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 backpack, okay?”

Finnick agreed. We carefully put Teddy in his bag, and once he

were fully dressed, I did a quick scan of the house. It seemed like I had remembered everything we

into my arms

I wrapped my

further.

of the house and into the night.

out to light our way. I glanced around and made sure we were alone. Luckily, everyone else seemed to be asleep. I held Finnick tight and then took off toward

fear.

Finnick let out a soft sound

he asked, and his tone was

to go there, I know

do we have to go?” he

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

lie. Asher Collins wasn’t a good

done

I know he didn’t

Let’s leave. I’ll protect

in my arms. “Not before we pass

son closer to my chest, and Finnick

fine on foot, but there was a short interval just

away.

my pace and

no guards. around. I let out a sigh of relief and then walked

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

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 out of Wegalla, If I timed things. correctly, we could be on the other side

me and keep us from making too many sounds or running into any predators.. Luckily for

This was his first time entering the forest, and 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,

began our walk through the forest.

two of us were too afraid to speak. We continued on for an hour in complete