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.

ability to shift into

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

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

fell asleep at my

hands through her thick dark hair. Her light green eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her small smile offset her tired

her. “Here, come sit down. We still have a while until our next

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 after I helped heal her, she decided she wanted to help others as well,

on the stool beside me

hair behind her ear. “The kids have been going crazy for days. I swear, they’ve been driving me absolutely

village has been

three times this morning for the question – ‘How to get to the forest?’. Gosh. Can’t they read signposts? They are everywhere on the streets. And

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

paused for a moment, and a strange expression

“I didn’t mean to

shift, and therefore, I was not allowed to enter the forest, even the

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

past since that calamity. I need to

is your sweet boy?” Marley

Luna and

watch my son while I ran the clinic. The hours were incredibly long, and my patient list had grown endless recently.

mark on different parts of the patient’s bodies, each slightly raised, red, and warm

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.”

Marley and helped her to her feet, 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

she described her symptoms. For a moment, 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 gratefully thanked me for helping her, the front door’s bells rang out

that-” Marley began to say, and suddenly, a tall

dark clothing and the sword at his side indicated his rank. I recognized him

was Jasper, one of the Alpha’s guards. I knew him very well, as he was often sent

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

me hurriedly. “You must