The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. - Chapter 287

Chapter 287: Escape to Golden Gates…
Clarissa

Finally, when we were well away from the search party, we slowed down and continued at a normal pace.

“How did you find her?” I asked as we ducked under a low-hanging branch.

“I’ve been watching the pack house, keeping tabs on Nathan’s movements,” Jeremy replied in a low voice. “When I saw the search parties heading out, I followed at a distance. Found Lyla stumbling away from the shelter, barely able to stand.”

We reached a dense thicket, and Jeremy pushed aside some branches to reveal a small natural hollow. There, curled on her side and covered with Jeremy’s jacket, was Lyla. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow.

I rushed to her side, pressing my hand to her forehead. “She’s burning up.”

“The wounds are infected,” Jeremy said grimly. “She needs medical attention, but we can’t risk taking her to the pack healer.”

Lyla’s eyes fluttered open at my touch. “Clarissa?” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

“I’m here,” I assured her. “We’re going to get you somewhere safe.”

“Nathan—”

“He doesn’t know where you are,” I promised. “We’re leaving Blue Ridge tonight.”

Jeremy knelt beside us. “My truck is parked about a quarter mile east, hidden off the old logging road. If we can get her there, we might have a chance.”

“I can walk,” Lyla insisted, attempting to sit up before collapsing back with a groan.

“No, you can’t,” I said firmly. “Beta Jeremy, can you carry her?”

He nodded, carefully gathering Lyla into his arms. She weighed almost nothing, and in Jeremy’s big arms, she seemed like a child.

We moved as quickly and quietly as possible through the forest. Twice, we had to freeze and take cover as search parties passed nearby. Jeremy’s knowledge of the terrain proved useful—he knew exactly where to hide and which paths to avoid.

The old truck was exactly where he’d said it would be, concealed beneath a canopy of branches. Jeremy carefully placed Lyla in the backseat while I climbed in beside her, cradling her head in my lap.

“There’s a first aid kit under the seat,” Jeremy said as he started the engine. “And water in the glove compartment. Try to get her to drink if she wakes.”

The truck rumbled to life, mercifully quiet for its age. Jeremy navigated the old logging roads with practiced ease, avoiding the main routes where we might be spotted.

“Where are we going?” I asked, dabbing Lyla’s forehead with a dampened cloth I’d found in the first aid kit.

“Away from Blue Ridge,” Jeremy replied, his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. “I can get you as far as the White Mountains border. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Why not come with us?” I asked. “Nathan will know you helped us escape.”

Jeremy’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “My place is with the pack. Someone needs to stay behind, someone who knows what’s really happening. I might be able to buy you some time, throw them off your trail.”

The selflessness of his actions struck me. “You could be killed,” I said quietly.

“I’ve lived a long life, Clarissa”, he replied with a grim smile. “Do you know what your father asked me to do on his death bed? He could have asked for anything, but he said I should take care of his girls. No matter how chaotic things would become at some point since he didn’t have an heir, I should take you, your mother, Lyla and Miriam away from Blue Ridge to any place. So, I am doing this for Logan, and I’ve failed my son. Maybe this is how I make amends.”

After that, we drove in silence, the truck bumping along rarely used back roads. Lyla drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally muttering names I didn’t recognize. I kept the damp cloth on her forehead and tried to get her to sip water when she came to consciousness.

After what felt like hours, Jeremy pulled the truck to a stop. “This is as far as I go,” he said. “We’re at the border of Blue Ridge territory. White Mountains is about fifty miles that way.” He pointed east.

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it more than I’d ever meant those words before. “For everything.”

Jeremy reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Take the truck. I can make my way back on foot.”

“Nathan will know you helped us,” I said again.

“Let me worry about Nathan.” He handed me a small bag. “There’s money, a map, and a burner phone in there. Don’t use it unless absolutely necessary—they might be able to track it, and no matter what, stay away from Blue Ridge for now. I will see that your mother and your brother leave too. A big fight is coming, Clarissa.”

I wanted to smile at his description of ‘the war coming’ as a big fight. Beta Jeremy still thinks I’m a baby.

I nodded and took the bag. I didn’t know what to say at this point, so I hesitated. “Beta Jeremy… please look after my mother and baby brother.” My voice caught slightly. And Nathan, if you can.”

At the mention of Nathan, Jeremy shook his head sadly. “I’m not so sure about Nathan anymore. Whatever’s controlling him—this Xander that Lyla mentioned—it’s powerful. I’ve tried reaching my son, but there’s nothing of him left in those eyes.”

The admission clearly pained him, this proud father who had dedicated his life to serving the pack and raising his son to be Alpha.

“You have two options from here,” he continued, visibly pushing aside his grief. “You can head to Golden Gates Pack and try to find Miriam. She would be at the Moon Temple for sure. I took her there myself. That would be my advice, given Lyla’s condition. She needs help soon.”

“And the second option?” I asked.

“Continue to White Mountain region. I’m sure Ramsey would have time for his mate and would be grateful to you for bringing her back. The only problem is that it’s far, and they’ve recently experienced Feral attacks. I’m not sure they’re allowing many outsiders in or out these days.” He glanced at Lyla. “Given her condition, Golden Gates is your best bet.”

I nodded, memorizing the directions he gave me. When he finished, Jeremy leaned into the truck and gently touched Lyla’s forehead.

“You’re stronger than you know,” he told her, though I wasn’t sure she could hear him. “Both of you are.” He looked up at me. “Take care of each other. The future of all packs may depend on it.”

With that, he stepped back and closed the door firmly. I climbed into the driver’s seat, adjusting it to accommodate my shorter legs.

“Thank you,” I said again through the open window.

Jeremy simply nodded. “Go now. And don’t look back.”

I started the engine and pulled away, watching in the rearview mirror as Jeremy’s figure grew smaller and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. A wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm me—gratitude, fear, and uncertainty all mingled together.

In the backseat, Lyla stirred restlessly, muttering something that sounded like “Nymeris.” Her temperature seemed to be rising despite my efforts with the damp cloth.

I turned the truck onto the road that would lead us to Golden Gates Pack. Miriam—Lyla’s mother—was our best hope now.

As I drove through the night, my concerns grew. Lyla’s condition was deteriorating rapidly. She alternated between periods of delirious muttering and alarming stillness. Sometimes, she would thrash suddenly, fighting invisible enemies, crying out names and phrases I didn’t understand.

“Neriah… stop them… the moon…” Her words made little sense, fragments of prophecy and nightmare blending together.

I found another cloth in the first aid kit and soaked it with the bottled water, placing it on her forehead. The previous one had grown warm from her fever.

“Hold on, Lyla,” I urged her. “We’re getting help.”

The truck ate up the miles, but Golden Gates still seemed impossibly far away. I pushed the vehicle as fast as I dared on the unfamiliar roads, constantly checking the rearview mirror for signs of pursuit.

My mind raced with questions and fears. What would happen when Nathan discovered we were gone? Would Beta Jeremy be able to cover our tracks, or would he pay the price for his betrayal? And what about my mother and little brother, left behind in a pack that was about to be plunged into war?

The baby growing inside me seemed to make its presence known, a reminder of all that was at stake. I placed one hand protectively over my stomach, a gesture that was quickly becoming habitual.

“We’re going to be okay,” I whispered, unsure if I was reassuring Lyla, my unborn child, or myself.

It was almost daybreak when Lyla’s condition became worse. Her thrashing became more violent, her cries more desperate. When I reached back to check on her, her skin was burning hot to the touch.

“Lyla, please,” I begged, trying to be strong “You need to hold on. We’re almost there.”