The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger.-Chapter 310: Homecoming...

310 Homecoming...

Lyla POV

I paced back and forth across the lounge area of the pack house, my frustration growing with each step. Across the room, Caius lounged in an armchair, watching me with that infuriating smile on his face.

"You can wear a hole in the floor, but it won't change anything," he said, his tone light and unbothered.

"You lied to me," I snapped, spinning to face him. "You were supposed to take me to White Lake."

Caius shrugged. "I was supposed to keep you safe. Those were Ramsey's orders."

"So this whole time, you were never planning to help me reach White Lake?"

"Not even for a second," he admitted without a trace of remorse. "The moment we were out of sight, my job was to bring you straight back here."

I resumed pacing, my hands clenched at my sides. For the past twenty-four hours, I'd been effectively under house arrest. Caius refused to let me leave the pack house, and the former Ferals, whom I thought were my allies, turned out to be my jailers.

Nanny entered the reception area, her face bright with excitement. "They're coming! The scouts have just reported that Ramsey's convoy is crossing our borders. They've won!"

My anger temporarily subsided, replaced by a sense of relief. "Everyone's okay?"

"There were casualties," Nanny said, her expression sobering. "But they defeated Nathan's forces. He escaped with only a handful of followers."

That news should have thrilled me, but I couldn't fully celebrate. Not when I'd been tricked and confined while others fought and died.

"How long until they arrive?" I asked.

"Any minute now," Nanny replied, moving to organise the healers waiting to tend the wounded.

Caius rose from his chair, stretching lazily. "See? Everything worked out. Ramsey handled Nathan without you needing to risk your life seeking the help of the warriors from White Lake Pack."

I shot him a withering glare. "This isn't over. You don't know the full prophecy, Caius. We still have to face Xander and his goons. This is nothing compared to the Great War, and Nathan is still out there."

"One battle at a time, Moonsinger," he replied, unfazed by my anger.

The sound of engines approaching drew everyone's attention. I moved to the window, watching as a convoy of vehicles pulled into the courtyard. Warriors poured out, many bearing injuries, but all moving with the pride of victory.

16:00

Healers rushed forward to assist the wounded. I scanned the crowd anxiously until I spotted him—Ramsey, climbing out of the lead vehicle. He looked exhausted, with a bandage across his wrist and dried blood on his clothes, but he was alive. He wore a tired smile as he directed his warriors.

I wanted to run to him, to both embrace him for surviving and berate him for his deception. But with dozens of eyes watching, I restrained myself.

When he finally entered the reception area, his eyes found mine immediately. Something passed between us—relief, love, and a complexity of emotions that would need privacy to untangle.

He crossed to me, taking my hand without a word. A simple nod to Caius and Nanny was the only acknowledgement he gave others before leading me upstairs to his quarters.

The moment the door closed behind us, I opened my mouth to unleash my frustration. But before I could speak a single word, Ramsey pulled me against him, his lips finding mine in a desperate, hungry kiss.

All my anger melted away as his arms encircled me. I could feel him trembling slightly—from exhaustion, relief, or both. His hands moved to frame my face, and when he finally broke the kiss, his eyes were intense with emotion.

"You tricked me," I said, but the accusation lacked the heat I'd intended.

"To keep you safe," he replied, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. "I couldn't fight Nathan while worrying about you walking into a trap at White Lake."

"I thought I might not see you again," he whispered.

"I'm not some fragile thing that needs protection," I argued, even as I leaned into his touch. "I'm a Moonsinger."

"And my mate," Ramsey countered. "Which means I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from harm, even if it makes you hate me."

I sighed, resting my forehead against his chest. "I could never hate you. I wish you'd trusted me with the truth."

His arms tightened around me. "Next time, I will. I promise."

"To keep you safe," he replied, his thumbs gently stroking my cheeks. "I couldn't fight Nathan while worrying about you walking into a trap at White Lake."

"I'm not some fragile thing that needs protection," I argued, even as I leaned into his touch. "I'm a Moonsinger."

There was a desperation in the way he held me, something almost fearful that I couldn't quite understand. Something had happened during the battle—something beyond defeating Nathan's forces.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked, pulling back to study his face.

Instead of answering, Ramsey kissed me again, deeper this time. His hands slid down my body, igniting a fire that quickly consumed any remaining anger. Whatever secrets he was keeping could wait. Right now, I needed the reassurance of his touch, the confirmation that we were both alive and together.

We moved to the bed without breaking apart, clothes falling away as we rediscovered each other. In this moment, there was no prophecy, no Nathan, no Dark One—just us, reaffirming our bond in the most primal way.

Afterwards, we lay tangled together, my head on his chest as I listened to his heartbeat slowly return to normal. Outside, the sounds of celebration drifted up from the courtyard as the pack rejoiced in their victory.

"Tell me what happened," I said softly. "All of it."

Ramsey's fingers traced patterns on my bare shoulder as he recounted the battle—the surprise attack, the ambush by Ferals and panthers, and the revelation of the Lycan war form that had turned the tide.

"War form?" I echoed, propping myself up to look at him. "I've never heard of that."

"Few have," he explained. "It's a closely guarded secret among true Lycans. A third shape—not human, not wolf, but something more powerful than both."

"And Nathan knows about it now," I realised.

Ramsey nodded grimly. "He escaped before we could capture him, but his army is destroyed. He's running with barely a dozen followers."

"He'll rebuild," I warned. "He won't give up until he has killed you and he has the Sword. I don't even know why Nathan is fighting us in the first place. It makes no sense."

At the mention of the Sword, something flickered across Ramsey's face—that same guarded look I'd noticed earlier. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"What else happened?" I pressed. "Something you're not telling me."

He hesitated, then sighed in resignation. "We found a fragment of the prophecy in Nathan's camp. The part about the twins."

My heart raced. "What did it say?"

Ramsey's arms tightened around me. "Nothing useful," he lied—I could see it in his eyes. "Just cryptic phrases that need interpretation."

"Show me," I demanded.

"It was destroyed in the fighting," he said, too quickly.

I pulled away, sitting up to face him. "You're lying to me. After everything we've been through, after promising just minutes ago to trust me with the truth, you're still hiding things."

Pain crossed his features. "Lyla—"

"No," I cut him off. "No more excuses. No more protection. Whatever that prophecy says, I need to know. It's about me, isn't it? About my sacrifice."

The look on his face confirmed my suspicions. "I won't accept it," he said fiercely. "I don't care what some ancient words say about your destiny. We make our own fate."

"Then let me make mine with full knowledge," I countered. "Tell me what you found, Ramsey. Please."

He closed his eyes briefly, then reached for his discarded jacket. From an inner pocket, he withdrew a charred piece of parchment. Wordlessly, he handed it to me.

I read the words once, twice, trying to make sense of them. "When the twin moons rise, the Moonsinger's sacrifice shall break the eternal chains. The Dark One returns."

"It doesn't say I have to die," I pointed out, watching him closely. "Sacrifice could mean many things. Besides, at this point, I'm going to chill with all these prophecies flying around the whole place. First, I was born to restore order, now I have to sacrifice," I said with a high-pitched laugh, "Don't worry, my darling… Everything will be fine."

But I understood the implications better than he did. The twin moons—a rare celestial event where a second moon appeared in the sky, happening only once every century. According to the old texts, the next occurrence was less than a month away.

"We still don't know the whole prophecy," I continued, trying to sound more hopeful than I felt. "These are just fragments of ancient writing. It could mean anything."

"And you're not hiding anything from me either?" he asked.

I met and held his gaze. "Of course not. There's nothing to hide."

I couldn't tell him that I had to die, and for the love of the moon, who keeps littering these fragments of prophecies everywhere? Everything was becoming so confusing these days.

"Great, we shouldn't base our strategy on ancient writings," Ramsey agreed eagerly. "We destroyed Nathan's forces without any prophesied sacrifice. We can defeat him completely the same way."

I nodded, but doubt lingered. The pattern in the fragments was becoming clear, even if Ramsey refused to see it. My role as Moonsinger carried a price—one I might have no choice but to pay when the twin moons rose.

"Let's focus on defeating the Dark One, too. Nathan is just a speck of dust."

"We should also get married, Lyla and mark each other," he sniffed my neck. "This is not enough. I want to know that I belong to you in the sight of men and the gods."

I nodded. I didn't know what other excuse to give. Though I was certain that this peace would be short-lived.