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.

Majesty,” I replied quickly, and I

Asher commanded. “Return home and

to my

another word, and once the doors were closed behind us, my son grabbed

whispered. “He scares me.”

one had heard him. “You mustn’t say such things, not until we’re home, okay?”

“Sorry,” he apologized.

stairs, and after I waved goodbye

Pack House.

and the moon shone bright above us as we walked down the gray stone path back toward

asked Finnick, and my

“Auntie Sofia gave us soup and cr ackers.”

I made note to thank the Luna for watching my son and taking care of him while I was

few Pack members greeted us and wished us good evenings. I kept my responses polite but short. Now was the time the Pack. members would be heading home to celebrate their harvests, but I wanted

happened that day.

to me, his fingers wrapped tightly around mine. I knew he could sense my frustration, so he remained quiet as we quickly walked,

“Please slow

he’d stopped and was panting about ten feet

him and crouched down so

honey,” I apologized. “I didn’t realize I was

he was calm,

I’m fine, darling,” I assured him, but he wasn’t convinced by my words.

said we don’t lie to each other,” he insisted, and

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

understand?

I asked him

“No,” he said.

I

replied as if it was obvious. “If Mommy

drew him into a hug. After a moment, I let go, and

I

without revealing

man?” he wondered,

important official,”