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.

inferno, I’d lost the ability to

and cherish. I’d moved far away and came to the Wild Crawler Pack, where I’d lived as

I was starting to feel the familiar ache of loneliness, the sound of footsteps rang out behind me. I snapped out of my stupor and turned to see Marley behind

I almost fell

but her small smile offset her tired aura. “It’s been such a crazy day. I couldn’t help

agreed with her. “Here, come sit down.

clinic. Fiver years ago, when Emmett saved me from the fire and brought me to his pack, he taught me how to be a healer. And Marley had been my first patient. Shortly

seat on the stool beside me and then

already time for the hunting festival,” she sighed, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “The kids have been going crazy

mused. “The village has been loud all

troublesome. Can 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?

“I wish they could be more like your Finnick. He’s such a good boy. Mine are little monsters, no matter what I do. You’re lucky Finnick

and a strange

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

I was not

is too young to watch anyway. If he

years past since

boy?”

and her children,” I

son while I ran the clinic. The hours were incredibly long, and

the 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 slightly raised, red, and warm to the touch. I’d biopsied several of them, and yet, I hadn’t found an answer that

a good place for him,” Marley interrupted my thoughts again, and then beyond us, bells rang out. She glanced up at the clock. “Looks like it’s time for our next

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

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. Marley and I escorted her to a room and sat her down

her temperature, her information, and listened as she described her symptoms. For a moment, I was worried she was ill with the mysterious sickness, but it seemed

began to say, and suddenly, a tall man burst into the

clothing and the sword at his side

as he was often sent to collect me on

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

me hurriedly. “You must accompany