The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger.-Chapter 301: Nathan’s Army

Lyla

I stared at the naked humans who moments ago had been Wolves, confusion replacing my exhaustion. This wasn't what I expected. Ferals weren't supposed to revert to human form—they were supposed to become normal wolves again.

"How is this possible?" I asked the man who seemed to be their leader. "I thought Ferals lost their humanity completely."

"We were never truly Ferals," he explained. "Not in the traditional sense. We're..."

"Aureans?" I suggested, a wild theory forming in my mind. "Neriah's people from the Northern Forests?"

The leader shook his head. "No. We come from different packs and regions. We have nothing in common except for how we were turned."

"How?" I pressed, fascinated despite my exhaustion.

"The Dark One seduces you," a woman said, stepping forward without shame in her nakedness. "He dangles your deepest desire before you, changing your mind bit by bit."

"He possesses you?" I asked, my mind immediately flitting to Nathan and Xander's constant repetition that he had nothing to do with Nathan's behavior and that it was all him.

"No!" their leader shook his head. "He's like an aid. Depending on the desire, he suggests ways you can fuel it. He doesn't have direct control of it. He comes to you in still voices, whispering and suggesting, in the end the person has to decide what they want or don't want."

"Wow, can he even do that?" I asked.

"That's the only way he can influence anyone. The Dark One doesn't have powers, he only uses mediums and channels to get done his dirty work. We're the medium for fighting. That's why we're called Ferals."

"He promises what you want most," one of them added. "For me, it was power. For others, love or revenge."

The leader nodded grimly. "Eventually, you give in to that lust for whatever he's promised. Turning Feral is the final stage—when your mind is gone but your body remains to serve him."

I was speechless. This wasn't just about madness or infection—this was calculated corruption, a perversion of free will.

"How about your wolf forms?" I asked.

"Still as it was, only different. We're not under your will, Moonsinger. We will do as you've said, and in battles, we would have to fight in our wolf forms. We're much stronger that way."

Before I could ask more questions, Ramsey arrived with a group of warriors. The transformed Ferals immediately tensed, some dropping into fighting stances.

"Stop!" I commanded, stepping between them. "Ramsey is my mate. He won't harm you."

They relaxed slightly, though their eyes remained wary.

"What in the Goddess's name?" Ramsey muttered, taking in the scene. "Why are they all naked? How did they turn human?"

The leader approached cautiously, keeping his eyes on me rather than Ramsey. "We were never true Ferals, Alpha. The Dark One twisted our minds, made us his weapons. Your mate freed us."

He repeated the explanation about the Dark One's seduction, how each had fallen prey to their desires.

Ramsey's expression darkened as he listened. "You killed our people," he said, his voice dangerously low.

"Not us," the leader replied. "Not our true selves. We were prisoners in our own bodies."

I touched Ramsey's arm. "They're victims too," I said softly. "And now they're our allies."

After a moment of tension, Ramsey nodded. "You need clothes," he said gruffly. "Go with my warriors. They'll find you what you need."

The former Ferals didn't move; their eyes were fixed on me as if waiting for permission.

"Go," I said with a nod. "Meet me at the training center at dawn. Do you know where that is?"

They nodded in unison.

"Good. We'll need to prepare for what's coming."

They followed the warriors only when I gave the command, casting concerned glances back at me as they went.

Once they were gone, I sagged against Ramsey, suddenly too exhausted to stand. The ritual had drained me more completely than I'd anticipated.

"You need to see the healers," Ramsey said, supporting my weight easily.

"No," I insisted. "Just take me to our bedroom. I need rest, not healing."

He hesitated, then scooped me into his arms. "Stubborn as always," he murmured, but there was fondness in his voice.

In our room, Ramsey helped me out of the ritual gown and into a simple nightshirt. My limbs felt like lead, and my mind was foggy with fatigue. It was still midnight, so there were still a few hours before daybreak. Perfect; it would give me the time to rest properly.

"What they said about the Dark One," I began as we lay side by side on the bed. "Using people's desires against them..."

"It explains a lot," Ramsey finished. "Including Nathan."

"What do you think he wanted? What desire could be strong enough to make Nathan surrender to possession?"

Ramsey was quiet for a moment. "Power, maybe. Or freedom from responsibility. Nathan always chafed under your father's expectations."

My eyelids grew heavy. Despite the magnitude of what we'd learned, sleep was pulling me under. "We need to remember this," I mumbled. "It might be the key to freeing Nathan..."

Ramsey stroked my hair gently. "Rest now. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

I was drifting off when a loud banging on the door jolted us both awake. Ramsey leapt to his feet, instantly alert. I struggled to sit up, my body protesting every movement.

Ramsey rushed to the door and flung it open. Lenny stood there, wild-eyed and gasping for breath. His uniform was torn and dirty, as if he'd been running through rough terrain.

"Nathan is here," he panted, looking between us with barely contained panic. "Not just him—he brought the entire fucking Were-kingdom with him."

My fatigue vanished, replaced by cold dread. "That's impossible," I said. "The scouts said he wouldn't arrive until dawn."

"They were wrong," Lenny replied grimly. "Or they lied. Nathan's army is at our southern border right now—thousands of them."

Ramsey cursed violently. "How? We have patrols everywhere. They couldn't have approached undetected."

"They came through the old mining tunnels," Lenny explained. "The ones we thought were collapsed decades ago."

The betrayal hit me like a blow. "Someone told them about the tunnels. Someone who knows White Mountain's defenses."

"The traitor," Ramsey growled. "Sound the alarm. Wake every warrior. I want the pack house fortified and the civilians moved to the emergency shelters."

Lenny nodded and rushed off to carry out the orders.

I forced myself to stand, ignoring the weakness in my limbs. "I need to find the former Ferals. They'll fight with us."

"You're in no condition to fight," Ramsey said, gripping my shoulders. "The ritual drained you."

"I don't have a choice," I replied. "If Nathan brought as many forces as Lenny says, you'll need every fighter—including me."

Before he could argue further, the ground beneath us trembled. A distant boom reached our ears—the sound striking against barriers.

"They're testing our defenses," Ramsey said grimly.

Another explosion, closer this time. The lights flickered briefly.

I moved to the window and pulled back the curtain. In the distance, beyond the tree line, the night sky glowed with blue light—the same color as the fire during my ritual. But this was no healing magic. This was destruction.

"The Dark One," I whispered. "He's using Xander's power to attack the barriers."

Ramsey joined me at the window, his expression hardening as he took in the scene. "Get dressed," he said. "We need to get to the command center."

As I quickly changed into battle clothes, more explosions rocked the compound. Shouts and howls filled the air as the pack awakened to the threat.

"What about your plan?" Ramsey asked as we hurried down the corridor. "The prophecy—stepping into the fire?"

"I'm still figuring that part out," I admitted. "But if it comes to sacrificing myself to stop the Dark One, I'll do it."

Ramsey grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop and face him. "What did you just say?"

I had forgotten myself and spoken without thinking. "I mean, make another sacrifice. Nanny mentioned something about a live sacrifice, using an Omega, the weakest of the pack, as a life sacrifice. That can work too."

He relaxed visibly. "I thought it was something else. Is there no other option?"

"If there is, we'll find it," I said, touching his face gently. "But right now, we must focus on surviving the night."

We reached the command center to find it already bustling with activity. The warriors received their assignments, and the scouts rapidly gave us updates.

One of the former Ferals—the leader whose name I now knew was Kieran—approached us immediately.

"Moonsinger," he said urgently. "The Dark One is with them. I can feel his presence."

"Can you fight against him?" I asked. "Now that you're free of his influence?"

Kieran nodded firmly. "We will stand with you. His hold over us is broken."

"Good," Ramsey said. "Because we're going to need every advantage we can get."

A massive explosion shook the building, sending dust raining from the ceiling. Alarms began to wail throughout the compound.

"Southern barrier is down!" someone shouted. "They're coming through!"

Ramsey squeezed my hand once, then shifted into command mode, barking orders and organizing defense teams. I gathered the former Ferals alongside my elite warriors, preparing to use them where they would be most effective.

As chaos erupted around us, I caught sight of a familiar dark-haired figure slipping out a side door. Gamma Darius. Where was he going in the middle of an attack?