The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger.

Lyla

Nathan's jaw clenched. "And you expect me to believe that? To stand down and let Ramsey take everything?"

"Ideally you started all of these in the first place, Nathan. You rebelled against the White Moon Throne, insulted Ramsey and…"

"So what?" he straightened fully and stalked towards me with a smirk playing on his lips. "Are you now team Ramsey? He's a Lycan, Lyla. He's half man, half beast. Do you think he would ever accept you as his own? You think he will love you for who you are. The only reason why Ramsey suddenly realized that he loves you is because you're now worth something and…"

"I won't stand here and listen to you say nonsense!" I interrupted him taking a step towards him. I could feel the familiar simmer of anger rising within me again. "You're an ungrateful bastard even back then and now."

"And what of you?" he fired back looking me squarely in my eyes. "I saved you. I wasted four years of my life in a dungeon because of you and yet…"

"You killed my father!" I didn't allow him to finish. "You killed those Alphas from the Gala night who teased and goddess knows who else…"

His expression shifted and he took a step back. "You've convinced yourself that you did all of these for me. When did I ever tell you to kill people on my behalf? And my father because of the relationship he has with your dad chose to bury everything under the rug and yet you refuse to change…"

He stared at me for a few seconds before he chuckled. "Our systems are slow to mete out justice, Lyla. Everything I did back then, I did it because they were deserving and ideally, I didn't kill your dad. Your sister, Clarissa did. She provided his itinerary to those rogue wolves and they did their thing."

"You manipulated her into it. You're vile, Nathan. You're vile and evil. For a moment, I wanted to blame it on Xander who has been stalking around you since the cleansing ceremony…"

His eyes widened. "How did you know that?"

"He has his aura all over you. Right now, I can smell it. Xander chooses you just like back then because you always tend to be evil. He's leeching off you, using you as a host…"

"He's not leeching off me," he fired back. "Whatever I do, I do on my own accord and not because he's telling me what to do. He doesn't have that much control over me."

I inhaled deeply, shaking my head. "Just stop whatever it is that you're doing. I'll go back to White Moon and convince Ramsey to stop and he won't have you pay for the other things you did."

He chuckled and reached out grabbing my chin in his hand. "Oh, darling… ever so naïve. I am not turning back, I am not afraid of death, Lyla. You left me for the geezer. You made me fuck your sister thinking it was you and if I cannot have you, I'll make, Ramsey doesn't have the time to love you either."

I stared at him wondering how I didn't see this Nathan before. I couldn't believe I ignored all of these signs and for what? I had no idea. Was this what happened with Thames and Neriah? When Thames started to change after she rejected him… did she ignore all of these signs?"

"Listen to me, Nathan…"

"I'm done, listening to you, Lyla…" he takes a step backward. "And I'm done being told what to do. Plus, this is your chance to make your stake with your people. Join us and fight. Thank the universe, you have your powers now. Imagine what you can do with it?"

"You're pathetic. You're nothing like Thames. At least he had an incredible sense of judgment and responsibility different from what you're doing right now."

Nathan froze. His jaw clenched, and for the first time, doubt flickered across his face.

"Who is Thames? And why do I feel like you're comparing me with someone else? Are you also leaving Ramsey to be with another person? Is it Paul from work? Is his name, Thames too?"

I took a deep breath, stepping closer. "This war… it's not what you think. There's more at play than just you and Ramsey. If you go through with this, it will be your end. I've seen it."

He scoffed. "The Moon Goddess told you?"

"I don't care what you think of me or my motives. But I'm telling you the truth. If you meet Ramsey in battle, you will die. And Blue Ridge will fall."

I saw the conflict in his eyes – the warrior's pride warring with the leader's duty to protect his people. For a moment, I thought I'd gotten through to him again. But then his expression hardened once more.

"Get out," he said coldly. "If you're not with us, you're against us. And I don't have time for enemies in my camp."

I felt as if he'd slapped me. This was the first time he was reacting to me like this. This was the first time, he was giving me a look filled with hatred. This was not the Nathan I knew. I took a step back, my hands trembling.

"I'm trying to save you," I whispered.

He turned away from me, his shoulders were rigid. "Save yourself first, Lyla. Because when this is over and if I'm still standing, we'll be having a very different conversation about divided loyalties."

I stared at his back for a long moment, tears gathering in my eyes. I wasn't crying for him, I was crying because right now, it was the only way to suppress the urge to smack his head against the wall and just watch him bleed out.

I shook my head to clear the thought.

"You will regret this, Nathan. If you do not listen to my words, you'll die by my hands specifically because I will pick the world over you. I will pick saving the world over this madness. Come to your senses… end this."

He watched me for a moment and then at a speed, Betas possessed, he grabbed me suddenly and pinned my neck. I watched as he unsheathed a knife and brought it to my throat.