The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Deepest forms of energy…
Lyla

The room seemed cold as both Nathan and Ramsey turned to stare at me.

Nathan took a step forward, tightening his grip around my hand. “What are you talking about?”

The priestess ignored him, her eyes were fixed on me. “The Dark One doesn’t just steal power through physical force. He uses manipulation, intimacy and the deepest forms of energy connection which is sex…”

I felt the blood drain from my face. My legs wobbled, but for Nathan’s hold, I would have crumbled to the ground. It felt as if all the secrets I had safeguarded all these years were threatening to burst free.

“Tell me,” the priestess demanded, “What really happened?”

For a moment, I thought I would shatter. Snippets of everything that happened four years ago teased into my memory, threatening to crush it completely.

Ramsey moved closer, reaching out to touch my arm. “Lyla?”

I pulled away from him, trying to breathe. “I…” I started, then stopped. My voice was barely a whisper. “I can’t…”

The priestess softened slightly. “Child, whatever happened, you’re safe now and we will not judge you. If anything think of it as us trying to protect you but we cannot if you don’t tell us the truth.”

I looked at them – at Nathan’s gaze, filled with concern, at Ramsey’s blank stare and the priestess’s knowing eyes. My gaze moved past her to the Moon Priest who stood a little distance away from us. Our gaze met and slowly, he bowed his head and turned on his heels, exiting the hall.

Finally, it was just us.

People who won’t stand to gain anything with my confession.

I swallowed hard, hoping the lump in my throat would dissolve. “He found me,” I whispered, so softly they almost didn’t hear me. “Years ago, precisely around the time I left Blue Ridge for good.”

The priestess stepped closer. “Who found you, child?”

My hands began to shake. The memories I had fought so hard to suppress were clawing their way to the surface, desperate to be exposed.

“The Dark One,” I said, my voice breaking. “His name is Xander.”

“Lyla…” Nathan murmured and tried to reach for me but I moved away from his touch. I didn’t want to be comforted.

“I see,” the priestess nodded. “Before you say anything, his mark is on you. I can smell him all over you.” She paused and suddenly turned to Ramsey. “Alpha, do you know why those Ferals didn’t attack you on that day?” she asked. “Because you had Lyla’s scent on you.”

Ramsey’s eyes widened slightly. “What day?”

“From my vision, I saw you in a forest at White Moon Pack and Ferals came and sniffed you, even a Trinax… Do you know why they couldn’t harm you?”

He shook his head.

“I don’t know how but, Lyla’s scent is on you – the scent of the Moonsnger, her power… a bit of her power resides in you that makes Ferals and Trinax cower. I don’t know how that happened and neither would I probe but Lyla…” she turned to me again “Tell me the truth, did you … were you intimate with the Dark One?”

I shook my head, trying not to crumble. When I looked up, I saw Ramsey had a hurt expression on his face and Nathan… well, I didn’t know how to put to words his expression.

“No!” I shook my head. “We kissed, and he helped me out a lot during my heat but we were never intimate for some reason he didn’t want to, even when I tried to initiate it, he said he wanted to wait until we’re properly joined.”

The priestess nodded. “It seems he was being careful. The last time he was intimate with Neriah without getting bonded to her, she was able to unlock his energy points and therefore it was easy to take away his powers. Tell me, how did you meet him?”

“At my human school. He was human and we became friends. He showed me care, love and attention than I have ever gotten from anyone. He helped me during my heats especially and he would do this thing with an orb, that helped relieve the intensity of the heat.”

I inhaled deeply. “He was so good to me… too good that I didn’t believe he was evil, didn’t seem that way to me.”

The priestess sighed, giving me a contemplative stare.

“Can I see your back? Your spine precisely?” she asked suddenly making me confused. “I can smell him on you, Lyla but we need to confirm if his mark is on you or not before we make any conclusion.”

“Like r-right now?” I asked my eyes widening.

“Yes,” she nodded and motioned for me to turn and give her my back. I did as she instructed, trying to hide the blush on my face as she gently lifted my blouse. Nathan had the decency to turn but Ramsey stood there, gazing at me intently.

It took a shove from Nathan before he agreed and turned his back.

The priestess’s fingers traced my back delicately, I could feel her hands trembling before her voice reached me.

“You have his mark, Lyla,” she whispered. “You truly met him.”

She continued her examination. Her fingers gently traced my bones. Suddenly, she inhaled sharply. “Look,”

When I turned, there was a small mirror positioned to reflect my back and there – etched into my skin with a precision so perfect – were three distinct stars. They were not birthmarks or tattoos… and they seemed to shimmer under the glow of the light filtering through the windows of the hall.

“Three stars,” the priestess murmured. “Three stars is an indication that he has marked you. Like you know when you find your mate and he marks you…”

“Can we see?” Nathan asked, from his voice, I could tell he was dying of curiosity.

“If you want,” the priestess said quietly. Almost immediately, both men turned abruptly and rushed to where I was to see the mark on my body.

After a while, Ramsey asked. “What’s going to happen to her now?”

“Nothing except just like Neriah, the Dark One has fallen in love with her. Only those he loves he gives his mark. Thankfully, it’s only three stars. Had it been five, she would have been completely transformed and converted to the dark side and her essence merging with his,” the priestess said.

“I think I know how he took my powers and also…” I lowered my gaze swallowing hard. “There’s a possibility that I might have released his powers from whatever had held it. He told me himself that Neriah trapped him and he forced me to,” tears gathered at the corner of my eyes. “To bind me to him, thankfully, someone showed up and saved me.”

“You only activated one level of his power, Lyla. On the night of the Gemini moon, I saw the vision but he didn’t take your power that day,” she took a deep breath. “It appears he must have taken it using the orb and just so you know, your heat is a channel… like a portal that opens up and allows your powers to be channelled.”

Xander had made similar statements about me being powerful in my heat.

I recalled all the times he had forced me to hold the orb and the hot feeling that had emanated from it each time I held it.

“I had no idea honestly. I just thought he was being nice and we were dating at that time… so… it was the most natural thing to do and I didn’t… think I should question him.”

The priestess chuckled, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Lyla… you’re not the first Moonsinger to lose her ability to the Dark One. All the Moonsingers before you, including Neriah all lost their powers to him.”