The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 249

Chapter 249: Reunion at the oak tree…
Neriah

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

“Yes,” another warrior confirmed “She said she hasn’t been here long,” he pointed out. “If she’s been waiting for Thames, surely she would have seen the intruder pass by.”

All eyes turned back to me. I felt my mouth go dry. If I don’t answer correctly, I might be buried alongside the strange man.

“I was meditating,” I said, the half-truth coming more easily than expected. “When I meditate, I … lose track of time and my surroundings. If someone passed by, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Didn’t you just say you were waiting for Thames?” Their leader asked again.

Thames came to where I was and took one of my hands, placing tiny kisses on my knuckles before he let out an easy chuckle.

“Ah, well, she’s probably just flustered from being questioned and that’s enough, you all. I was with her. We had a slight quarrel and she came into the forest. We were together when I got a mindlink from the Alpha and I left her alone to wait for me,” he turned to me and gave me a small, reassuring smile. “Right?”

I hesitated, glancing at him before quickly nodding. “Yes, I must have misspoken.”

The warrior leader didn’t look convinced, but before he could push further, my father let out a huff of frustration.

“Enough of this nonsense,” he snapped. “How dare you insinuate that my daughter would know anything about that devil?”

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” the warrior leader quickly bowed his head and then turned to me. “I’m sorry, little miss.”

My father turned to me, studying my face for what felt like an eternity, his dark eyes boring into mine as if trying to extract the truth by sheer force of will. Finally, he made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat.

“Get out of my sight,” he hissed. “Return to the pack immediately. We will discuss your disobedience later.”

“Alpha, she wasn’t…”

“Not a word from you either, Thames. You know better than to let her wander off. Get out now!”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I dipped my head in submission and hurried away, careful not to look up at the oak tree as I passed. I could feel my father’s eyes on my back until I disappeared into the trees.

Only when I was well away from the clearing did I allow myself to slow down. My mind racing with the implications of what I had done. I had lied to my father, to the pack’s warriors. I had protected a stranger – possibly an enemy – for reasons I couldn’t fully understand.

And yet, despite the trouble, I would likely face, I couldn’t bring myself to regret my decision. For the first time in my life, I had acted solely on my own judgement, and my own instincts. There had been something in those forest-green eyes that had compelled me to help him.

A shiver ran down my spine, but it wasn’t from fear. It was an unfamiliar thrill coursing through my veins. A strange, electric thrill – the sensation of having taken the first step on a path of my own choosing. Whatever consequences came from this moment, they would be mine to bear, born from a choice that was truly mine.

For the first time, I felt I had truly done something meaningful, something that defined me as more than just the Alpha’s daughter. And despite the uncertainty ahead, I couldn’t help the small smile that curved my lips as I made my way back to the pack, the image of those vivid green eyes still burning in my memory.

~~~

I couldn’t go back to the forest until after three days. For some reason, my father limited movement outside the pack and warriors tripled on each entrance spot. Despite all my attempts to know what was happening, Thames had remained mute.

We’d barely had time for each other as he was constantly following my father around. Those three days, felt like torture to me. I was dying to know what that man was.

My bedroom felt like a prison cell as I paced back and forth. The walls seemed to close in with each passing hour. I’d tried subtle questioning at dinner, casual inquires during pack gatherings to some of the warriors I was friendly with, even attempted to eavesdrop on my father’s meetings – all to no avail.

The entire pack was operating under a strange tension that nobody would explain.

My break came on the morning of the fourth day. I had woken up earlier than before and was too tired to start my chores, so I just laid on my bed, thinking about nothing when I noticed movement in the pack.

The sun hadn’t even begun to lighten the horizon when hushed voices and hurried footsteps stirred me from rest. I peeked through my window and saw several alphas arriving, together with the Lycan Leader whom I recognized because of the crystal shinning on his chest.

But why were they arriving when it wasn’t even dawn?

My heartbeat quickened. This gathering could only mean something significant was happening – something my father hadn’t wanted me to know. With everyone distracted by the important arivals, this might be my only chance.

Quietly, I slipped into a pair of worn leather boots and threw a dark cloak over my nightdress. I crept through the silent house, careful to avoid the creaking floorboard outside my parent’s room. Once outside, I easily scaled the dwarf fence surrounding the pack house, dropping silently to the ground on the other side.

Most of the warriors were distracted by the commotion at the main hall, making it suprinsingly easy for me to navigate through the shadows between cabins. I held my breath as I darted from one hiding spot to another, staying low and moving swiftly.

The pack’s outer boundary came into view after running for a while – a line of wooden post embedded with protective runes that glowed faintly in the pre – dawn light. Two guards stood at the nearest exit, but they were engaged in animated conversation about the unexpected arrival of the Alphas.

I seized that moment, sliding through the gap between post while their backs were turned.

Finally, I left the pack territory and continued to the forest. My heart was beating from anticipation and thrill. The cool morning air filled my lungs as I ran, branches whipping past my face. Freedom – even if temporary – tasted sweet after days of confinement.

I didn’t know if the man would still be there; I doubted it, but something just felt right. I ran through the familiar path, deciding if I didn’t see him, I’ll come back home immediately before anyone missed me. Dawn was breaking now, painting the forest in soft hues of pink and gold, but it wasn’t yet bright enough.

Thirty minutes later, I arrived at the clearing that led to the oak tree and I stopped running. As I approached the tree, I paused when I noticed someone was there. The closer I got to it, the more my heart pounded with anticipation until the face clearly came into view.

It was the green-eyed man. He was leaning against the tree. He was dressed differently from the other day and his red hair was slicked back, revealing the sharp angles of his face.

I slowed down, suddenly conscious of my nightdress beneath the cloak, my messy hair and my breathlessness. The man lifted his head as I drew near and a smile spread across his face – the kind of smile that seemed to hold secrets behind it.

“Hello, Neriah,” he said, his voice was smooth like honey but with an underlying current that sent shivers down my spine. “Just the person I wanted to start my day with.”

I stopped several paces away, my heart hammering against my ribs. Up close, he was even more handsome than I remembered – inhumanly so. His eyes, seemed to glow with the ray of the streak of sunlight in the sky.

“You know my name,” I stated, trying to keep my voice steady.

His smile widened. “I know many things about you.”

“But I know nothing about you,” I countered, taking a cautious step forward. “Not even your name.”

“Names have power,” he said, straightening from his relaxed position against the tree. “But I suppose you’ve earned that much. You can call me Corvus.”

“Corvus,” I repeated, tasing the name. “Why are you here? Why was my father and his elite warriors chasing after you?”

His expression darkened momentarily before resuming its pleasant mask. “Your father and I have… history. Nothing for you to worry.”

“I think I deserve more than vague answers,” I said, surprising myself with my boldness. “I saved your life and my people has been on edge for days.”

“Perceptive,” he commented, stepping closer. “Another quality I admire in you and I knew you were going to save my life, either way.”

He was near enough now that I could smell his scent – something wild and unfamiliar that made something stir within me. Something not quite wolf, nor quite human.

“What are you?” I whispered.

His eyes gleamed with something dangerous and alluring. “Someone who could change everything you thought you knew about your world, Neriah. If you’re brave enough to listen.”