Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 4 He said stay

CA SSANDRA

The next few hours passed by laboriously. As we waited for the guards to return with some sort of news about the viper, Marley and I did all we could to keep the boy comfortable. We took his temperature, monitored his heart rate, and continued to apply cold compresses to keep his fever from rising any higher.

Meanwhile, it took all of my concentration to remain perfectly focused on the boy. My mind was trying to wander to different places, and Asher Cellins wasn’t helping. The Alpha King remained close to us as we attended to his son, and it was unclear if he was monitoring our treatment or just studying me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as chills continuously ran down my spine. I wasn’t the kind of woman who got nervous easily, but the Alpha King’s very presence set every inch of my body on edge.

Of all of the people to be here, he was the last one I’d ever have expected, and my emotions were running wild. I wasn’t sure whether to cry or be relieved to see him after so long. All I knew was that this was unbelievably complicated.

After long, a pair of guards returned. They’d finally tracked down the viper. Luckily, it was one that I’d seen in a medical book. I relayed all of the information I knew to Marley and Asher, and the pair of them seemed relieved to know there was

a potential cure.

The Alpha King had assigned guards to accompany Marley back to the clinic to procure the herbs needed to heal the boy. My assistant seemed nervous to be surrounded by such heavily-weaponed men, but she accepted the help.

Haff an hour later, she returned with the herbs, and we got to work. We prepared a salve to apply directly to the wound, and then used others to brew a tea that would treat the boy internally. The prince was weak, but we managed to help him get enough of the tea into his system to treat him properly.

Hours passed by, and by dusk, the boy finally became stable. After much fitful moaning and crying, he’d finally fallen into a quiet sleep. The blueness of his lips had disappeared, and color had returned to his cheeks. Beneath the salve, the

swollenness of the bite had eased.

up a bit of a fight and insisted on staying with me, but I pushed back and

show you what they hunted in the forest,” I’d reminded her. “They need you more than I do right

time alone with my patient. The guards seemed hesitant to leave me alone with the prince, but the Alpha King heeded my request and ordered the others to do the same. They filtered out of the chamber, and once they were

leave us was more of an excuse than anything. My patient was stable, but I needed time to think and process

he’d changed over the years. He was the Alpha King now, and as such, he was the ruthless leader of the Wegalla Empire.

only that, but he had a son.

at the boy. Was he

pang of sadness struck me. He had to be. Asher had abandoned me all those years ago and left me

I

and for a moment, I thought I was about to cry, but I forced those feelings down. Asher

anymore, and I couldn’t

career here in the Wild Crawler Pack, not to mention my dear friend Marley and her family. I was loved and

and soft curly hair, just like his mother, Adalyn. She’d been

was cute, but there was something mature and intelligent in his

whimper interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked over, I watched the prince roll on his side. His sheets were thoroughly soaked from perspiration, and his forehead appeared

murmured, and I hopped to my feet. The poor child was at risk of catching a cold.

of guards stood at attention, and they stared at me

a se rvant,” I said. “The prince needs a fresh set of blankets.”

of them disappeared down the hall. I stepped back into the chamber, and a few minutes later, the doors flew open to reveal a pair of se rvants with piles of fresh linens. But they weren’t alone. Asher Collins walked int

rushed over, but when he