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,

put Teddy in his bag, and once he was

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

scooped Finnick into my arms and held

I wrapped my jacket around him to

further.

of the

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

fear.

let out a soft sound

he asked, and

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

go?” he pressed. I

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

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

had done

the question I know he didn’t want to hear. “Are you afraid?”

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

I said quickly as he tried to wiggle in my arms. “Not before we pass the

my son closer to my chest,

best. Finnick would have been fine on foot, but there was a short interval just before midnight when there would be no guards around. This window was our

away.

I quickened my pace and kept walking.

were no guards. around. I let out a sigh of relief

I set Finnick down and reached into my pack. I’d brought a flashlight, a compass, and a knife with me. Retrieved them all, and after I put the knife in

navigator, but I knew enough to get us through. We needed to avoid the forbidden section of the forest, so I

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

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

we began our walk through the forest.

speak. We continued on for an