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 deadly inferno, I’d lost the ability to shift into my wolf form, my life had changed

all I used to love and cherish. I’d moved far away and came to the Wild Crawler Pack, where I’d lived as someone else ever

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

I almost fell

her thick dark hair. Her light green eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her small smile offset her tired aura. “It’s been such a crazy day. I

come sit down. We still

me how to be a healer. And Marley had been my first patient. Shortly after I helped heal her, she decided she

took a seat on the stool beside me and then glanced out

sighed, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her

I mused. “The village has been loud all

really doesn’t interest me much. Visitors from other packs are troublesome. Can you imagine? I was stopped by them three times

like your Finnick. He’s such a good boy. Mine are little monsters, no matter what I do.

moment, and a strange expression crossed her pretty

said quietly. “I didn’t mean

unable to shift, and therefore, I was

“Don’t even worry about it. Besides, Finnick is too young to watch anyway. If he was of age, I’m sure circumstances would be

had been five years past since that calamity. I need to go

your sweet boy?” Marley wondered with

Luna and

Luna 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, and my patient list had grown endless recently. Marley and I were busier

yet to place. It was accompanied by a peculiar mark on different parts of the patient’s bodies, each slightly raised, red, and warm to the touch. I’d biopsied several of them, and yet, I

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

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

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.

but it seemed to just be a common cold. I prescribed her some medicine, and after she gratefully thanked me for

began to say, and suddenly, a tall

his side indicated his rank. I recognized

Alpha’s guards. I knew him very well, as he was

smile, assuming it would be returned. When it wasn’t, I knew something was wrong. Jasper was always friendly with Marley and me

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