The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 273

Chapter 273: A throne. A bride. And a power…
Ramsey

When we arrived at the lower villages, the devastation that greeted me broke my heart. Homes were burned, their roofs collapsing on themselves. We were yet to recover from the damage done by Nathan and then this.

It seemed like we were in a never-ending cycle of doom.

Warriors fought desperately against the Ferals who seemed to be everywhere. They were snarling and lunging easily overpowering the throngs of warriors that faced them.

A child sobbed nearby, clutching a bloodied arm, her face was streaked with ash. A woman lay motionless on the ground, her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. My stomach churned.

“Ramsey!”

Lenny’s voice snapped me back. He pointed ahead, where a group of warriors had managed to push the Ferals back towards the tree line. One of the Feral seemed wounded.

“This is the Dark One’s doing,” Lenny said, his voice trembling with rage. “He sent them here.”

I nodded, my jaw was clenched so tightly it hurt. “He wanted to make a point.”

“A point?” Lenny frowned. “He wanted to destroy us.”

I didn’t know how to explain to Lenny that Xander was trying to tell me how it would be if I didn’t have Lyla beside me or the power of the White Moon Throne. So, I had to make a choice or this would be my fate.

The warriors were no match for the Ferals, at least without the help of a Moonsinger. I glanced back at the burning village, at the wounded warriors and the dead scattered on the ground.

Xander’s voice was still haunting me at this point. All I could hear was – the White Moon Throne. Cassidy. Power to rival Lyla’s Moonsinging. I had spent so long trying to protect my people to shield them from the chaos of war, and now I was on the brink of it.

Not just with Nathan but also with the Dark One and his armies and the only choice before me was Xander’s solution. But it was a gamble. One I couldn’t afford to lose.

“Ramsey,” Lenny’s voice was strained. “We need Lyla. If I had known this is how it was going to be…”

“You made the right choice, Lenny,” I shouted amidst the chaos. “She’s gotten her ability back.”

“Then we need her here.”

I looked at the battlefield, at the warriors bleeding for a cause they hardly understood, at the innocents who had paid the price of my choices.

“Gather the survivors,” I ordered, ignoring, Lenny’s concern. “Get the wounded to safety and let’s see if we can move them to the capital, we have better protection there. We need to reinforce the borders and regroup. No more surprises.”

“What we need is Lyla,” Lenny came to me. “Did you guys fight again?”

“No!” I said curtly, walking toward the crying girl and scooping her into my arms. Immediately, she stopped sobbing and placed her head on my shoulders.

“There must be a way to reach out to her and get her back to White Moon. I’ll call her or something…”

“That won’t be necessary.” I reached for my pocket and brought out an energy bar candy I always save for something to chew when I’m frustrated instead of resorting to drinking or smoking.

“Why?” Lenny’s voice was filled with frustration. “Listen, Ramsey… if this is a case of your ego at play, then you have to forget it. We almost died today. The Ferals retreated, we didn’t pursue them. Not a single casualty from them either. If this continues, we’ll go under. We need, Lyla.”

I didn’t answer him. I took the child to a small tent that has been set up by the healers on ground and was attending to the wounded.

“First-aid box, please,” I murmured to the attendant who immediately thrust what I wanted into my hand. I sat down on one of the pavement of a burned-down house and placed the child on my leg.

She turned to me, staring at me with curiosity and pain at the same time.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Tiara,” she replied.

“Tiara,” I smiled, wondering what it would be like if this girl was truly mine. If I would be hesitating over making a choice. “You’re such a brave girl. Can you tell me where it hurts?”

She nodded and pointed at her bleeding arm.

“Okay,” I flashed her another smile. “Can you wave at me at least?”

She shook her head. “It hurts.”

“Ramsey, are you even listening to me…” Lenny growled with frustration, then turned to the tent that had the healers treating people. “Hey, someone should come take this child…”

“She broke her arm, Lenny, I’m pretty sure I can fix her up,” I interrupted him. “I and Lyla can no longer be together. She’s taken the blood oath with Nathan. There’s nothing I can do.”

I took advantage of Lenny’s silence and started cleaning the girls wound, after giving her the candy and promising her that if she chewed on it with her eyes closed, it won’t hurt so much. After cleaning her wounds, I proceeded to probing the child’s arm giving her the second bar of candy.

“Don’t tell me, Ramsey,” Lenny shook his head. “You cannot really believe that Lyla would purposely do that. Purposely take the oath with Nathan. I’m sure something is wrong. You need to reach out to her.”

I signalled one nurse hovering around us with worried eyes to bring me cast sticks. After fixing them gently, I gave the child to the nurse, instructing that she be transported to the hospital immediately for other checkups before turning to Lenny who was clearly agitated.

“There’s no time, Lenny. Nathan is going to respond sooner or later. I’m sure he will not let whatever happened between me and him slide. Not to mention, Lyla clearly told me on the phone that she was returning the engagement ring. She has taken a side.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Lenny growled with frustration. “That is not possible. I’m sure there’s …”

“Help the healers to round up with the injured and dead. I’m returning to the pack house. I need to make a couple of calls and think things through.”

“If we can’t get, Lyla… we’re fucked, Ramsey.”

I patted his shoulder and flashed him a smile. “We aren’t. At least not yet. See you in a few minutes.”

I turned my back and started towards the path that led to the capital.

Nathan had Lyla. And now Xander had given me a choice.

A throne. A bride. And a power that could change everything.

The problem is… would I take it or not?