Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 7 Bad guy

CA SSANDRA

“Mommy, what’s going on?” Finnick whispered, and he stared up at me with widened eyes. I froze in place, unsure of how to answer him. Surely, the Alpha King

couldn’t be serious.

Me, go with him to Anemond?

I studied Asher’s expression and wondered if he’d seen past my changed face.

and voice. Had he discovered it was me after all? No. There was no way.

Regardless, why would he bring me there? As the capital city of the Wegalla Empire, there were countless outstanding healers that resided there. While I knew I was good at my job, I didn’t believe for a moment that I was any more talented than any of them.

If anything, I could just write down the list of herbs I’d used and have the ser vants pass it along to the royal healers, and if something was amiss, they knew

where to find me.

“I-I don’t understand, Your Majesty,” I asked him. “Why bring me all the way to

Anemond?”

“Must I repeat myself?” the Alpha King sighed and he shook his head in frustration. “I thought you were smart, but perhaps I’m giving you too much credit.”

Anger s piked within me, but I ignored it.

“Begging your pardon, but I have patients here in the Wild Crawler Pack I must attend to,” I brought up in hopes he’d change his mind. “Many of them require. treatment that only I can administer.”

“Isn’t that why you have an assistant?” Asher retorted.

“Well, yes,” I admitted. “But I can’t just leave her to do all of the work. It takes

both of us to run the clinic.”

“This isn’t a discussion, Ca ssandra,” his voice hardened as his impatience grew. “It’s an order. You will comply or else suffer the consequences. I doubt you wish to subject your son to any sort of punishment.”

The Alpha King was right. I couldn’t refuse, not when it was a royal decree. I had to do what was right and keep Finnick from harm’s way.

I replied quickly, and I held Finnick close.

“Return home

after I rose to my feet,

the doors

whispered. “He

to make sure no one had heard him. “You mustn’t say such things, not until

“Sorry,” he apologized.

Finnick down the stairs, and after I waved goodbye to Jasper, we left the

Pack House.

above us as we walked down the gray

I asked Finnick, and my

“Auntie Sofia gave us soup and cr

replied simply, and I made note to thank the Luna for

my responses polite but short. Now was the time the Pack. members would be heading home to celebrate their harvests, but I wanted nothing to do with any of it.

happened that day.

tightly around mine. I knew he could sense my frustration, so he remained quiet as we quickly walked, but after a while, he started to lag behind

he said. “Please slow down!”

he’d stopped and

over to him and crouched down so I was eye-level.

didn’t realize I was walking so fast.”

Finnick replied as he caught his breath. Once he was calm, his eyebrows

I’m fine, darling,” I assured him, but he wasn’t

each other,” he insisted, and

he could tell I wasn’t okay. But what could I say? How could I explain the situation

understand?

to Anemond?” I asked him softly, and he immediately shook.

“No,” he said.

I

don’t want to,” he replied as if it was obvious. “If Mommy doesn’t like it, then I

into a hug. After a moment, I let go, and we resumed our walk. As we continued on,

I

revealing

was that strange man?” he wondered, “You

official,” I explained