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.

I said. “But we have to put him in your backpack,

put Teddy in his bag, and once he was

I did a quick scan of the house. It seemed like I had remembered everything we needed. I glanced at

my arms and held him close.

wrapped my jacket around him to conceal

further.

carried him out of the house

around and made sure we were alone. Luckily, everyone else seemed

fear.

there, Finnick let out

the forest, Mommy?” he

so sorry we have to go there, I know you don’t like it. But I need you to be brave,

we have to go?” he pressed. I considered my words

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

Asher Collins wasn’t a good man, especially considering

done

I asked him the question I know he

not afraid. Let’s leave. I’ll protect you. I can

sweetheart,” I said quickly as he tried to wiggle in my arms.

my son closer to my chest, and

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

away.

quickened my pace and kept

too long after, we made it there, and to my delight, there were no guards. around. I let out a sigh of relief and then walked

I set Finnick down and reached into my pack. I’d brought a flashlight, a 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 the other side of the forest by the morning.

us from making too many sounds or running into any predators..

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 wouldn’t let them take

our walk

for an hour in complete silence, carefully maneuvering