The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger.-Chapter 304: Ghosts and Shadows

Lyla

I stumbled back, my legs giving way beneath me as shock rippled through my body. It couldn't be—it was impossible. Yet there he stood, just as I remembered him.

"Caius?" His name escaped my lips as a breathless whisper.

Ramsey's former Gamma, Gamma Darius's son, Caius, rushed to my side. He reached for my arm, his face creased with concern. "Lyla, are you okay?"

I swatted his hand away, scrambling backward. "Stay away from me! Leave now, or you won't like the result."

My mind raced with possibilities. Another fox shapeshifter? A ghost? Some trick of the Dark One's magic?

"It's me," Caius insisted, keeping his distance but holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. "I promise you don't need to worry. It's really me."

I glanced at the former Ferals surrounding us. None of them were snarling or showing signs of aggression toward Caius. They would sense it immediately if he were an imposter or under the Dark One's influence.

Taking this as a good sign, I allowed him to help me to my feet. My legs still felt wobbly from the shock.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," I managed, my gaze drifting to where Gamma Darius lay motionless on the ground, felled by Caius's decisive blow. "That's your father. You didn't know before you hit him?"

Caius scoffed, his eyes hardening. "He wanted me dead. What father wants his son dead?" He glanced nervously toward the trees. "But we need to leave now. Can you make it to your cars?"

Before I could answer, the rest of my warriors arrived from the same direction. They paused when they all saw Caius and started approaching cautiously. Garin and Killian, with my elite warriors, were first in line, flanked by Kieran and the other Ferals in their wolf forms. All of them eyed Caius with obvious suspicion.

"It's fine," I assured them. "He's with us." I turned to Garin. "Were you able to find Ramsey and Lenny? Their troops?"

"Yes," Garin nodded. "They've retreated and are rendezvousing at the caves beneath Moon Lake."

"And Ramsey?" I asked anxiously, looking back to where I'd last seen him fighting with the fox shapeshifters."

"He's fine," Killian answered. "He's the one who gave the order to retreat."

I frowned, wondering why Ramsey hadn't come for me himself. It wasn't like him to withdraw without ensuring I was safe first.

"We need to leave now," Caius urged, his eyes continuously scanning our surroundings.

I nodded, and together, we hurried toward the vehicles. I noticed something strange as we drove away—none of Nathan's forces pursued us.

"Isn't it strange that Nathan's warriors didn't attempt to come after us? Even while we were in the forest, they didn't fight outside their defenses."

"This attack was a trap," Caius explained, seeing my confusion. "There was no way Nathan would launch a full assault right now. He was trying to lower your defenses. The more you keep coming to him, the more men you lose while his forces conserve their energy."

The drive to Moon Lake took nearly an hour, winding through hidden mountain paths. When we finally arrived at the secret cave entrance, I spotted Ramsey pacing anxiously outside. His head snapped up at the sound of our vehicles.

The moment I stepped out, he rushed to me, enveloping me in a tight hug. Then he pulled back, his hands running over my arms and shoulders as he inspected me for injuries.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'm fine," I assured him, touching his face gently. "What about you? Are you okay?"

Before he could answer, Caius came to stand beside me. "Alpha," he said, inclining his head in respect.

Ramsey froze, his expression transforming into pure shock. "Caius?" he whispered, disbelief evident in every line of his face.

"It's me," Caius confirmed with a slight smile.

Ramsey approached him slowly, as if afraid he might vanish. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," Caius replied.

At that moment, Lenny walked out from the cave entrance with a satisfied smirk. "Remember when I told you I'd have a surprise for you soon?" he called to Ramsey. "This is it."

"But how?" Ramsey's voice was hoarse with emotion. "I thought you were dead. We saw your body. Your father..."

"His father was the real traitor," Lenny interjected. "On the night Caius supposedly died, he showed up at my front door, battered." He gestured toward the cave. "It's a long story, but let's not keep our Luna standing outside. Come on in."

We followed Lenny into the cave, which opened into a surprisingly large chamber. Lights lined the walls, illuminating a makeshift command center. Warriors moved around, tending to wounded warriors and organizing supplies.

Ramsey kept one arm firmly around my waist as if he was afraid I might disappear. I leaned into him gratefully, drawing strength from his presence.

"Explain," Ramsey demanded once we were seated around a rough stone table. "How are you alive, Caius? We all thought you were dead. I attended your funeral. Even though your father insisted he didn't want a lot of ceremony."

"You buried someone," Caius corrected grimly. "A fox shapeshifter who died taking my appearance. My father's work."

"Start from the beginning," I urged gently.

Caius took a deep breath. "It started six months ago. My father began acting strangely—disappearing for hours, having secret meetings. I followed him one night and overheard him speaking with Nathan about 'the plan' and 'when the Dark One arrives.' That was precisely the morning after the Harvest Moon Festival."

"That was before Nathan's change became obvious to everyone else," Lenny noted.

"I confronted my father," Caius continued. "Told him whatever he was involved in, he needed to stop. He seemed to agree, even apologized." His expression darkened. "That day of the explosion that rocked the entire pack, after we agreed that I was going to investigate the guards who were in charge of Nathan when he was incarcerated at White Moon and you gave me your permission, and I also told you not to tell your Beta anything…"

He paused.

"Yes, I remember," I replied.

"Well, when I returned to the house later that night, my father was in a small meeting with a few warriors whom I recognized as my father's loyal guards, and he was whispering something to them. I didn't want to think too much about it, so I ignored it. When I walked into the living room, I saw a table filled with IED materials and a map of the pack outlining certain places or blind spots rather…"

"So, your father also helped with the explosion?" I asked, stupefied.

"Yes," Caius nodded. "Things went ugly when I threatened to report him to you. He attacked me and tried to kill me. Luckily, I escaped and ran to Lenny. He's been hiding me since."

"Wow, your father said you were coming to me to report some information when you were attacked. The attack we thought killed you," Ramsey said quietly.

Caius nodded. "I managed to escape, barely alive. I knew I couldn't return to the house—my father would finish what he started. So I went to the only person I trusted completely."

"Me," Lenny said. "I hid him and treated his wounds. Meanwhile, Darius presented a body to the pack—a dead fox shapeshifter made to look like Caius."

"We've been working secretly ever since," Caius explained. "Gathering intelligence on Nathan's plans, identifying his spies within White Mountain Region and White Moon Pack. Apparently, a group of fanatics believes so much in the coming reign of the Dark One. They feel he would fix a lot of wrongs in the world."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ramsey asked Lenny, his voice tight with controlled anger.

"The fewer people who knew, the safer Caius would be," Lenny replied. "Even you, my friend. Your reaction had to be genuine for Darius to believe his son was truly dead, including his allegations that I was behind it. Do you know he believed it?" Lenny turned to Caius. "He had to confront me about it at some point."

Ramsey didn't say anything.

"There's more," Caius said hesitantly. "Nathan isn't planning a direct assault on White Mountain. He's after something specific—something he believes is hidden in the sacred caves beneath the Moon Temple."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A weapon, according to what my father told his fanatics. Something from the time of Neriah that can amplify the Dark One's powers tenfold."

Cold dread settled in my stomach. "The Sword of Neriah," I whispered.

All eyes turned to me.

"The same sword buried in the Northern forest that every Moonsinger who lost their power could use to channel their powers with?" Ramsey asked.

"Yes," I nodded. Then, for the benefit of those who didn't understand, I decided to explain. "Neriah created a focus sword for her power before she died, which would allow future Moonsingers to channel more energy than their bodies could naturally contain when they lose their powers. Before the Dark One killed her, she sent all her powers to the sword."

"And Nathan wants it," Lenny concluded.

"The Dark One wants it," I corrected. "If he gets it, he might destroy it, and no force on earth can kill him. Neriah was the only Moonsinger with powers strong enough to take down someone like the Dark One. Also, the sword is not in the caves."

"Where is it now?" Caius asked me.

"With me," I said breezily. "It belongs to me now."