Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 9 Attack

CA SSANDRA

When I entered my son’s room, I half-expected him to be awake, but he was

fast asleep.

He had his arms wrapped around his favorite teddy bear, Teddy, and for a moment, I didn’t want to wake him up. He seemed so peaceful, and I was about to put him through so much stress.

But not as much as I would be if we went to Anemond.

So, I leaned down and gently touched his arm.

“Finnick,” I whispered, and when he didn’t rouse, I said his name again. After a moment, his nose crinkled and his eyes blinked open.

“Mommy?” he said, and he yawned lightly.

“Sorry to wake you, baby,” I said, and I gave him my most apologetic smile. “We have to go.”

“Go?” he repeated back in a confused voice. “Go where?”

“I’ll tell you on the way there,” I explained. “For now, we just need to get ready,

okay?”

Finnick nodded, though his gray eyes were concerned. I pulled the covers aside and helped him down. We walked over to the closet, and we got him dressed.

After I zipped up his jacket, I picked out a couple of fresh sets of clothes and packed them in a small backpack.

“Put this on,” I instructed him.

“Can Teddy come?” he asked hopefully, and he glanced over at the stuffed bear he’d left on the bed. I studied the toy carefully. We were running low on room, but Teddy was his favorite toy. I couldn’t ask him to leave it behind when I was already asking so much of him.

to put him in your

bag, and once he was secure it was time

scan of the house. It seemed like I had remembered everything

arms and

on tight, baby,” I said, and I wrapped my jacket around him to conceal

further.

carried him out of the house

our way. I glanced around and made sure we were alone.

fear.

Finnick let out a

forest, Mommy?” he

to go there, I know you don’t like it. But I need you to be brave, okay?”

have to go?” he

were right before,” I decided. “The man we saw today. He’s very bad and very dangerous. So we have to

a total lie. Asher Collins

had done to

question I know he didn’t want to hear. “Are you

afraid. Let’s leave. I’ll protect

my arms. “Not before we pass the

to my

Finnick would have been fine on foot, but there was a short interval just before midnight when there would be no guards around.

away.

quickened my pace and

were no guards. around. I let out a

it a good way in, I set Finnick down and reached into my pack. I’d brought a flashlight, a compass, and a knife with me. Retrieved them all, and after I put the knife in my

so we needed to rely on the flashlight to see. I used the light to check the compass. I wasn’t an expert navigator, but I knew enough to get us through. We needed to avoid the forbidden section of the forest, so I had to find us a shortcut that would get us

I needed to take every precaution to keep us safe. Now that I couldn’t shift, I needed to keep my wits about me and keep us from making too many sounds or running into any predators.. Luckily for us, my father had taught me how to use a knife when I was a girl, but I’d never had

I could tell he was scared because his palms were wet. I felt pangs of guilt go. through me. Putting Finnick in this much danger wasn’t fair, but I had no other choice. I couldn’t let the nightmares of Anemond come back to me, not again, and I wouldn’t let them

our walk

speak. We continued on for