The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 162

Chapter 162: After everything we’ve shared?
Nathan

I leaned back in my office chair, phone pressed to my ear, with a smile tugging at my lips as Lyla’s voice filled the room through the phone.

The warmth of her voice was the only antidote to my endless tasks and preparations for the Harvest Moon Festival.

“I miss you, Lyla,” I said softly, sighing with longing that was becoming hard to suppress… “It feels like I haven’t seen you for ages.”

“I miss you more,” she sighed. “I honestly wanted to return as soon as I recovered, but the High Priestess would not hear a word of it. She insists I should wait until after the Harvest Moon Festival, and then I can go with you.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, glancing at the scattered reports on my desk. “You wouldn’t miss me if you saw this mountain of work I’m buried under. Everyone’s running around like their tails are on fire. We’ve enjoyed a week without any Feral threat; nothing has been sighted since then. So, we’re preparing for the festival. Patrols, food arrangements, the elders’ seating plan – it’s madness.”

“Sounds like fun to me,” she chuckled. “It’s not different here, though. We had some Priestess from the Moon Temple over yesterday, and I’ll be joining them in performing some barricade spells on the borders of the White Moon Pack. I heard they’ve been travelling to packs all over the region.”

“Yeah, they came to ours last week. It’s temporary. But you don’t have any powers; how are you helping them?”

“I wish I knew. They insisted, and they’ve been giving me this weird stare. One of them outrightly asked me if Nanny was my real mom.”

My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t know how long it would take until Nanny revealed the truth to Lyla. As much as I’ve been itching to tell her, it wasn’t in my place. Still, I was getting anxious by the day. The more Lyla blossomed into a woman, the more she was beginning to look like her mother.

“Don’t take it to heart… that’s how they all are,” I finally responded, trying to make light of the situation. “Anyways, you should brace yourself because when you become a Luna… there’ll be more work for you. The Elders are trying to pass it into law, something about letting women train and being managed by the Luna of every pack. They want to ensure everyone can defend themselves against the Feral attack.”

“Here, children from ages 6 are enrolled on a mini-training school that teaches basic defence skills and survival. But don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll not be as bad as it was predicted.”

“Yeah!” I murmured, drawing in a deep sigh.

“Hmm… are you sure you don’t want me to take over as Alpha for a day? You sound tired,” Lyla said.

“Tempting offer, but I’d rather have you here for other reasons,” my voice dropped slightly, making Lyla laugh again. Her light-heartedness eased the tension in my shoulders.

“Speaking of the Festival,” I continued. “Is there anything you want me to bring to White Moon Pack when I come? Anything at all.”

There was a pause from her end before she answered. “Just you, Nathan. That’s all I want.”

Ragnar growled with excitement as my heart swelled. “Done. I’ll wrap myself in a bow if that’s what it takes.”

We laughed together, talking about everything and nothing at once. I was happy, and something had changed. I didn’t know if it was the distance or something else, but Lyla was different to me from how she was before.

We’d spend hours on the phone talking, there’s been no mention of Ramsey… and I could feel the longing in her voice too whenever she spoke. Was she falling for me already?

“I wonder when the first snow of the year would start,” her voice broke into my thoughts. “It’s late this year.”

“I know it’s your favourite season of the year; don’t worry, it’ll come soon enough. ” As I leaned forward to adjust a document on my desk, the door to my office swung open without warning. Clarissa came into view with a bright smile on her face and a food basket beside her.

I sighed inwardly, knowing what it meant.

“Oh!” I said, feigning surprise. “Hold on, Ly. Clarissa just walked in.”

Lyla’s voice was curious but calm. “Oh? What’s she doing there?”

Clarissa entered the office fully, closing the door behind her. “Hello, Alpha,” she said cheerily. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, not at all,” I replied automatically, though something in me wished I’d said yes. “What brings you here?”

She lifted the food basket slightly. “I was trying out a new recipe and made way too much. I wanted to share some with you. Do you mind? And before you say no, I asked your father and your secretary, and she said you haven’t had anything since this morning.”

I nodded, glancing at the food basket before muttering into the phone. “Clarissa brought me some food.”

“Really? That’s so thoughtful of her,” Lyla replied warmly. “Thank her for me.”

“Lyla says thank you,” I relayed the message to Clarissa, then added reluctantly. “I should probably let you go. I’ll call back later, okay?”

“Sure, nighttime is better. I should be done with whatever I need to do here.”

Ending the call, I placed the phone on my desk, an uncomfortable silence settling over the office. Clarissa stood expectantly with the food container. I managed to smile as I took the food from her. “Thank you for his. You didn’t have to.”

“Of course I do. I don’t mind doing these little things, you know. If anything, I’m glad I can do it.”

I suppressed a sigh. This wasn’t the first time she was bringing me food. From the day that I saved her until now, she has brought me food and small gifts, sought me out for small favours, or found reasons to visit my office. I tried to discourage it gently without being rude, but it seems she didn’t get it.

“I’ll try it later,” I said, trying to put the container inside the fridge, but she stopped me.

“I’m dying to know if it turned out well. Can you take a few bites for me? Please…”

I wanted to say No, but that might lead to another argument. So, I just nodded. “Okay.”

I lifted the lid from the tray to reveal a steaming plate of roast vegetables and herb-crusted chicken. For one, it didn’t look like a new recipe, but it looked appetizing. I took a bite and offered her a small smile.

“It’s delicious. You’ve outdone yourself.”

She beamed and moved to the couch in my office, settling in like she belonged there. She didn’t look like she would be leaving anytime soon.

“I’m so glad you like it. Have you heard?” she asked.

I closed the lid of the container, hoping I still had a polite smile on my face. She was going to be my sister-in-law soon, so…

“Heard what?” I asked, frowning.

“I’m taking my mother’s place at the Harvest Moon Festival. The doctors want her to rest a lot since the baby would be due any day now.”

I blinked in surprise. “No one mentioned this to me.”

She shrugged. “I guess they just finalized the decision. It’ll be nice to represent my mother. You know, I’ve never been to White Moon Pack, particularly. This seems like the perfect opportunity.”

I nodded absently, already making a mental note to confirm the arrangement with my father. I returned my attention to the reports on my desk, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

But her next question caught me off guard. “Nathan, what exactly is your relationship with Lyla?”

My head snapped up. “What?”

“I’m just curious,” Clarissa said lightly. “You seem… close.”

I leaned back in my chair, choosing my words carefully. “Lyla means the world to me. I love her and hope to make her my mate someday.”

Clarissa’s smile faltered. She stared at me for a moment, then scoffed softly. “And what about me?”

I blinked, getting confused now. “I’m sorry. What about you?”

She stood and came to my desk. “Nathan, you’ve always been kind to me. All those times you took care of me, the gifts, the attention, the gestures, when I asked you what kind of woman you liked and wanted, you practically described me and the … kiss.”

I felt the blood drain from my face as I tried to process her words. “Clarissa, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Her voice was growing more insistent. “There’s no misunderstanding. I’ve felt this way for so long because you encouraged it. I waited for you to make your move, and then Lyla returned, and it was like I didn’t exist to you anymore.”

“Clarissa,” I said gently, standing from my chair. “I’ve always seen you as a friend – like a sister.”

Her face crumpled, and her voice rose in desperation. “A sister? How can you say that after everything we’ve shared?”