The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Chapter 425 - 425: The final goodbye...

Lyla

The silver light around Nanny was growing brighter by the second, and I could feel the air itself beginning to vibrate with the power she was calling forth. This was really happening. The woman who had raised me, who had been my anchor through every storm, was about to sacrifice herself to save us all.

"Mom," I whispered, reaching toward her with trembling hands.

She turned to me, and for a moment the terrible light dimmed enough that I could see her face clearly. Her eyes were filled with love and peace, the same expression she'd worn when she used to tuck me into bed as a child and tell me stories.

"My darling girl," she said softly, "Come here."

I moved toward her, and she pulled me into her arms the way she had countless times throughout my life. She smelled like lavender and home, and I buried my face in her shoulder as tears poured down my cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you," she murmured against my hair. "So proud of the woman you've become, the mother you're going to be. Your dad would be proud, too."

"Please don't leave me," I sobbed, clinging to her like the frightened child I suddenly felt like again. "I don't know how to do this without you."

"Yes, you do," Nanny said firmly, pulling back to look into my eyes. "You've always been stronger than you realised, Lyla. You defeated Xander, a feat none of the Moonsingers before you could achieve. You've survived everything life has thrown at you."

She reached up to touch the necklace at her throat. It was the pendant that she'd come with as a child and the only indication of her parentage.

Gently, she lifted it over her head and placed it around my neck.

"This is for you now," she said. "And for your daughters after you. The legacy continues, my sweet girl. You must always be happy."

"Mom, I love you so much," I whispered, the words felt inadequate for everything she meant to me.

"And I love you," she replied, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "More than all the stars in the sky. You gave me purpose, Lyla. You gave my life meaning. Raising you has been the greatest privilege of my existence."

"We need to move!" Kyren's voice cut through our goodbye with urgent necessity. "The spell won't hold them back much longer!"

said, pushing me gently but firmly toward Kyren. "Go and live the

"I can't—"

said with absolute conviction. "You will. For your children.

the centre of the stone circle. The light around her was becoming blinding now, and I could feel the energy

the

into place around Miriam like an invisible chain, and she nodded once at

those who will live on," she said. "I sever what was wrongly joined. I break what should never have been bound. I

exploded into

crowd of enemies, Delia and her siblings. I heard screaming, but it seemed to come from very

contort in rage and horror as she realised what was happening. I saw

the centre of the destruction, her face peaceful as she gave everything she was to ensure that

and brighter until I couldn't see anything at all, and

Darkness.

***

against soft morning sunlight filtering through the curtains. My hand was clutched around something cool and smooth – a pendant on a delicate chain.

Thank the Moon, you're

in a chair beside my bed, pouring tea from

spinning slightly with the movement.

setting down the teapot and moving to help me. "You've been sleeping for almost eighteen hours. You, Ramsey, Circe and Kyren returned from

Blue Ridge pack house. Everything looked exactly as it always had – the same furniture, the

to piece together my fragmented memories. "Everything feels

studying its design. It was beautiful and old, but I had no memory of how it had come to be in my

at the necklace with a puzzled expression. "I've never seen that before. Maybe Ramsey gave it to

in my chest ached when I looked at it, as if I'd lost something

expression gentle but concerned. "Ramsey told me some of

memories came flooding back – the ritual, the fighting, the desperate escape. But there were gaps, moments that felt important but remained stubbornly blank in my