The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger by Ejiofor Dorcas

183 New beginnings...

Lyla

“I'll miss you,” | murmured to Nanny who had a quiet smile on her face as she patted my back comfortingly.

| must have hugged her a thousand times already. We were leaving White Moon Pack back to Blue Ridge today

and | was feeling nostalgic. For one, Nanny was not coming withsince she

was going back with the priestesses to the Moon Temple Colden Gates pack.

Mother Liora was still sick and seemed to prefer Nanny to any of the other priestesses. Though she had promised

that as soon as Mother Liora recovered, she'd joinat Blue Ridge. | knew that was next to impossible.

After all, she didn’t cto visit all the while | was there. To think it's been three months already since | arrived

but it already felt like a decade. After we said our goodbyes, we started moving.

Now, as the car sped toward Blue Ridge Pack, the silence betweenand Nathan felt heavy. Nathan has been

unusually quiet since the incident three days ago. Although he had managed to maintain normal conversation

with me, | still couldn't help but worry that the incident three days ago, had changed things in ways | couldn't

see.

My thoughts drifted to Cassidy. The events of that night still lingered in my mind, a puzzle with too many missing

pieces. | had gone to Ramsey to ask if Cassidy had said anything about what happened, though I'd avoided

mentioning my wolf was the two-tailed wolf that the warriors of White Moon Pack were still hunting or that

Xander had shown up there suddenly.

That had been a surprise tothough. Not just that, | couldn't help but wonder what connection Cassidy had

with Xander. How did they meet? Why was he even there that night? | knew Xander hadn’t cbecause

Cassidy had merely requested, he should kill me. There should be more.

Like what agreement had both of them entered for him to have followed her to the pack house? No matter how |

thought of it, there seemed to be more. Although | was relieved that Cassidy had survived, Xander’s blow, |

couldn’t help wondering if she would ever cclean about what truly happened.

Would she confess, or would she weave another story, one that would paintin a negative light? As my mind

wandered about it, | dozed off.

A few hours later, | awoke to the sensation of being carried. Blinking my eyes open, | saw Nathan's face above

mine. His expression was tender but tired. He was carryingin his arms.

Gently, he laidon his bed, smoothing my hair.

“You're awake?” he murmured when he saw me.

| nodded, managing a sleepy smile but he didn’t say anything after that. For a moment, the room

was silent, except for the faint rustle of trees outside the window. Before Nathan finally spoke.

“I'm sorry about the other night, he said softly, “I wasn’t thinking strange. | let my desires get the best of me.

Please forgive me.

Nathan... nothing

| exhaled, relieved too. “I'm sorry too. | promise you, going on betweenand Ramsey. All those days | was at

his pack, the only twe were in very close proximity was one of the mornings at the training arena and he

joined me. Else that, nothing else.”

“I trust you, Lyla... so much. | know,” he muttered, coming to lie besideon the bed. Our eyes met and the

tension melted away as we leaned into each other. He captured my lips pullingcloser to him in a passionate

kiss. We kissed for a while, until he pulled back, breathing unevenly.

“We should stop,” he said quietly.

I nodded, lowering my flushed cheeks.

Then, he cupped my face and brushed his thumb against my cheek. “I've been thinking. he said. “We need to do

this right, Lyla. We should get married as soon as possible.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “Married?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “That way, you can decide what you want to do about your life back in the human world. |

don’t want you to feel torn between this life and the human world. Whatever you decide, I'll support you. But |

want us to be official before you make any big decisions.”

| blinked in surprise, then laughed. “I'd almost forgotten about that world, to say the truth.”

He smiled back. “Well, | haven't. And I'll wait as long as it takes, but | don’t want to wait any longer than | have

to. I'm worried that if Paul should see you again...” he trailed off, drawing a quiet laugh from me.

“You're overreacting as usual and you don’t have to worry about Paul either. He's probably lost. interest by now.

I've left him on read too many times and, this weekend,” | paused. “Let's get married this weekend.”

Nathan blinked in astonishment, as he stood and started pacing the room. He broke into a grin after a few

seconds. “This weekend? That's only four days away! There's so much to prepare...”

| laughed. “We don’t need anything elaborate. I'll ask my mother if | can use her wedding gown. We can keep it

simple.

Nathan stopped pacing and turned to facewith excitement on his face. “Don’t worry about at thing. I'll take

care of everything. | best go started preparing.”

He leaned down to kiss my forehead before leaving the room.

That evening aft

after | was done resting, | decided to go to the Alpha house. When | arrived, | met Clarissa relaxing on the porch.

“What are you doing here?” Clarissa asked when she saw me.

toa

163 New bogatungs

“I'm looking for mom,” | replied, ignoring the rudeness in her voice.

“She’s in the garden, Clarissa said, jerking her head toward the back of the house. “You might want to catch her

before she gets too engrossed.

| thanked her and made my way to the garden. | found her kneeling in front of a flower bed, wearing garden

boots, gloves and a wide-brimmed hat as she pulled the weeds. | hesitated, unsure if | should disturb her. Just as

I turned to leave, she called out to me.

“Don’t just stand there. Cand help.”

Smiling despite myself, | joined her, kneeling beside her and pulling weeds from the flower beds. The work was

calming and for the first tin years, | felt a sense of connection with my mom.

“How are you feeling?” she asked after a while. “I heard you were sick.

My hands stilled as tears welled in my eyes at the unexpected show of concern - the first in what felt like forever.

To others, it might be such a simple question, but coming from my mother, it carried so much weight. “I'm better

now,” | said softly.

“That's good, she paused and looked at me. “I heard you did so well during the festivals too.”

We continued to chat, talking about several things at the stime. Finally, she straightened and rose to her

feet, wiping her hands on the garden apron she was wearing.

“Clarissa mentioned that Natahn proposed to you,”

| looked up, surprised. | was just here thinking of how | would raise the topic. “Yes, he did.”

Her lips curved into a smile. “Congratulations, my dear. It's about twe had something to celebrate. We have

a wedding to plan.”

| hesitated, before admitting. “We're planning to do it this weekend. We just want something small.”

She paused, removing her garden gloves. “Why the rush?”

“You could say we're impatient, | blushed, hiding my face. “And it seems like the right thing.”

“Okay!” she shrugged. “Let's make it happen.

We stayed silent for a few minutes before | ventured again. “Mom, would it be okay if | wore your wedding

gown?”

Her eyes softened. “It would be my pleasure. And, she added softly. “I'd be honoured if you'd letwalk you

down the aisle.

The offer caughtoff guard, and tears spilt down my cheeks. “I'd love that, Mom. It's going to be the best day

of my life.

She nodded, her eyes going cold for a second before she nodded and said. “You have no idea.