The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Lyla

Terra stared at me for a few seconds before averting her eyes, busying herself with the cart that held several mixtures.

"I don't want to hear it, Lyla," she murmured. "Whatever your plans are, count me out of it. I don't want to be a party to it or your lies."

"It's not lies, Terra," I tried to sit up, but was hit with another wave of nausea, making me groan with pain as I flopped on the bed again.

"Can you stop moving, please?" Terra sighed. "I'm running out of patience dealing with you, Lyla. Just lie still and let the medicine work."

"I am lying still," I shot back, "I'm only asking you not to mention the baby to anyone, not even to Nanny."

"Your mother?" she scoffed, dropping the small jar she held a little too forcefully. "You don't know, Miriam, Lyla. Maybe the version of Miriam you know is the cool-headed one. Miriam will kill me if she suspects that I might have lied to her. Besides, it goes against my oath."

"I am not asking you to lie!" I was losing my calm. "I'm asking you not to mention the pregnancy. It's that simple. Don't mention that I am pregnant."

"And if they ask me?"

"How will they ask you if they don't know?" I sighed with exasperation. "They'll ask you how I'm doing and whatnot, and then you can reply with, she's fine and whatnot. No need to tell them I am pregnant."

Terra hesitated. "Miriam will have my hide. Pregnancy is not something you can hide. Sooner or later, it reveals itself. What excuse will I give then?"

"I'll be dead and long gone," I said with a soothing tone. "I'm going to die…"

"For the love of the moon, can you stop saying you will die?" Terra rolled her eyes. "You think death is something for you to throw around like it means nothing? What will happen to your mate and your mother? One chaos at a time, Lyla. I know it's impossible to believe that you're immensely loved and that your mother will do anything for you, but…"

We heard the lock of the door rattle, and immediately, Terra froze as the door opened to reveal Nanny. She was about to ask Terra what the problem was when I intervened. She hadn't noticed that I was awake.

"Mom!" I feigned weakness.

Immediately, her eyes snapped to where I was lying. She rushed to my side and held my hand.

"Oh darling, you're awake?"

I nodded, smiling at her. "I'm sorry for…"

"Shhh… don't talk, you need your strength." She turned to Terra. "Is the poison out of her system entirely?"

Terra had her back to us, so she threw over her shoulders. "Just a little more, Miriam and she'll be fine."

"Is something else wrong with her?" Nanny asked, straightening up.

I held my breath.

"Nothing," Terra threw over her shoulders again. "I'm trying to make the last…"

Before she could finish the sentence, Nanny reached for her and twirled her round, clasping her hand round her neck.

"We've been friends for ages, Terra. I know when you're lying. Don't make me hurt you. Tell me!"

"Mom, I'm fine," I said desperately.

Terra's face was clouded with fear as her eyes darted between me and Nanny.

"Terra," Nanny continued calmly, "I'm going to count down to three. If by the last count you don't tell me, I will not be responsible for whatever happens here…"

"She's pregnant," Terra didn't allow her to finish her threat. She pushed Nanny aside, rubbing at her neck. "I can't with both of you," she hissed. "Your daughter is pregnant, and she asked me not to tell you."

Nanny turned to me, staring at my stomach in bewilderment.

"When you're done, feed her this," Terra pointed at a small bowl on the cart. "I'm leaving,"

"Terra, I'm sorry…"

"Save the apology, Miriam," she hissed. "And this is the last time you'll put your hands on me." With that, she walked out of the room.

Nanny came to where I was and sat on the bed. She stared at me for a few minutes before she murmured.

"Is it Nathan's or Ramsey's?"

Laughter bubbled in my chest. "It's Ramsey's, Nanny. I've never been with any man except him. Why would you even think I can sleep with Nathan?"

She exhaled deeply, clamping a hand over her chest. "Gosh! I feared the worst. I'm so glad it's Ramsey's. Do you want to tell him? This changes everything. Should I call him for you?" She was getting excited.

"Wait!" I held her hand. "Where is he, by the way?"

"He hasn't left the war council since they brought you here," Nanny replied. "Lenny is in a terrible condition, too, so Ramsey has not been himself either. He won't eat and has spent the last two days studying the maps and stuff."

"Lenny was badly hit?"

"Yes," Nanny sighed. "We have no idea what Nathan used on the dagger intended for Ramsey. We're expecting the worst, honestly. He's not recovering, his Lycan was badly hit too."

I nodded. "What is Ramsey doing at the moment?"

"They're planning the next phase of defences. The Dark One's forces may have retreated, but everyone knows they'll be back."

I swung my legs over the bed again, moving more carefully this time. "I need to heal Lenny, then see Ramsey. Help me up."

Nanny hesitated. "You're in no shape to be moving around."

"I'm fine," I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine. Ramsey needs Lenny by his side more than he does me. C'mon, help me up."

"But the baby…"

"If you don't help me, I'll try walking on my own and probably fall flat on my face."

Sighing, Nanny retrieved a robe from the nearby chair and helped me into it. "Ten minutes," she warned. "You still need to rest and take the last medicine from Terra. Any longer, and I'll be dragging you back here. Deal?"noveldrama

"Deal."

With Nanny's support, I made my way slowly down the corridor. The pack hospital was quieter than I expected. I saw a few warriors resting in the courtyard. When we reached the room where Lenny was, Nanny knocked.

A few seconds later, the door to his ward creaked softly as it opened. His scent hit me immediately – blood, antiseptic and the unmistakable smell of a Lycan struggling to heal.

Unlike the main medical ward, which bustled with activity, this private room was quiet except for the laboured breathing of its sole occupant.

Lenny lay on a bed near the window, his normally robust frame looking diminished beneath the white sheets. Bandages were wrapped around his torso, spotted with blood that had seeped through despite the healer's best efforts. His face was pale, beaded with sweat, and his usual mischievous expression was replaced by a grimace of pain even in his unconscious state.

I approached him silently, my hand instinctively moving to my healing wound. The knife that had struck Lenny had been meant for Ramsey. Lenny had seen it coming last minute and had thrown himself between Ramsey and the blade without hesitation.

"How is he?" Nanny asked the elderly healer in the room.

"He's not responding to treatment. The priestesses and I have tried every healing method available, but none seems to be working."

"Has the poison on the blade been identified at least?"

"Not yet," she shook her head slowly. "The poison is resisting our medicine."

"Have you tried?" I turned to Nanny.

"Healing is not my forte, Lyla," she sighed. "It was Mother Liora's thing."

I nodded, understanding why Ramsey was losing his mind. Lenny was his best friend, and everyone knows every Alpha and Beta share a special bond. I know how Beta Jeremy had been with my father.

"Leave us," I said to the healer. "Let me try to heal him, but I need privacy for this."

She hesitated, staring from me to Nanny. "You're still recovering yourself…"

"I'll be fine," I assured her. "Please, just make sure we're not disturbed."

The woman nodded and quietly left the room. Nanny helped me closer to his bed before going to stand at one corner of the room, watching. I took a deep breath and placed my hands gently on his chest, trying to fight the wave of nausea hitting me from the smell in the room.

I could feel the poison working through his system. It was a dark, cold energy that was systematically shutting down his organs. His Lycan was fighting desperately, but it too was injured.

I closed my eyes, centring myself. Since the battle, since Nymeris had appeared to me, my power had changed. Instead of drawing energy from outside myself – a method that had always left me drained – I now felt the power welling up from within.

I began to hum softly, feeling the sound vibrating through my hands into Lenny's chest. As the humming deepened, I felt warmth spreading through my palms.

Blue light began to glow beneath my fingers, seeping into Lenny's skin. I visualised the poison – they were black tendrils wrapped around his organs, squeezing the life from him.

My forehead was covered with sweat from my effort, but unlike before, I didn't feel myself weakening. If anything, I grew stronger as I worked, as if the act of healing was feeding my energy rather than depleting it.

Suddenly, Lenny's body arched, and then he began to jerk.