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,

in his bag, and once he

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

my arms and held

said, and I wrapped my jacket around him to conceal

further.

the

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

fear.

let out a soft sound of

to the forest, Mommy?” he asked, and his tone was

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

he pressed. I considered my words

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

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

had done to

reply, I asked him the question I know he didn’t want to hear. “Are

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

now, sweetheart,” I said quickly as he tried to wiggle in my arms. “Not before we pass

to

and he fell silent. It was 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

away.

I quickened my pace

guards.

good way in, 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

avoid the forbidden section of the forest, so I had to find us a shortcut that would get us out of Wegalla,

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

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

walk through the

speak. We continued on for an hour in complete silence, carefully