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 your backpack,

and once he was

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

Finnick into my arms and held

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

further.

him out of the house and into the night.

completely empty, with only the streetlights out to light our way. I glanced around and made sure we were alone.

fear.

out a soft sound of

we going to the forest, Mommy?” he asked, and

there, I know you don’t like it. But I need you to

to go?” he

we saw today. He’s very bad and very dangerous. So we have to go somewhere to keep

lie. Asher Collins

he had done to me.

I

Let’s leave. I’ll protect you.

in my arms. “Not before we pass the sentinels. Just

to my

for the 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

away.

quickened my pace and

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

brought a flashlight, a compass, and a knife with me. Retrieved them all, and after I put the knife in

pitch-black 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

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

mine. 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

began our walk through

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