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.

we have to put him in

bag, and once he was secure it was

and after we were fully dressed, I did a quick scan of the house. It seemed

into my arms and

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

further.

of the house and into

our way. I glanced around and made sure we were alone. Luckily, everyone else seemed to be asleep. I held

fear.

the way there, Finnick let out a soft sound of

going to the forest, Mommy?” he asked,

baby.” I said. “I’m so sorry we have to go there, I know you don’t like it. But I need you to be

he pressed. I considered my words

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

Collins wasn’t a good man, especially considering

done to

Finnick didn’t reply, I asked him the question I know he didn’t

Let’s leave.

as he tried to wiggle in my arms.

son closer to my chest, and Finnick

best. Finnick would have been fine on foot, but there was a short interval just before midnight when

away.

quickened my pace and

my delight, there were no guards. around.

and reached into my pack. I’d brought a flashlight, a compass, and a knife with me. Retrieved them all, and after I

avoid the forbidden section of the forest, so I had to find us a shortcut that would get

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

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

we began our walk through the forest.

speak. We continued on for an hour in complete silence, carefully maneuvering through