The Alpha's Fated Outcast Rise Of The Moonsinger novel Chapter 257

Neriah

"You're going to throw everything away for a stranger? After everything your family has done for you?"

I flinched as if he'd struck me.

"My family is the reason why I'm trapped. My father asked me to reject you and marry the Lycan Leader's son. I am trying to find a way out of this mess and you stand there blaming me for things I know nothing about? Do you want it, Thames? Do you like that I am to be given to someone else who isn't you?"

For a moment, he didn't speak. The air between us crackled with tension.

"I trusted you," Thames whispered when he broke the silence. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Why didn't you prepare me in advance? Then we would have looked for a solution. Perhaps, you wanted it. The idea of ending up with someone like me, especially as you love the big packs with all the things they have different from us. The thought of becoming the Luna of the entire world must have appealed to you, Neriah."

My heart clenched painfully at the hurt in his voice. I opened my mouth, desperate to explain – to make him understand – but the words were stuck in my throat.

Corvus shifted behind me.

"You should go," he said quietly. "Both of you."

Thames's eyes flashed with fury.

"I'm not leaving without her."

Coruvs's gaze darkened, his body coiling with restrained power.

"I'm not asking."

My breath caught, fear prickling down my spine. I could feel the heat building between them – two predators on the verge of crashing.

"Stop – please," my voice broke as I stepped between them, my hands raised. "No one needs to get hurt."

Neither of them moved.

For a long, terrible moment, I and the forest held our breath.

Then finally, Corvus took a step back, melting into the shadows once more.

"You have until dawn," he murmured. "After that… you're on your own."

My heart clenched again as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving only the faint rustle of leaves in his wake. When I turned back to Thames, his eyes were still locked onto mine – haunted, angry… and betrayed.

"There's something you must understand, Neriah," he said quietly. "If your father knows you are associating with the Dark One…"

"He already knows," I cut him off. "But he won't tell me why I need not associate with him. Do you know? Besides, he told me his name is Corvus."

Thames avoided my gaze and reached for my hand. "Let's get out of here."

I didn't argue, I allowed him to guide me. We walked slowly until we got to the edge of the pack. Then Thames turned to me.

"Corvus… the Dark One is a Lycan gone rogue."

"A Lycan gone rogue?" I turned to him with a start. "I've heard of werewolves going rogue but not a Lycan going rogue."

"He was one of them, Neriah. A highly trusted warrior under the Lycan Leader's rule – a Shadowblade."

I paused and my eyes widened with shock. Shadowblades were secret assassins of the Lycan race. They operated from the shadows, doing the dirty work of the packs – eliminating enemies, covering up scandals, and protecting powerful bloodlines. They were loyal till death.

If Corvus was one of them, then why did he turn against them?

"I thought they're bound to the Lycans and must always be Loyal. Why did he turn against them?"

"He became power-thirsty, I guess and due to the bond that comes with the position, he turned into something else. That's why he's something strange. For a while now, he has been recruiting people with him to turn against the Lycan race. Bottom line, it's more complicated than I am saying right now but you should stay away from him."

I nodded. "Then what does it have to do with me specifically? My Father said I cannot allow Corvus to have me. What does that mean?"

Thames shrugged. "I don't know. No one discusses these things, Neriah. It's like a taboo topic."

Even if Thames knew, he wouldn't tell me. Somehow, the story about him suddenly turning into something else didn't make sense to me and I knew if there was one person who could answer my question it would be Corvus himself. _{freewēbnoveℓ.com}