The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Rising tensions…
Ramsey

As Seth left to deliver the message, I was reluctant to leave. The unexpected arrival of someone connected to Miriam set off warning bells in my mind.

I studied her face. “Do you have any idea what this could be about?”

She shook her head. “No, But I’ll find out soon enough.”

I crossed my arms. “Do you want to see her?”

She exhaled, thinking. “I suppose I should. If she came all this way, it must be important.”

“Then let me go with you,” I said firmly.

She gave me a small smile but she shook her head. “I appreciate your protectiveness darling, but I should talk to her first. If something feels off, I’ll let you know.

I trusted Lyla’s judgment and she was right – we couldn’t put everything on hold for every surprise that came our way. Still, I didn’t like it but I also knew she could handle herself. I studied her for a moment before nodding. “Fine. But if she tries anything…”

“I’ll handle it,” she assured me, swinging her legs over the bed.

“And if anything seems off…”

“I will call you immediately,” she smiled, resting her palm against my chest.

I wasn’t convinced but I decided to let it go. I leaned in, stealing one last kiss before stepping back. “Be careful. Mind link me if you need anything. I’ll be in the garden with Lenny. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

She nodded. “You too. Tell me what Lenny says.”

I gave her one last look before turning and walking out of the room As I made my way down the hall, my mind raced with possibilities.

What did Terra want? And more importantly, how was she connected to Miriam?

Something told me that this visit wouldn’t be simple and I also had a sinking feeling that whatever it was – it was only the beginning.

As I turned towards the garden two questions now occupied my mind.

What was so urgent that Lenny needed to speak in person?

And what did the Moon Temple want with Lyla?

When I arrived at the garden, a small smile crossed my lips, it was the same garden, where I and Lyla had first declared our bond as mates and it held so many memories for me. I spotted the bench we had used that day and it drew a grin from me. It was so tiny… until today, I don’t know how we were able to fit into it.

I spotted Lenny on the phone, speaking in hushed tones and running his hand over his hair, the moment he saw me, he ended the call and hurried over.

“What took you so long?” he queried; his voice was tinged with impatience.

“There was a small hitch this morning,” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. “I had to take care of it. What’s wrong?” I studied his worried expression. “You look troubled.”

Lenny studied me for a moment before exhaling deeply. “Well, brace yourself because there’s trouble… lots of it. First of all, the food and spices including those fighting resources made specially for Ferals and Moonstones coming through the werewolf trade routes have been seized.”

I stiffened. “What?”

The moonstones were essential for our rituals, healing practices and reinforcing weapons. They were a crucial part of trade and power distribution in our world. If our supply chain was cut off, it would cripple us in more ways than one and the White Mountain region has been trading them with werewolf territories for generations. They were transported through waterways and roads that crossed multiple werewolf communities.

“The shipment. Every single one that was supposed to make it to White Mountains,” Lenny continued. “Since we rely heavily on the waterways and the roads that cut through various werewolf packs, every last crate was stopped and our messengers arrested.”

“Is there a reason for it? Didn’t we pay the toll fees? Did someone break some rules or breach their laws?”

Lenny shook his head grimly. “No, this isn’t about money or rules. My sources just informed me that most of the werewolf packs especially in the South and West are breaking away from the rulership of the White Mountain and the White Moon Throne.”

I went still.

Lenny continued. “They’ve officially declared that they no longer want to be a part of the Lycan World. And…” he hesitated. “They’ve chosen an Alpha Leader.”

A knowing smile crossed my face. “Let me guess – Nathan Tanner is the new Alpha Leader?”

Lenny exhaled, nodding. “How did you know?”

I folded my arms over my chest, chuckling. Everything was beginning to make sense pieced together. “Because none of the other Alphas would have had the resources or the backing to pull something like this off except for Blue Ridge. They’re the only werewolf pack that is not directly funded by the White Mountains. It makes sense they’d be the first to cut ties.”

Lenny looked frustrated. “So you’re not not surprised? You don’t even seem bothered.”

I sighed. “Honestly, I anticipated something like this. I knew it might happen eventually. I just didn’t anticipate them to declare an Alpha Leader. Nathan’s always been ambitious.”

Lenny came closer, his voice dropped to a whisper. “Ramsey, this is dangerous. If we don’t put a stop to this now, more packs will follow suit. It’ll be chaos. We have to act before it’s too late.”

“I know,” I nodded. “We can’t afford to be cut off from the werewolves. Despite what Nathan thinks, we need each other. That’s the only way we can maintain our balance and I know something must have aggrieved them so much that they decided to pull this off.”

Lenny scoffed. “Nathan doesn’t care. He wants to tear us apart.”

“Then I’ll reach out to them first,” I decided. “I want to try for a dialogue first and see how it goes.”

“A dialogue?” Lenny frowned. “You think they’ll listen?”

I gave a tight nod. “Nathan may be arrogant, but he’s not an idiot and for a Beta, he’s way smarter than an average werewolf Alpha and has always been that way. You cannot imagine what he did and the narrative he sold to Lyla. He practically told Lyla that I had him in the dungeon against this wish, but that wasn’t what happened. Nathan is a manipulator. He feeds on people’s emotions and runs with them. Who knows what he must have told these other Alphas that made them join him.”

“I don’t need you to tell me,” Lenny sighed. “So what do we do now? How do we go about it?”

“Nathan knows a complete severance from the Lycan world will make them vulnerable in the long run. If I can make him see that, we might have a chance to fix this before it escalates and do it quietly. I don’t want this blowing over. You know how our world is… they might get annoyed and things might blow out of proportion.”

Lenny didn’t look convinced. “Or you could just crush them before they get stronger. A little show of force that would put them in their place.”

“No,” I shook my head. “I won’t start a war if I don’t have to. We have a common enemy, maybe this is exactly what the Dark One wants, chaos and then coming in as our saviour. He would win easily. I need to speak with him first. Blue Ridge has always influenced werewolves, I’m sure Nathan is the one influencing everything.”

Lenny’s eyes narrowed. “Is it because of Lyla?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Lenny exhaled in frustration. “Ramsey, you can’t let your emotions dictate this. I get that Lyla is your mate and I respect that a lot. But these are her people. If they turn against us, what then? Will you still hesitate?”

I didn’t flinch. “I won’t hurt her, Lenny. She’s a werewolf at the end of the day, her pack, and her friend might have been the sole reason why all of these are happening. It will be awkward if I just go in without trying other methods. At least, until it’s clear that the other side is not agreeing to show remorse. I love Lyla… I want to please her.”

Before Lenny could argue further, Lyla’s voice burst into my mind through our bond. It was thick with tears and anguish.

“Ramsey…” she sobbed. “Please…”

My blood went cold. Lyla sounded so broken; her breath was shaky as though she was struggling to hold back her sobs. My entire body went rigid.

“Lyla?” I responded immediately. “What’s wrong my love?”

She sucked in a breath, trying to steady herself but her voice still trembled.

“Nathan – he… he’s had Nanny locked up in the dungeon for a month.”

Rage exploded in my chest as Lyla’s pain coursed through our bond and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Lax, snarled in fury, so violently that I had to suppress him from shifting and trying to take over.

That bastard.

Nathan Tanner had dared to imprison Nanny? My woman’s mother. Who had protected her, and cared for her when no one else, including me, had?

“Calm yourself, baby,” I whispered tenderly to Lyla. “I’ll come to you soon. Go back to the room and wait for me, okay?”

She agreed and the mindlink ended.

Lenny must have noticed the shift in my aura and asked immediately. “What is it?”

“Nathan locked up Miriam – Lyla’s mother. She’s been rotting in his dungeon for a month.”

Lenny’s expression hardened. “Son of a …”

I turned away, my mind was already spinning with plans. Reaching out for a peaceful resolution? That was still my first choice. But this? This changed everything.

Nathan had made it personal and I never let personal attacks slide.