The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 175

Chapter 175: More Truths…
Ramsey

When Seth and I arrived at the festival grounds, our breaths were heavy, and our muscles were taut with anticipation. The path leading here had been eerily quiet, except for the distant hum of the festivals.

Overhead, the harvest moon hung low. It was half now…, but very soon, it would be full. The festival was in full swing now. Laughs echoed through the night sky as families gathered around the towering bonfire at the centre of the grounds. Children ran in circles, their shrieks of joy piercing the air, and couples danced to the rhythm of the soft tune playing in the background.

No one was running away from being attacked, neither were they shouting like they had been a few minutes ago. If anything, the noise I had heard was from a group of preteens playing in a corner.

Everything was fine.

“I don’t understand,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair as I scanned the crowd, still trying to see if they were distressed or if this was part of some trick. “This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered again. “Didn’t you hear when she said she saw some formless creatures attacking people? Or was the mistake on my side? I heard her clearly, I swear or did she say something else, Seth?”

Seth adjusted the ceremonial dagger strapped to his waist as he sheathed it again, his brows were furrowed too. I could tell he was as surprised as I was. “I don’t know, Alpha. I heard Cassidy say people were being attacked and then the shouts and all and also something about the attack being her fault. But there’s no sign of panic, no commotion. If something happened, you’d think we’d see it by now.”

I nodded, listeless still looking around. “Something’s not right, Seth. I don’t know what to make of all of these. I just know that Cassidy sounded so certain. She’s not that kind of person too. She wouldn’t resort to playing games like this, especially at this time. Plus I know the kind of person she is.”

Several pack members passing stopped to greet me with warm smiles and respectful bows, their eyes glowing either with admiration or pride as they stared at me but most of them were from White Moon Pack. Since it was just the Alphas from other packs that we had invited, I decided to invite everyone from my pack to make up for the scanty crowd we had.

I nodded absent-mindedly as I turned to walk away. Suddenly, Lenny’s voice called out. When I turned, I saw him running towards me together with three gammas. He had a surprised expression on his face as he came to me.

“Alpha, I came as soon as I could. But…” he stopped and looked around. “Everything seems normal. Your message was so urgent and we also heard screams too. I didn’t expect that it would be this.”

“My thoughts exactly. Cassidy ran into my room, a few minutes ago and said they were being attacked. Something about formless creatures doing the attacks but when we got here there was nothing except people just having the best time of their lives and I just checked, is it possible to get CCTV footage from minutes ago from the security department? I’m sure there’s an explanation for this.”

“I already did that,” Lenny replied. “Where is Cassidy? And Miss Lyla?”

One of the Gammas who had come with Lenny was bending now, sniffing something on the ground. Gammas are known for their excellent tracking skills and their abilities to tell almost any creature apart using their smell or anything at all. All they needed was just something tiny from the creature and they would be able to identify it.

“No strange scents. No signs of struggle and everything seems normal.”

“Maybe too normal,” Lenny muttered. “Alpha, where is Cassidy and Miss Lyla? I saw her a few hours ago and she mentioned helping the priestesses to prepare for the festival. Do you know if she’s done?”

“She was with me when Cassidy came…”

Lenny immediately, wiggled his eyebrow as if to question my motive but I shook my head. “She came for something else entirely. She sought me first to tell me something when Cassidy came.”

“And you left both of them together?” Lenny asked, staring at me as if I was a baby.

I froze as it dawned on me. Cassidy and Lyla, together in one room? Why didn’t I think of it? Without another word, I turned and started hurrying towards the pack house. I heard Seth tell the Gammas to stay behind while Lenny followed after me.

In a few strides, I reached the pack house and rushed to my room. My blood ran cold when the door was open. Rushing forward, I barged into the room and was surprised to see Cassidy lying lifelessly on the floor but there was no sign of Lyla.

Lenny rushed at Cassidy, checking her vitals while I searched around the room. There was no single trace of Lyla. I ran towards my closet, opening the drawers. I was frantic. I could feel Lax, panting with anxiety as if something had just happened too.

I went around checking the bathroom, at the corners and at every other place that I felt someone could hide but Lyla wasn’t there. I was looking for anything. Could it be that whatever Cassidy has seen, succeeded in tricking me away from the room before attacking both Cassidy and Lyla? Did it also take her?”

“What are you doing?” Lenny’s voice called out to me.

When I looked up, he was at the entrance of my closet looking at me. He had a quiet expression on his face.

“I’m trying to find her,” I responded automatically, closing the drawer.

“Seriously/” Lenny scoffed. “Even if she can fit into your drawer, I don’t think she would be bold enough to hide there besides, her scent is everywhere but here. I know you’re panicking…”

“I am not!” I retorted, glaring at him. “I’m just worried.”

“Fine, you’re just worried but you cannot show that you are worried. Your grandfather is heading here. I just got a mindlink from Seth and it doesn’t look good. Listen, I also asked some warriors to take Cassidy to the pack hospital. Her vitals are fine but you cannot mention Lyla. It’ll be suspicious.”

“Well, I should do something, go find her or something…” I murmured. “I’m tired of…”

The words were barely out of my mouth when the door of my room was pushed open and my grandfather stalked in shaking with anger. “Why are you still here?”

“Here?” I stared at him, confused at what he was raving about. “I don’t understand.”

“I just received an intelligence report that there’s a two-tailed wolf in the pack house. An Omega rushed to tell me. It attacked, Cassidy…”

“Cassidy?” my eyes widened with more surprise. “She didn’t look like someone that was attacked by a werewolf. More than anything, she seemed to have fainted and we already had her taken to the pack hospital.”

“And the two-tailed wolf?” My grandfather bristled, peering at his watch with impatience. “It’s almost time before the full moon comes out, if it does with that thing on the prowl then we might as well seek mercy in the hands of those Feral wolves.”

“No, Pop…” I shook my head. “If it’s the same two-tailed I saw then it’s come to save us…”

“You know the werewolf?” My grandfather stopped me, his tone was filled with disappointment as if I had committed a heinous crime. “You’ve been in contact with it and you let it go?”

I shrugged. “Yes. A few days ago, our surveillance caught her fighting and killing a lot of Ferals on our behalf. It’s not dangerous, Pop. I saw it. I know…”

In a flash, my grandfather covered the distance between us and landed a slap on my cheek. He was vibrating with pure, intense rage and hatred, such that I had never seen before. I didn’t even think he was capable of that sort of violence to me more than anyone.

“It’s not dangerous?” he shouted “Do you know what it did? I lost everything because of it. I lost my son – my perfect son, right here in this packhouse and you have the guts to sit there and tell me it’s not dangerous?”

“Elder Eldric,” Lenny came to stand in between us, I think you should walk away, you’re too angry to hold this conversation.”

“They’ve been dead for years, Pop,” I gritted my teeth, meeting his gaze coolly “It’s time you get over it and accept it and they died of a rogue attack. You cannot blame it…”

He moved forward, probably to hit me again but thankfully Lenny intercepted it.

“You foolish child!” My grandfather shouted. His voice was thundering through the room now. “Your father and mother were murdered in their sleep by a two-tailed wolf they had rescued from execution. They took pity on it and brought it here, nursed it back to life and what did they get… death!”