The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Chapter 373: New beginnings and old connections

Lyla

A sleek black car pulled up in front of a tiny house with a charming small garden, the engine purring to a stop after our long journey from the pack lands. Without waiting for Ramsey to come around and open my door—a habit he’d developed over the past two months that I found both endearing and unnecessary—I practically tumbled out of the passenger seat.

"Hey, slow down... you’re pregnant." noveldrama

But I ignored him and raced toward the entrance with a bright smile spreading across my face. My heart soared with a mixture of nostalgia and joy. The familiar sight of my old human home, with its white picket fence and carefully tended flower beds, brought back a flood of memories from what felt like another lifetime.

Standing in front of the place where I’d once lived as just Lyla the college student and the working-class girl, I exhaled deeply and spread my hands toward the sky.

"I can’t believe I was away for more than a year!" I called out, spinning in a slow circle to take in every detail. "Everything looks different, but the same."

Ramsey emerged from the driver’s side, his tall frame unfolding gracefully as he surveyed the modest neighbourhood with obvious confusion. He walked up to me, his dark eyes studying the small house with the expression of someone trying to solve a particularly puzzling riddle.

"You lived here?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

I nodded enthusiastically. "For three years during college. It was perfect."

Ramsey continued staring at the house, shaking his head slowly. "It’s so tiny. How can one human being fit in here, let alone two people?"

I laughed at his bewildered expression, remembering that he’d grown up in the sprawling pack house with its grand rooms and endless corridors. "The inside is quite spacious. Don’t worry—you won’t feel claustrophobic."

I turned and began walking toward the front door, while Ramsey followed behind me like a bemused shadow. When I reached the entrance, I paused and turned back to him with an arched eyebrow.

"Aren’t you forgetting something?"

Ramsey looked around, then back at me with a confused expression. "What?"

"Our bags," I said, gesturing toward the car. "You’re forgetting our luggage."

Understanding dawned on his face, and he smiled sheepishly before jogging back to the vehicle. In one fluid motion, he grabbed all three suitcases at once—two large ones and a smaller overnight bag—carrying them as if they weighed nothing.

When he returned to where I stood, I quickly looked around the neighbourhood to make sure none of my former neighbours were watching. Satisfied that the coast was clear, I leaned close to my husband and lowered my voice.

"You cannot do that again," I whispered urgently. "These humans are weirdly observant, and if they suspect you’re carrying three heavy suitcases like they’re filled with feathers, they’ll have the authorities come to question you."

Ramsey frowned, setting the bags down carefully. "And that’s not a good thing?"

I shook my head, holding back laughter at his innocent confusion. The past two months of marriage had been filled with moments like this—my powerful Lycan Alpha struggling to understand the peculiarities of human society.

When we were exploring places to go for our honeymoon, he was surprised by many strange traditions, as he called them, that humans practised, and then said he wanted to experience them.

So, that is how we choose our honeymoon location.

I cupped his face gently in my hands, studying his handsome features. "Are you sure you’ll survive these few weeks we’ll be here? We still have time to change our minds and visit the packs on the other side of the sea instead. Circe invited us, you know."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine," he assured me, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "Besides, I’ve always been curious about this so-called human world. It’ll be an adventure."

"Fine," I nodded, releasing his face. "But try to remember-no supernatural displays of strength, no enhanced hearing conversations three houses away, and no shifting if you get frustrated."

Ramsey walked ahead of me to the front door, his confidence returning now that he had clear guidelines to follow. When he reached the entrance, he grasped the doorknob and turned it firmly.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, twisting the knob with more force, but the door remained stubbornly closed. After several failed attempts, his frown deepened.

Behind him, I couldn’t contain my laughter any longer. I bent down toward a ceramic flower pot that sat along the pathway and lifted it, producing a key that had been hidden underneath.

"Doors don’t automatically recognise pack members here," I explained as I inserted the key into the lock. "And there’s no Seth to open everything for us magically. You’ll have to learn how human security works."

Ramsey nodded with the same serious expression he wore during pack council meetings, as if memorising door locks was a matter of vital importance.

The door swung open with a familiar creak, and we stepped inside together. The house was sparkling clean and filled with the gentle scent of lavender—clear evidence that Nanny had been here recently to prepare for our arrival. These days, she was staying in Blue Ridge, taking care of Luna, Vanessa and Clarissa. They were inseparable now.

I dropped onto the small floral couch with a contented sigh, closing my eyes and letting the peace of the moment wash over me. After more than a year of constant responsibility as Moonsinger, of making decisions that affected hundreds of lives, the simplicity of this little house felt like a vacation.

But then a memory flitted into my mind.

My face changed as I remembered the last time I’d been here—Nathan sitting on this very couch, looking so out of place in the human world but trying his best to fit in because he knew it mattered to me. The happiness I’d felt at seeing him after so many years, not knowing it would be our last real conversation.

Ramsey noticed the shift in my mood immediately and came to sit beside me. "What’s wrong, love?"

"Nathan was here the last time," I said softly, running my hand over the cushion where he had sat. "Right here on this couch. He felt so out of place, but he was trying so hard to understand my human life." I sighed deeply and leaned into Ramsey’s warmth. "I miss him sometimes. More than I expected to."

Ramsey wrapped his arms around me, letting me draw comfort from him. "He loved you very much. Even in the end, everything he did was because he wanted to protect you."

I was about to respond when the doorbell rang, its cheerful chime echoing through the small house. I pulled back from Ramsey’s embrace, looking puzzled.

"We’re not expecting anyone," I muttered, starting to stand.

Ramsey stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm. "I’ve got it," he said, rising to his feet.

While he walked toward the front door, I wandered into the open kitchen, my mind drifting back to that day with Nathan. I could almost see him standing by the counter, that sad smile on his face as he tried to make small talk about whether I was comfortable with him spending the night..

I heard the front door open, but no voices followed. Frowning, I walked back toward the entrance.

"Babe, what’s wrong?" I called out. "Who is it?"

Ramsey turned to face me, his expression a mixture of confusion and wariness. "Nothing serious. There’s just a stranger here asking me weird questions."

As Ramsey stepped aside, I caught a glimpse of the person standing on our doorstep.

Both of us exclaimed at the exact moment:

"Paul!"

"Lyla!"

Paul brushed past Ramsey into the room and hugged me, squashing my baby bump between us. After a few minutes, he pulled away.

"Is this really you, Lyla? What happened to you? You just left, stopped texting back, and everyone in the company was worried. Are you back for good now?"

Behind Paul, Ramsey’s amber eyes were already flashing with jealousy, as Paul still practically held me in his arms.

I wondered if he couldn’t see the baby bump, or if he was pretending it wasn’t there.

"It’s been a rollercoaster of happenings," I said, stepping backwards, and Ramsey came to stand next to me. "I’m sorry I made you all worry for nothing, but I’m fine and I’m just back temporarily."

"Oh!" Paul nodded. Looking around the house. "You just arrived?"

"Yes," I nodded. "But how did you know I was here?"

"The kind old lady who lives next to you called me. I was in the middle of a meeting... I just had to see things for myself. Are you okay, though? You look...." His gaze flitted up and down my form. I could feel Ramsey fuming through our bond. "You look different."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I’m pregnant, actually."

"Oh, wonderful, wonderful." He nodded. "Any chance we can grab dinner and ... you know, catch up?"

Ramsey growled. "You can’t say that to another man’s mate."

Paul turned to Ramsey. "What?"

I stepped forward, pushing Ramsey behind me. "I’m sorry, Paul, but I can’t hang out... not anymore. This is my husband," I pointed to Ramsey, "And I’m pregnant... as you can see."

He looked at me for a minute and chuckled dryly. "That’s not true... you... We had a thing going on. You can’t just get married."