The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Chapter 351: When victory becomes defeat

Lyla

When we arrived outside the gates that led to the White Mountain Region, the Ferals were already waiting for us.

They were scattered everywhere like sand, but our forces matched theirs this time. noveldrama

Ramsey came to stand next to me, reaching for my hand.

"Everything will go well today, my love. Try not to overexert yourself, no matter what. I’ll be with you every step."

I nodded. "I heard what you did," I said quietly, then turned to look at him. "Thank you for always thinking of me, Ramsey."

"If I don’t, who will?" he asked. "You’re worth more than anything, to me, Lyla. Even though you hesitate a thousand times, love me less or hurt me every single time, I love you more than I did a second ago."

"Seriously?" Lenny appeared behind Ramsey with a scowl on his face. "Do you guys want a room? You’re standing before your enemies literally, which you’d be fighting in the next few minutes, and you still know what it means to love? And that’s why you still love him, Lyla? Because of those cheesy lines?"

I laughed, agreeing with him. "The cheesy lines are the reason I fell head over heels. You know how Ramsey is."

Lenny smirked and then exhaled deeply. "This is going to be hard for me. This is the first time I won’t be fighting by your side, and I’m anxious. Can I trust you to take care of yourself, Ramsey? Maybe I should join your group?" he asked, staring at me.

"It’ll be too distracting for everyone. Our main goal is to protect Lyla. With you in the group, you might keep forgetting and look out for me only."

"Because that’s my job," Lenny sighed. Then clasped, Ramsey’s shoulders. "If we come out of this alive..."

"When we come out alive, Lenny," Ramsey insisted. "We’re going to win. I’m sure of that."

"Great!" Lenny nodded. "I’m going to name my new baby after you, Ramsey, and maybe it’s time for both of you to tie the knot finally."

"Yeah, whatever," Ramsey shrugged and patted Lenny’s back. "Meet you at rendezvous."

Lenny nodded before he moved away. I was half expecting Ramsey to bring up the topic of us getting married like Lenny suggested, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, he turned to my elite group and the former Ferals to address them.

Wasn’t that strange?

Ramsey would have loved to talk about nothing but remind me how we have to tie the knot and whatnot, and now he doesn’t care?

I didn’t have much time to think about it because somewhere in the clouds, more than a thousand drones suddenly arrived, flying towards the Ferals, who all stood, staring at the drones strangely.

Just when I wondered what the drones could be for, they began to release a chemical bomb that exploded in a green cloud.

"It’s a specialised compound developed by Terra and our healers to target the Feral physiology, and it spreads quickly through the air. We’re immune to it, but the Ferals are not," Ramsey explained.

Immediately, the Ferals began to drop on their hind legs, clawing at their throats and making painful noises.

"Now!" Ramsey shouted, raising his hand as a signal to other fighting groups.

The sun was high in the sky. I raised my hands towards the skies, feeling the familiar surge of my power through me as I channelled. But this time was different. I was using my pheromones.

Instead of the smelly, offensive odour I’d been so ashamed of, I controlled it, channelling it into every part of my body. I felt the babies inside me move, acting like an amplifier boosting my connection to the lunar magic beyond anything I’ve experienced.

Circe, Nanny, and the other priestesses were already connected to me, where they were. Their combined knowledge and experience helped me focus the raw power, shaping it into something our warriors could use.

One by one, the warriors began to shift. Ramsey shifted into his Lycan, and instantly, a blue-silver essence seemed to circle him like the other warriors. It was working.

Ramsey howled and received several responses from the other groups. By this time, the Ferals had already started attacking the drones flying overhead, while the remaining ones were rushing towards us, snarling.

Ramsey leapt in front of me, in his lycan form, crushing two ferals beneath him that had managed to escape the fighting group in front.

Circe’s group swept in from the east, almost at the rear of the Ferals, and began cutting through them like a blade through silk. Nanny’s team, which mainly included the Lycan Alphas, also swept from the opposite side, crushing the unsuspecting Ferals.

Thanks to Jemima’s work and Caius’s chemical bomb, the Ferals were weakened before we even engaged.

My connection to the lunar energy had drained their corrupted energy, making them sluggish and disoriented. They stumbled around the field like drunk humans, their usual deadly coordination completely shattered.

The battle was magnificent and terrible. Our enhanced fighters warriors moved with supernatural grace, every strike was precise and devastating. The Ferals were falling like dried leaves before us.

I maintained the power flow, feeling the energy drain from my body but pushing through the exhaustion. This was what I was born for. What all of us were born for.

The former Ferals formed an outside protective hedge around me, followed by my Elite Warriors and then Ramsey next to me. They were fighting Ferals that had escaped all the fighting groups.

I felt alive. I felt so connected to everything. So, in sync with the world.

Three hours later, every last Feral lay dead on the field.

My eyes were closed, so I didn’t notice until I felt someone tap me. When I opened my eyes, it was Ramsey.

"It’s over," he said quietly. "You can stop now."

Instantly, I disconnected from the bond between Circe and Nanny, cutting off the power flow. I staggered, but Ramsey caught me before I could fall, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me bridegroom style towards our rendezvous point.

A small clearing also served as a fortress in front of the great walls where we’d set up a temporary command tent. Our warriors filed in, dirty and bloodied but victorious. The mood should have been celebratory.

Instead, an uneasy silence filled the space.

Darren shook his head as he studied the tactical reports. "This is too easy," he said, his voice troubled. "That couldn’t be the war we prepared for."

I nodded, the same thought gnawing at me. "You’re right. We fought for almost three hours non-stop, but this feels like any other day to me, and The Dark One wasn’t with them."

"Where is he then?" Korin asked, still breathing hard from the battle. "Those Ferals were just foot soldiers. Cannon fodder."

"He’s been planning this for months," I said, pacing back and forth inside the tent. "Building his army, gathering power. He wouldn’t just throw it all away in one meaningless battle."

Ramsey stepped closer to me, his expression grim. "Unless this was never about winning that battle."

The realisation hit me now. "It was a distraction. He drew us out here while he—"

"While he what?" Circe interrupted, her eyes were filled with concern. "What is his real target?"

I felt the blood drain from my face. "The pack house. The shelter. All our families are—"

"No," Ramsey said quickly. "The shelter is too well protected. Even he couldn’t break through those wards."

"Then what?" I demanded. "What does he really want?"

Circe reached for my hand. "Lyla, what are we going to do? If this is what I think it is, we must retreat now. After fighting for three hours, our warriors would be...

The words were barely out of her mouth when an explosion rocked our tent.

The blast threw me backwards, my ears ringing so loudly I couldn’t hear my own screams. Thick smoke filled the air, burning my lungs and making my eyes water. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t respond; every muscle was locked in shock.

Through the haze, I saw Ramsey lying motionless on the ground a few feet away. Blood streamed from a gash on his forehead, staining the earth beneath him dark red. His eyes were closed, his chest barely rising and falling.

Circe lay crumpled against what remained of the tent’s support pole, her frail body twisted at an unnatural angle. Nanny was face down near the entrance, her grey hair matted with blood.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I looked around desperately. Half our warriors were down, some clearly dead, others moaning and writhing in pain. The lucky ones who were still standing ran around frantically, some with their clothes on fire, others trying to help the wounded.

This wasn’t random. This was a perfectly executed ambush.

My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I looked around, the chaos, the burning, the smoke... was this it? The vision I had. The field of dead people that had Ramsey and Nathan?

Is this how everything ends?