The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 218

Chapter 218: The gathering storm…
Lyla

I woke up to an empty bed and a delicious ache all over my body. The space beside me was still faintly warm from where Ramsey had been. The air in the room was still heavy with his scent and for a moment, I lay there staring at the ceiling trying to shake off the remnants of sleep and the after-effect of our lovemaking this morning.

Despite all his talks about preserving our strength for today, we succumbed to our desires sometime this morning. I had stirred to him in between my head, giving me solid licks till my legs quaked with want. It was the sweetest one hour of my life ever.

I must have fallen asleep afterwards but not before I heard Ramsey whispering how much he loves me and how much he wanted me every day. A small smile lingered on my lips as I stretched lazily, was I allowed to be this happy?

A sudden knock on the door startled me.

I sat up groggily, rubbing my eyes and pushing my tangled hair away from my face. Another knock followed, more insistent this time. Swinging my legs over the bed, I picked up a discarded T-shirt on the ground slipping it on before padding barefoot toward the door, pulling it open.

Seth stood outside, flanked by several maids carrying various supplies. He gave me a polite nod. “Good morning, Miss. You need to get ready. The maids will assist you.”

I rubbed at my tired eyes again before nodding, still fighting off the last vestiges of sleep. The maids swept into the room. I went back to the bed and watched as they arranged some of the supplies they had carried in a space in the room before they went to the attached bathroom.

They filled the bathtub with running water and the sweet scent of bath oils before they came to me and ushered me toward the bathroom.

The next hour passed in a blur of warm water and gentle hands. They scrubbed my skin until it glowed pink, and washed my hair with scented shampoo, before massing fragrant oil into it. The ritual was both calming and rejuvenating – I hadn’t been taking care of like this in a long time and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Once they were done, they patted my body with soft, dry towels before leading me out of the bathroom. Waiting in the bedroom was a simple, yet elegant outfit. They helped me put it on, smoothing down the fabric and adjusting the sleeves. As they helped me, I couldn’t help but notice the tension in their shoulders, and the way they avoided meeting my eyes directly.

When they were done, I was about to thank them when one of the maids whispered to me. “Please wait here!” and then practically hurried out of the room with the rest.

I sat on the edge of the bed, nervously tracing patterns on the blanket. I know today was a big day, but I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted to remain in a happy euphoria and not go into full panic mode. After a while, the door opened again and Lenny entered the room.

His expression was unreadable as he approached me. I stood up immediately.

“Hi, good morning,” I greeted.

“Good morning, Lyla. Are you all ready and dressed up? Do you want something to eat?”

Now, Lenny has always treated me with nothing short of respect. He was Ramsey’s Beta and Beta’s served their Alphas and no one else, there’s this blanket of peace that always settled over me whenever he was around. I couldn’t tell if it was because of how calm his demeanour was always or something else.

But I’d always feel comfortable around him. But today, his usual easy smile was replaced by a serious expression that made my stomach clench.

“I’m too nervous to eat. Perhaps, after the meeting,” I replied.

He nodded. “We’re leaving now.”

I smoothed my dress, knowing where we were going but I still asked. “Where are we going?”

“To the White Mountain Council Hall,” he said without preamble. “They already know you’re no longer in the holding cells and they’re quite pissed about it. So, if anyone asks, you were released by the direct order of the Lycan Leader. And no matter what, do not let them get under your skin, no matter what they say.”

“Okay,” I agreed, though uncertainty gnawed at my insides.

The drive to the Council Hall felt like the countdown before a bomb explosion. In less than five minutes, we were already within the area and were driving down to the hall itself. Deciding, that I needed some form of moral support and backup, I pulled out my phone and dialled Nanny’s number.

No answer. I tried again and again – nothing but endless ringing and going straight to voicemail I tried one last time but there was no answer. A sense of unease crawled up my spine. Scrolling through my contacts for who I could call, I decided to call Beta Jeremy.

He answered on the first ring, his voice was gruff and tired. “Hello?”

“Beta Jeremy,” I started, fighting to keep my voice calm. “I’ve been trying to reach Nanny. Do you know where she is?”

“Probably resting,” he replied curtly.

Something about the way he said it didn’t sit right with me. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he snapped. Then, after a beat, he sighed. “She’s fine, Lyla.”

“Oh… okay.” Silence fell between us, heavy with a lot of unasked questions. My mind raced with all the things I wanted to know, all the fears that were lodged at the back of my mind, waiting to be answered but something in his tone told me I wouldn’t get any more answers.

“Okay,” I murmured before hanging up.

The rest of the ride was done in silence. My fingers were curled into my lap as I watched the scenery shift outside the window without seeing it. Stories of the White Mountain Council breaking even the most hardened of people and giving brutal justice filled my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

It was worse for me because I had no idea why I was being invited.

When we finally arrived at the White Mountain Council hall – as we drove into the compound, my eyes widened at the sight before me. The usually bare building was surrounded by vehicles bearing different pack colours – more than I’d ever seen in one place before.

The entire area was swarming with different Lycans from different packs. The sight alone sent a bolt of anxiety through me. I felt like the only Werewolf present there.

My fingers curled around the edge of my seat as I turned to Lenny. “Why are there so many people here?”

He kept his eyes fixed on trying to drive to the entrance of the building, his knuckles were white on the steering wheel. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer but he let out a heavy sigh.

“Today is going to be a long day, Lyla,” he murmured.

“A long day? Why? What exactly am I walking into?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he brought the car to a stop in front of the imposing building. Through the windshield, I could see the Lycans mingling with grim expressions. Some turned to stare at our arrival and I felt like a dwarf – they were so tall and huge.

“Brace yourself, Lyla. They’re accusing you of a lot of things.”

My heart sank. “Accusing me?”

“Not just one accusation but several. You have to do as I told you. No matter what, do not allow their words to get to you. Once it does, you might be forced to confess to a crime you didn’t commit.”

“What of Ramsey?” I ask, taking off my seatbelt. “Why isn’t he here?”

“He’ll join us later on. It’s not him you should worry about, Lyla.” Lenny turned to look at me. “A lot of things would happen today, revelations, and all but we have no idea how they’ll turn out, so for now, we cannot correctly guess how it’s going to be but my advice for you is to answer the questions logically or make it seem like it’s the fault of the person asking but never go mute. Going mute means you agree with everything they’ve said.”

I nodded, realizing with growing dread. This wasn’t just a council meeting. This was a tribunal and I was the accused. Whatever charges they planned to level against me, they’d made sure to gather an audience.

My mind flashed back to Ramsey’s absence this morning, to Nanny’s silence, to Beta Jeremy’s gruff tone. Everything was connected but I couldn’t see the full picture yet.

As I stpped out of the car, I straightened my spine and lifted my chin. Let them gather their audience. Let them make their accusations. I’d faced their judgement before and survived. This time, I wasn’t the same naïve girl they could intimidate into submission.

But as I followed Lenny toward the entrance, watching the crowd part before us like water around a stone, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that this time might be different.

This time, they’d made sure to gather witnesses. And whatever they planned to accuse me of, they wanted everyone to see me fall.