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

We carefully put Teddy in his bag, and once he was secure it was time for shoes.

house. It seemed like I

scooped Finnick into my arms and held

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

further.

carried him out of the

and made sure we were

fear.

there, Finnick let out a soft sound of

the forest, Mommy?” he asked, and his

we have to go there, I know you don’t like it.

we have to go?” he pressed.

“The man we saw today. He’s very bad and very dangerous. So we have to go

lie. Asher Collins wasn’t

he had done to me.

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

said firmly. “I’m not afraid. Let’s leave.

my arms. “Not before we pass

son closer to my chest, and Finnick

and he fell silent. It was for the best. Finnick would have been fine on foot, but there was a short interval just

away.

quickened my pace and kept walking.

and to my delight, there were no guards. around. I let out a sigh of

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

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 out of Wegalla, If I timed things. correctly, we could

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

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, and I

our walk through the

too afraid to speak. We continued on for an hour in complete silence, carefully maneuvering through the sp ikey