The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Chapter 374: The Beta’s Burden

Lenny

I sat behind Ramsey’s massive oak desk, surrounded by towers of paperwork that seemed to multiply every time I blinked. Financial reports from three different packs, territorial dispute resolutions, reconstruction budgets for the territories damaged in the war with the Dark One—all of it requiring the Lycan Leader’s attention, and all of it currently my responsibility.

And as always, Ramsey was gone again, with a woman.

And I—Lenny Stone, his eternal loyal Beta and reluctant secretary—was stuck up in his office.

I stared at the stack of documents in front of me, already feeling the throbbing in my temples. The chair squeaked as I leaned back and let out a groan.

"Son of a—"

My phone rang before I could finish the curse. I didn’t need to check the caller ID.

"Circe," I answered, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Good morning to you, too, dearest brother," she chirped, the sound of crashing waves and seagulls in the background.

I could already picture her lounging in the sun like the exotic queen she thought she was. Circe never stayed put for too long. Alpha Lycan of a coastal pack across the sea, and a wild spirit like me, the only wildness I ever get to practice is to run errands for Ramsey. noveldrama

"Don’t tell me you’re on a boat again?"

"Yacht, actually," she corrected. "And don’t sound so sour, I’m calling to check in. What’s going on? How have you been? What’s the latest on Ramsey and Lyla? Have they mated and disappeared forever into the realm of irresponsible lovers?"

I sighed and grabbed the nearest file. "Ramsey did what he always does when things settle for half a second—he packed up and left. Said it was a honeymoon. Left me here with a million unresolved disputes, a grumbling southern patrol, unsatisfied werewolf pack Alphas who think we have money growing on trees in the White Mountain region and a rogue border report."

Circe chuckled. "That sounds like him."

I grunted. "I thought the whole ’being a father-to-be’ thing would make him settle down. But nope. Married and vanished. Left me to play Alpha and babysit the rest of the pack."

"Well, someone has to keep the world turning while he plays the dutiful lover," she teased.

"Not funny."

"Oh, come on, Lenny. You always wanted to be in charge. All that calm, calculating wisdom of yours... now’s your time to shine."

I rolled my eyes and stood, walking to the floor-to-ceiling window behind the desk. The training ground was in full motion below, warriors sparring and shouting. I spotted a few of the Moonsinger-trained units as well. Lyla had left behind her mark even in her absence.

"I don’t mind running things," I muttered, "but I didn’t sign up to do it alone."

There was a pause. Then Circe said, "Is this about responsibility or about the fact that you can’t sneak away to see any of your baby mamas?"

"Don’t go there," I said, groaning.

She laughed again, and I let her. Circe was the only person who could tease me like that and get away with it.

"You still don’t believe in the mate bond, do you?" she asked softly after a beat.

I paused, my eyes narrowing at a paper stamped with a rogue patrol seal. "No."

"Even after all you’ve seen with Ramsey and Lyla?"

"That’s exactly why," I muttered.

A quiet moment passed.

"I don’t want to end up like our father," I said at last. "Mated, bound, and bitter. Two kids, two different women. That’s enough drama to fill a season of White Moon Wives."

"Yet here you are, with four baby mamas yourself," she said, amused.

"Exactly." I turned and sat back down at the desk, opening a file. "That’s why I keep things casual. No bonds. No expectations. No one gets hurt."

"No one except you, maybe."

I didn’t respond. Circe was wrong. I wasn’t hurt. I was the rational one—the one who stayed detached.

The one who never lets feelings interfere.

Someone called out to Circe in the background, and I heard her murmur something to the person before she got back to me.

By this time, I’d wedged my phone between my shoulder and ear as I scanned through a particularly dense contract regarding lumber imports for rebuilding efforts. On the other end of the line, Circe’s voice came on again.

"Seriously, have you heard from our wandering lovebirds lately?" she asked, and I could feel tension radiating from her phone.

If I didn’t give her a suitable reply, she would go ballistic on me.

"Mmm," I grunted, initialling another document without really reading it. "Got a text earlier. Something about Ramsey being confused by human door locks."

Circe’s laughter rang out, bright and musical. "Oh, this I have to hear. Tell me everything."

I leaned back in the leather chair, rubbing my temples where a headache was building.

"Apparently, your dearest Ex tried to force his way into Lyla’s old house for twenty minutes before she showed him where the key was hidden. Then he carried all their luggage at once and nearly got them arrested for suspicious behaviour."

"That’s our Alpha," Circe said fondly. "A man who can negotiate peace treaties between rival packs but can’t figure out basic human security. What else?"

"Let’s see..." I shuffled through the stack of messages on my desk. "Lyla sent a picture of Ramsey trying to order coffee. He apparently asked the barista if they had anything ’suitable for an Alpha’s palate’ and then got offended when she laughed."

Circe dissolved into giggles. "Please tell me there’s more."

"Oh, there’s more. Lyla said he got jealous that an old colleague stopped by, professed love to her and hugged her. He sulked the entire night."

"And old colleague?" her voice lowered. "Lyla has friends?"

"She lived in the human world once, Circe, and I’m sure she must have made a couple of friends. You’re being paranoid again, for nothing."

"I’m sorry, it’s just that..." she trailed off, sighing. "Tell me, how is Lyla handling all this?"

I glanced at the photograph they’d sent—Lyla grinning widely next to a bewildered-looking Ramsey, they were at the park.

"She thinks it’s hilarious. Says she’s never seen him so completely out of his element. Though she did mention he’s getting better at blending in."

"And the pregnancy? How’s she feeling?"

"Good, from what I can tell. Though she complained about morning sickness making her too nauseous to enjoy the fancy restaurants Ramsey keeps picking." I paused, frowning at a repair estimate. "Honestly, I thought he’d be more responsible about this whole thing."