The Alpha's Fated Outcast Rise Of The Moonsinger novel Chapter 291

Lyla

The scene that greeted me was chaos.

Three young girls in white robes lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath their still forms. Several more were backed against the temple wall, their faces frozen in terror as Ferals advanced on them.

In the center of the courtyard, Ramsey is fighting desperately against three massive Ferals who surround him. Despite his Lycan strength, he was outnumbered and already wounded, adding to the previous wounds and exhaustion he hadn't healed from. Fresh blood was now streaming down his face and arms.

Without hesitation, I step forward, placing myself between the cowering girls and the advancing Ferals.

As if sensing my presence, every Feral turned towards me simultaneously. What happened next came as a shock even to me, questioning everything I already knew about these creatures—they stopped. Their aggressive posture softened, and their heads tilted in my direction as if they recognized who I was.

"Hey, babies," I say softly. "Long time no see."

The nearest Feral makes a sound halfway between a whine and a growl. They're looking at me with unexpected awareness in their eyes, something beyond the mindless hunger that typically drives them.

Following pure instinct, I began to sing. The melody was different from my healing song—it was darker and resonated with some deep ancestral memory I didn't know I possessed.

The effect is immediate. The eyes of all the Ferals turn from the red glinting eyeballs they were moments ago to black, and they sit back on their haunches, watching me. Their eyes remain fixed on me, transfixed by the sound of my voice. Even the ones attacking Ramsey turn away from him, drawn to me instead.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Ramsey staring at me in disbelief, his expression shifting from battle-ready to awestruck. The terrified apprentices watched with equal astonishment as the creatures that had been about to tear them apart now sat docile, almost reverent.

As my voice filled the courtyard, the wind picked up again, swirling around us in a miniature cyclone. Leaves and petals dance in its wake, creating a living barrier between the Ferals and the rest of the temple grounds.

In this moment, with the Ferals responding to my call and nature itself amplifying my power, I understand what it truly means to be a Moonsinger. This is more than an ability, more than an inherited responsibility—this was ancient magic, older than packs, older than the division between human and wolf.

I could see the relieved expression on everyone's face. I was their guardian. This is what it means to have power: to help the people and to give them relief. At that moment, I knew what choice I had to make.

And for the first time since losing Nymeris, I felt truly whole.

~~~

With the Ferals now pacified, their eyes were on me with a mix of devotion and recognition. I turned my attention to the wounded apprentices. Three of them lay on the ground, their white robes were stained with blood and their breathing was shallow and erratic.

"We need to move them," I instructed the other priestesses who stood nearby, still trembling with fear. "Place them on a raised platform away from direct sunlight."

The women hesitated, their gazes darting between me and the Ferals that had, just moments ago, been trying to tear them apart. Now, those same creatures sat docile, watching my every movement like lost pups seeking direction.

"It's all right," I assured them. "They won't harm you now."

Cautiously, the priestesses moved to help the apprentices. As they carried the wounded to a stone dais beneath a sheltered portico, the Ferals trailed after me, maintaining a respectful distance but clearly unwilling to let me out of their sight.

The crowd parted as Nanny pushed her way through, her eyes wide with disbelief. When she reached me, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I was only gone for a minute. What happened?"

"Nothing that you should worry about. I'm fine now."

"By the Goddess," she whispered, pulling me into a fierce embrace. When she finally released me, her hands remained on my shoulders as she studied my face. "My little girl is all grown up and saving the world."

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with my newfound powers. "Yes, Mom. I am."

The word slipped out naturally, though I'd never called her that before. It felt strange on my tongue, yet somehow right. Nanny's face lit up with a joy so pure it made my heart ache for all the years we'd lost.

"I need to heal the girls before their wolves die," I said, gently disengaging from her hold.