The Alpha's Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger by Ejiofor Dorcas

49 The perfect way to unwind…

Lyla

I threw my arms up, bracing for the impact, my heart hammering against my ribs. I could feel the creatures” hot breath on my skin…

And then I woke up.

My scream tore through the air, as I bolted upright in bed gasping for breath. My clothes were soaked and plastered to my trembling body like a second layer, my heart still racing as if I hadn’t yet realized the dream was over.

I looked around wildly, looking for the stick, my chest heaving… it took me a moment to realize I was no longer in the forest. The familiar surroundings of the guest room in Xander’s house slowly came into focus the soft glow of the bedside lamp, and the rumpled sheets tangled around my legs.

But something was wrong. I wasn’t alone.

Sitting on a recliner in the corner of the room, watching me intently was Xander.

“Xander?” my voice was hoarse and my throat was still raw from screaming. “What… what are you doing here?”

He didn’t respond. A chill ran down my spine. There was something… off about the way he was looking at me. His eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, reminding me of…

“No!” I cried out, scrambling backwards on the bed. For a heartbeat, just the briefest of seconds, I saw something else in Xander’s eyes. The eyes of that creature the one that had attacked me – the same eyes I had seen on the man that had come to my bedroom the last time I had my heat… although Nanny had said it was her.

And then I screamed… opening my mouth as wide as I could.

My scream pierced the silence and within seconds, my door flew open with a bang as someone rushed in fumbling for the light switch. As the room flooded with sudden brightness, my screaming intensified, my eyes wide with terror when I saw it was Xander, holding a spoon.

“Lyla!” he called out, rushing to me, but I screamed louder pressing myself at the head of the

bed.

Every part of my body was trembling now. I pointed to the now–empty recliner in the corner of the room. “You… you were just there!” I gasped, my voice hoarse and shaky. “You were sitting right there just now. How did you…?”

and the chair. “What? Now! I wasn’t in here,” he sounded both confused and concerned. “I was

splattered with various cooking stains, flour dusting the front and the faint smell of food. “I

way

mind struggling to process the conflicting information. I had seen him, hadn’t I? Sitting there, watching me with those intense eyes as that creature but Xander who was standing at the doorway, with concern on his face felt nothing like what

awakened to.

whispered trailing off as I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the lingering fear. Had it all been part of the dream? “You were right there.”

out in a calming gesture. “It’s okay, Lyla. You must have

he was trying not to scare me but something in me craved comfort and needed to feel safe. I reached out

me, the terror that had gripped me began to subside His familiar warmth, and the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear soothed me.

on my back. “What’s got you so spooked and, in my house, too? Was

a moment, it felt like I was back to the pack and in the Northern Forests where I was attacked by Feral wolves,” I leaned away from him, meeting his gaze. “I didn’t tell you before but just before

he asked

clad in white. Last time, I wasn’t able to see its face but it was visible this time around and it spoke to me and said a lot of strange words. Said I was the Moonsinger and should go back to my mother…

chest hummed as

pulled back

brushing the hair from my face “I’m sorry, I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m so

chuckled, feeling light. “It was a dream, Xan… there is no way you could come protect me even if you

“What’s at Tri…”

a cluster of

shepherd leading

he nodded as he flashed me a quiet

shook my head trying to clear the

thoughts “It felt on real”

CYCS

way

of my body. “It was just a nightmare, Lyla,” he said softly. “Your mind was playing tricks on you.

months since the attack and I’d never dreamed

events.