit out. His hands tightened on the handlebars. "But stay behind me at all times. The Alpha might not be in his right senses.He would be too focused on finding Princess Freya. You might..." He calculated his words to make it least painful. " ...slip his gaze.If anything happens to you I will be responsible,so please..."

"Nothing will happen," Lyla cut in quickly, though her voice wavered, betraying the fear she couldn’t swallow. She pressed closer against his back. "We will find her. We must."

The engine growled louder beneath them, vibrating with impatience as Dax revved the bike through the woods, tearing down the dirt path.

Dax leaned forward, urging the machine faster, his focus narrowed to a single point...the looming black wall of trees where Freya had last been seen.The last location he received from the scouts out there.

His knuckles whitened around the handlebars as she slammed the throttle.

"Dax..." Lyla finally spoke again, her voice barely audible over the rush of wind. "Do you think she is scared?"

His throat worked. He didn’t want to answer. Didn’t want to imagine the little Princess alone in the Greater Woods, where shadows had teeth.

Lyla tightened her grip around his shoulder, her nails digging lightly into his jacket. After a long pause, she murmured, "When she was a baby, she hated the dark. She would cry until I held a lantern by her crib.Night lamps wouldn’t do." Her voice wavered, breaking into a whisper. "What if she is crying for me now? Even with her powers, she is still a baby after all." Lyla sniffed... almost like a sob.

Dax’s chest constricted. He wanted to offer comfort, but his wolf howled in his ears, urging him to ride faster, to get there.

The road ended abruptly as he slammed the brakes...a shadowy maw opened in front where the path was swallowed by tangled roots and mist.

The air was colder here, unnaturally still.

He swung off the bike, boots crunching against the dirt. "We go on foot," he said, his voice low, scanning the tree line as though it might lunge at them. His senses stretched.

Lyla slid down from the bike, her hands trembling as she smoothed her dress, trying to steady herself. "Do you... feel her? Anything?"

A low growl rumbled in his chest. He pulled the Luna behind him with alarming speed."Stay close. Don’t wander from my side. I feel something. Something that shouldn’t be here!"