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.

Your Majesty,” I replied quickly, and I held Finnick close.

“Return home and

my feet, I bowed in

and once the doors were

he whispered. “He scares me.”

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

“Sorry,” he apologized.

and after I waved goodbye to Jasper, we left the

Pack House.

as we walked down the gray stone

eat dinner?” I asked Finnick, and my son

Sofia gave us

Luna for watching my son and taking care of him while I

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.

we quickly walked, but after a while, he started to lag behind me. Soon, I dropped

said. “Please slow down!”

I noticed he’d stopped and

crouched down so I was eye-level.

honey,” I apologized. “I didn’t

Once he was calm, his eyebrows creased together. “You look sad,

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

other,” he insisted, and his face was

soul, and I knew he could tell I wasn’t okay. But what could I say? How could I explain

understand?

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

“No,” he said.

not?” I asked.

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

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

I

revealing too much.

he wondered, “You called him…

an important official,” I explained simply.