Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 1 Emergency

CASSANDRA

“For the glory of Wegalla Empire, you must die!” Intruders snarled at me as I knelt on the floor.

“Please let me see Asher. Please…” I begged.

“How dare you speak the name of our king!” The soldiers growled and grabbed my hair, forcing me to raise my head. They were like shadows towering over me.

“Please. I need to talk to him. I’m pregnant. I have his baby!” I cried.

The head soldier snorted. “Baby? You think you’d be qualified to deliver a baby for our king? Filthy whore! He won’t come to you anymore. Don’t you understand? He’s with Lady Adalyn. Now drink it!”

“No!”

He pulled me harshly, gripped my face and pried my mouth open. Mysterious liquid flew down my throat.

Burning. I began to gag.

“Die! You wretched moron.” They spat at me before slamming the door. And I heard the click of the lock.

I struggled to move, but my eyes felt swollen, and my legs were strengthless. The smell of smoke quickly filled the room.

Fire engulfed me.

*****

My mind wandered as I stared out the window. The sky was a perfect clear blue, and the air was filled with the sound of children’s laughter. A smile formed on my lips at the sound.

Far beyond me, the pups, accompanied by their parents, made their way toward the forest not too far away from where I sat. It was finally time for the annual hunting festival, and the pups chattered and giggled with excitement as they tugged at their mother’s and father’s sleeves.

I remembered their innocent happiness well. When I had been a pup myself, I’d been infinitely impatient and raced far ahead of my father and brother, urging them the entire way to move faster. I’d been so excited to get a glimpse of the hunting group I wished to one day be a part of. I was eager to find my place amongst the Pack.

I’d been grown for a long time now, and yet, these pups had more freedom than me.

the ability to shift into my wolf

all I used to love and cherish. I’d moved far away and

starting to feel the familiar ache of loneliness, the sound of footsteps rang out behind me. I

Cassandra, I almost fell asleep at my

for a breath. She ran her hands through her thick dark hair. Her light green eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her small smile offset her tired aura. “It’s been

completely,” I agreed with her. “Here, come sit down. We still have a

how to be a healer. And Marley had been my first patient. Shortly after I helped heal her, she decided she wanted to help others as well, and now she was

on the stool beside me and then glanced

the hunting festival,” she sighed, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “The kids

village has

you imagine? I was stopped by them three times this morning for the question – ‘How to get to the forest?’. Gosh. Can’t they read signposts?

wish they could be more like your Finnick. He’s such a good boy. Mine are little monsters, no matter

a moment, and a

“I didn’t mean to bring

was unable to shift, and therefore, I was not allowed to enter

simply gave her an understanding smile. “Don’t even worry about it. Besides, Finnick is too young to watch anyway. If he was of

been five years past since that calamity. I need to

is your sweet boy?” Marley wondered with a

and her children,” I

generous as to offer to watch my son while I ran the clinic. The hours

Wild Crawler Pack, one with an unsure origin I had yet to place. It was accompanied by a peculiar mark on different parts of the patient’s bodies, each

a good place for him,” Marley interrupted my thoughts again, and then beyond us, bells rang out. She glanced up

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

of the clinic, where our next patient was nervously awaiting us. She was a young woman named Anna, and her brown eyes were slightly glazed over. Her

I was worried she was ill with the mysterious sickness, but it seemed to just be a common cold. I prescribed her some medicine, and after she

Marley began to say, and suddenly, a tall

at his side indicated

very well, as he was often sent to collect me on behalf of the Alpha’s family if medical attention was

a smile, assuming it would be returned. When it wasn’t, I knew something was wrong. Jasper was

needs you right away, Cassandra,” he addressed me hurriedly.