The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Lyla

The door burst open suddenly as Caius rushed in. Though his face remained carefully blank, I knew immediately that something was wrong. He approached Ramsey directly, bending to whisper in his ear.

I watched Ramsey's expression, searching for any reaction, but he maintained perfect control. He nodded once before Caius straightened and left the room as quickly as he'd arrived.

"What was that about?" I asked, concerned.

"It's fine," Ramsey replied, suddenly gathering the maps on the table and forgetting about the tears he had seen in my eyes.. "It's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of it."

"Ramsey—"

"You need rest," he said, cutting me off gently. "Let me take you back to the pack house."

"Don't do that with me, Ramsey," I said with a deep sigh. "I know Caius didn't come bearing good news. Just tell me what the problem is, I swear, I won't act on my own volition. I need to know."

"Baby," he said quietly, looking into my eyes directly. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise."

I wanted to press further, but exhaustion was catching up with me. My chest wound throbbed dully despite Terra's healing, and the news of my pregnancy had left me emotionally drained.

When we stepped into the corridor, Nanny rose from the chair she had been sitting in, clearly waiting for us. She came to me immediately, glancing from me to Ramsey. I know in her head, she must be wondering why Ramsey wasn't dancing with joy because of the baby news.

I didn't know what excuse I would give her regarding that. Nanny didn't know about the sacrifice yet. If she knows, my days of freedom would be over. Unlike Ramsey, who might deal gently with me and not force his ideas on me, Nanny didn't care about my stance. She will do what she wants if she thinks it will protect me.

"I'll help her back," Nanny offered, reaching for my arm.

"No need," Ramsey said, with a polite but firm tone. "I'll take her myself."

Nanny hesitated, then nodded, shooting me a questioning look. I gave her a slight shrug in response, also glad that I won't be getting questioned by her anytime soon.

Ramsey slid his arm around my waist, his other hand taking mine. He held me close but carefully, mindful of my injury, his body providing warmth and support as we walked. The simple contact calmed me despite my concern over the secret message.

At his car, he helped me into the passenger seat with gentle hands before walking around to the driver's side. As we pulled away from the command centre, I tried once more.

"What did Caius tell you?" I asked directly. "I know something's wrong. Is it Nathan? Did the Ferals attack again? I didn't hear the warning sound. Is it something worse than Nathan and the Ferals?"

"Everything's under control," Ramsey assured me, his eyes focused on the road. "You don't need to worry right now."

"But—"

"Trust me, Lyla," he said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "Please."

I sighed and leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes in defeat. If he wouldn't tell me now, I'd find out another way later. For the moment, I was too tired to argue.noveldrama

A few seconds later, my stomach growled loudly in the quiet car. I opened my eyes, surprised at how hungry I was.

Ramsey laughed, breaking the tension that had formed between us.. "Sounds like we need to feed you."

"I am starving," I admitted, placing a hand over my rumbling stomach.

"I sent most of the kitchen staff home to be with their families," Ramsey explained. "There's only a skeleton crew taking turns for meals at the pack house. Let's stop somewhere on the way."

He turned the car toward town and pulled into a small restaurant that had somehow remained open despite the recent battles. The owner, a werewolf, surprisingly, greeted Ramsey with respect and led us to a private booth in the back.

I ordered enough food for three people—steak, potatoes, vegetables, soup, and an entire basket of bread. When it arrived, I devoured everything with an intensity that surprised even me.

Ramsey watched with raised eyebrows as I finished my steak and started on my second serving of potatoes. "I'm glad you're eating well," he said with a smile.

"The baby must be hungry," I replied between bites, then froze as I realised I'd spoken my thoughts loudly.

Ramsey was trying to cut up my steak into small chunks. He looked up from his task.

"Did you say anything?" he asked, pausing the cutting.

I flashed him a nervous smile. "I said, I've not eaten for more than two days, so it's normal for my body to want all the food it didn't get," I said instead.

"Don't worry, Ly," he chuckled, resuming his cutting. "It's my greatest pleasure to see you add some flesh. You've always looked the same to me, and honestly, it worries me that I might injure you whenever we're…" he paused, glancing around, but no one was paying attention to us. "Making love."

I blushed. "So, you prefer women with more flesh?"

"That's what real men eat," he said in a teasing tone. "I don't mind back rolls and juicy laps. It's one of my biggest fantasies. A lot of human women are like that… I don't know why everyone here is always on some diet to remain thin."

"But you kept Cassidy around for the longest time. She's like a size zero, why…" I stopped talking, wishing I could take back the last few seconds. Again, I let my intrusive thoughts win.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine," Ramsey chuckled and continued cutting up the steak. "I know you're annoyed that my ex-girlfriend tried to kill you."

"Ramsey, please," I sighed. "I didn't mean to bring up her name. I wasn't even thinking of her… it just popped out of my head. I promise. I don't blame you for what Cassidy did. It's not like you gave her the knife."

He didn't say anything afterwards, and sadly, I didn't lose my appetite after that. So, I had to endure a quiet dinner.

After dinner, we drove the rest of the way to the pack house. Evening had fallen, casting long shadows across the pack.

The silence continued until we arrived home. As always, Seth was at the door to greet us. Ramsey dismissed him for the night as we made our way up to our living quarters.

Ramsey helped me prepare for bed. He ran a bath with healing herbs, carefully assisted me in changing the bandage on my chest, and helped me find comfortable clothes to sleep in. His attention was tender, each touch conveying a sense of protection and care.

Ramsey went downstairs to get me water, snacks, and some medicine, in case I had indigestion. I always have that when I overfeed.

When he came back, I watched him drop the items on the table.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, "About what I said about Cassidy. I promise, I do not have any carryover about your relationship with her. I promise you."

He nodded and walked over to the bed. "I know," he sighed, "I sometimes wish that era never existed, and I also wish you wouldn't randomly mention her when we're just enjoying the moment. I hate it when I have to go seconds without talking to you."

"I know," I nodded. "I'm truly sorry."

"It's fine," he nodded, then sat on the edge of the bed, taking my hand in his.

"I need to tell you something," he said, as his expression turned serious. "About what Caius told me earlier."

I pushed myself up slightly, suddenly alert. "You're finally going to tell me?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I want us to be transparent with each other, to trust each other completely. I should have told you immediately, but I was worried about adding more stress while you're healing."

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"The White Lake Pack has besieged us," he said.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Cassidy's pack? But why? I know they're yet to give us a response about mobilising us with their warriors. Did something else happen that I don't know about?"

"Well, Elder Thorne and I have a lot of bad blood. Coupled with everything that happened between me and his daughter. I don't think he will forgive me," Ramsey said grimly. "They've surrounded the entrance of our pack. No attacks yet, but they're preventing anyone from entering or leaving."

"Don't tell me he's still hung up about not choosing his daughter?" I scoffed. "Come to think of it, before Cassidy stabbed me, she mentioned something about her being with you forever and unlocking the power of the White Moon Throne. I also remember that either Nathan or Xander had mentioned that you were to wed her for that. Did you start any conversation about marrying her again?"

"Of course not," Ramsey shot a glare at me. "The suggestion was brought up, but I refused. It was one of the reasons I came to the Moon Temple. I had to run away from the pressure."

"Are you sure it's them? Like the attack could be…"

"Caius spotted her father, Elder Thorne, leading their forces."

I tried to process this new threat. We were still recovering from the battle with the Dark One's Ferals, our defences were damaged and our warriors were still exhausted,

"I know you'll want to help," Ramsey continued, squeezing my hand. "And I need your strength in this fight. But tonight, you need to rest and recover."