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.

deadly inferno, I’d lost the ability to shift into

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

footsteps rang out behind me. I snapped out of my stupor

almost fell asleep at my

were slightly bloodshot, but her small smile offset her tired

I agreed with her. “Here, come sit down. We still have a while until our

fire and brought me to his pack, he taught me 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

on the stool beside me

time for the hunting festival,” she sighed, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

I mused. “The village has been loud all

admitted. “But the festival really doesn’t interest me much. Visitors from other packs are troublesome. Can you imagine? I was stopped by them three times this morning for the question – ‘How to get to

out a heavy sigh, “I wish they could be more like your Finnick. He’s such a good boy. Mine are

moment, and a strange expression crossed her pretty

she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to bring that

was not allowed to enter the forest,

smile. “Don’t even worry about it. Besides, Finnick is too young to watch anyway. If

since

your sweet boy?”

with the Luna and her

of the Wild Crawler Pack had been so generous as to offer to watch my son while I ran the clinic. The hours were incredibly long,

peculiar mark on different parts of the patient’s bodies, each slightly raised, red, and warm to the touch. I’d biopsied several of

my thoughts again, and then beyond us, bells rang out. She glanced up at the clock.

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

and then we walked out into the front 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 skin was pale and coated with a slight sheen of sweat, and her arms were wrapped around herself as she shivered.

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

Marley began to say, and suddenly, a tall man burst

and the sword at his side indicated his

was often sent to collect me on

I greeted him, and I flashed him a smile, assuming it would be returned. When it wasn’t, I knew something was wrong. Jasper was always friendly with Marley and me when he came to

he addressed me hurriedly. “You must