The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger. Chapter 265 265: The uprising

Ramsey

Pure rage simred like boiling water as I stord through the courtyard.

My boots kicked up gravel with each angry stride. My Lycan – Lax was clawing at my insides, and my ribs. He was moving around restless and agitated, growling to be let out, run, and hunt.

It had been nearly three days—seventy-two excruciating hours—since Lyla had disappeared, and my control was slipping by the second.

"Ramsey, please!" Lenny called from behind . "Just stop and listen for a mont!"

I kept walking. If I stopped, if I faced him right now, I couldn't guarantee what would happen. My hands were already trembling, claws threatening to burst through my fingertips.

"Ramsey! Ramsey, wait!"

His footsteps pounded against the ground as he ran after .

He finally caught up, darting in front of and planting himself directly in my path. His face was flushed, eyes pleading.

"You need to calm down and listen to . Please."

"Listen?" I snarled, feeling my canines elongate slightly. "You want to listen? After you encouraged Lyla to leave the pack and go into the Northern Forest alone?" I closed in on him, forcing him to step back. "It's been nearly seventy-two hours, Lenny. No word, no scent, no sign of her anywhere. And you want to listen?"

My Lycan, Lax, was practically howling inside , begging for a run—or better yet, for blood. I could feel him pacing, a massive shadow cast across my consciousness, his rage mirroring my own.

"I did not encourage her," Lenny insisted, his voice rising with exasperation. "It was all her idea, Ramsey. She wanted to do sothing for you. She was convinced that if she got her power back, she could help you with the Ferals."

"And you let her go?" I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots in frustration. "You knew she wasn't strong enough yet. You knew the dangers, and still—"

"Where is she?" I suddenly shouted, my voice echoing across the courtyard. Several pack mbers nearby flinched and hurried away. "Where the fuck is she, Lenny?"

I grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly. "By the gods, if Lyla doesn't co back to in one piece... I swear I'm going to do sothing rash to you."

Lenny didn't struggle against my grip, didn't try to defend himself. The resignation in his eyes only fueled my anger. He'd known it was a mistake, and he'd let her go anyway.

"Alpha."

A voice called from behind . I turned, still gripping Lenny's collar, to see Gamma Dairus approaching us. His face was carefully composed, but there was an urgency in his stride that instantly put on alert.

He stopped a respectful distance away and bowed his head. "I need to speak with you, Alpha. Alone."

I released Lenny and nodded curtly. "Go ahead."

Darius remained silent, his gaze flicking to Lenny and then back to . The ssage was clear.

"I said go ahead," I repeated, irritation creeping into my tone.

"The information is for you alone, Alpha," Dairus emphasized, his eyes still fixed on Lenny pointedly.

Lenny scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm one with Ramsey. There are no secrets between us." He turned to Dairus with narrowed eyes. "I've noticed you're fond of excluding from information like this. I won't tolerate it anymore."

Darius didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge Lenny's words. He simply continued to stare at him with that sa pointed expression.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I knew from experience that Darius wouldn't speak until Lenny was gone. The last ti sothing like this had happened, I'd refused to send Lenny away, and Darius had left with crucial information—information that had eventually cost the pack a significant amount of money.

Since his son died in the last Feral attack, Darius had beco... selective about which orders he followed to the latter. His loyalty to the pack remained unquestionable, but his thods had changed.

"Lenny," I said quietly, "give us a mont."

Lenny turned to , disbelief etched across his face. "You can't be serious."

"Just a few minutes," I assured him, though my patience was wearing thin. "I'll fill you in afterwards."

He looked like he wanted to protest further, but after a tense mont, he simply shook his head and walked away, his shoulders rigid with indignation.

Once Lenny was out of earshot, Dairus closed the distance between us, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. "There's soone on the line who might know where Luna Lyla is."

My heart lurched against my ribs. "What? Who?"

Instead of answering, Dairus simply handed the phone, his expression unreadable.

With trembling fingers, I brought the device to my ear. "This is Ramsey."

The mont I placed it to my ear, a feminine voice spoke.

"Good evening, Alpha Ramsey."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

The female voice on the other end was smooth, almost amused. "What would you do if I told you your fiancée is here at Blue Ridge, and from everything that's pointing to, she might warm my husband's bed tonight?"

My blood froze in my veins.

My stomach curled with dread, imdiately.

I opened my mouth, but nothing ca out.

The woman let out a soft chuckle.

"By the way," she continued lightly. "My na is Clarissa… Lyla's sister."

The na registered in my brain imdiately. I knew Clarissa at a passing glance. We've t on several occasions both in their pack and outside her pack. Aside from the obvious jealousy against Lyla which she wore like a Neon, Clarissa seed reliable. We've never had the ti to converse one on one. So, I was surprised to see her here.

"Where is she?" I demanded, gripping the phone so tightly I heard the plastic crack. "If you or your husband have hurt her—"

"Oh, she's perfectly fine." Clarissa's tone was casual, almost boring. "Or at least, she was when Nathan brought her in. I haven't actually seen her myself but I heard she was covered in dirt from head to toe and had so injuries."

My mind raced. "What do you an, 'brought her in'? Was she taken against her will?"

"I wouldn't know the details," she said. "I just thought you might want to know where your precious Luna has ended up. Especially given Nathan's... intentions toward her."

A growl built in my chest, rumbling up my throat. "If he touches her—"

"You'll what?" Clarissa interrupted. "Storm Blue Ridge? Declare war on one of the most powerful packs in the region? I'm sure that would end well for everyone involved."

I began pacing, my free hand clenching and unclenching. "Why are you telling this? What do you want?"

There was a pause, and when Clarissa spoke again, her voice had lost so of its smugness. "Let's just say I'm not as loyal to my husband as he believes. Nathan has... disappointed . And I've always been fond of my sister, despite our differences."

"Tell where she is," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Exactly where in Blue Ridge."

"She's being kept in Nathan's room as his guest." Clarissa's voice dropped to a whisper. "But you need to know sothing else. Nathan is planning his coronation for tomorrow. He intends to use Lyla—to claim her as his Luna and use her Moonsinger abilities to legitimize his ascension to Alpha Leader.

Everything was beginning to make sense now... If Nathan succeeded, if he managed to bond with Lyla and draw on her power, he could convince the other Alphas and fuel their rebellion against . I can't believe I've missed this all along.

"When?" I demanded. "What ti tomorrow?"

"Noon," Clarissa replied. "But Ramsey..." Her voice turned serious. "Nathan isn't alone in this. He's ford alliances with the core Alphas of the South, North, East and West. They're all there right now, celebrating what they believe will be a new era. If you co charging in without a plan, you won't just be facing Blue Ridge."

My mind was already racing through strategies, calculating risks, and mapping out the Blue Ridge territory in my head. "Why should I trust you?"

Clarissa laughed softly. "You shouldn't. But you also don't have many options right now, do you?"

She was right, and we both knew it.

"One more thing," she added. "Nathan has been preparing for this. He's assembled a military response team, ready to deploy at a mont's notice. Be careful how you approach this."

Before I could ask anything else, the line went dead.

I lowered the phone slowly, my body shaking with a dangerous mixture of rage and fear. Lyla was alive—that was the most important thing—but she was in the hands of a man who would use her, drain her power, and possibly destroy her in his quest for power.

I handed the phone back to Dairus, my decision already made. "Gather the elite warriors. We move on Blue Ridge tonight."

Darius nodded once, no questions asked. "And Beta Lenny?"

I glanced in the direction Lenny had gone, conflict churning in my gut. Had he known? Had he sohow been involved in this? The timing of Lyla's disappearance, his insistence that it was her idea...

"For now, tell him nothing," I decided. "Until I know exactly what happened, he stays in the dark."

As Dairus left to carry out my orders, I tilted my head back to look at the darkening sky. The moon would be full tomorrow night—perfect for a coronation.

Or a war.

"Hold on, Lyla," I whispered to the gathering shadows. "I'm coming for you."