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

his bag, and once he was secure it was time for

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

arms and held

I wrapped my

further.

the house

around and made sure we were alone. Luckily, everyone else seemed to be asleep. I held Finnick tight and then took

fear.

out a

to the forest, Mommy?” he asked, and

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

do we have to go?” he pressed. I

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

wasn’t a total lie. Asher Collins wasn’t a good man,

had done to me.

reply, I asked him the question I know

“I’m not afraid. Let’s leave. I’ll protect you. I can walk-”

he tried to wiggle in my arms. “Not before we pass the sentinels. Just stay here for right

closer to my chest, and Finnick

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

away.

my pace and kept walking.

my delight, there were no guards. around. I let out a

we made 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.

around us, 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 out of Wegalla, If I timed things. correctly, we could be on

from making too many sounds

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

walk

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