Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 11 Alpha King found her?

CA SSANDRA

When I awoke, my vision was blurred, and my head swam with incoherent thoughts. As I fought back the dizziness, my eyes began to adjust, and images of the Moon Goddess and the Holy Moon appeared.

For a moment, I stared at them and wondered if this was the afterlife.

Had the bear managed to take my life? Was I… dead?

Suddenly, the room came into focus, and I recognized the mural I’d painted on my ceiling long ago. I wasn’t dead. I was in my bedroom, tucked tightly into bed.

How had I gotten here?

Suddenly, I felt the soft touch of a warm hand on my arm. When I glanced over, I caught sight of Marley.

“Oh Ca ssandra,” she gushed in pure relief, and her pale green eyes glittered with tears. “You’re awake!”

It took me a moment to register everything. I blinked a few times and then I smiled up at my dear friend. “H-hi, M-Marley.”

The effort of speaking hurt my throat, but I was so relieved to see her that it

didn’t matter.

“I was so worried, Ca ss,” Marley continued on, and she wiped a tear from her cheek. “So extremely worried.”

She then took my hand in hers.

“I’m sorry to scare you,” I managed to say. I wanted to comfort her further, but when I attempted to squeeze her hand, a sharp pain shot through my entire body.

When I winced, she pulled her hand away quickly.

“Oh, Ca ss,” Marley uttered, and her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, that must have

hurt!”

“It’s… it’s okay,” I said through the pain, and then a thought crossed my mind.

Where was my Finnick?

I glanced around the room, but my son was nowhere to be found. Panic flooded through me, and my heart rate increased exponentially. Had he made it out of that cave? And how had I ended up here anyway?

my lower lip trembled

on? Is he alright? And how did I

take a breath,” Marley urged, and her expression grew serious. “Finnick is perfectly safe. He’s back at the Pack House

he h-hurt?” I stammered, and my vision grew cloudy with

bear and the cave crashed over

serious, take a deep breath. Doctor’s orders. You’re in pretty rough shape and I don’t want

did, I heeded my friend’s advice and took a long, deep breath. A few minutes later, when I was in a calmer state, another thought crossed

my eyebrows creased together. “And how did I get back here in

look crossed Marley’s

and she let out a small sigh. “He was

in

Collins had found

sense, I supposed. Before I’d lost consciousness, the last face

hadn’t hallucinated after

sit up, but the effort sent another pang of pain through

surprise to get a call from him in the middle of the night,” Marley remarked. “When

“What

beside me. “Well, he was extremely angry. He was super short-tempered with me and ordered me to get to the clinic-to help. I totally understand the urgency, and I would have rushed there in a second anyway to help you, but he was intense, to say the least. That being said… What he

I asked in surprise and she

you so carefully. He helped me get you down on

“Wow,” I uttered.

hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. He could have sent a guard to handle the whole thing, but he wouldn’t let anyone else into the clinic the entire time I was taking care of your injuries. Then he carried you himself all the way here to your house.”

surprising,” I

Collins had personally escorted me back to my house?

was grateful that he’d intervened and helped Marley get me home safe. That meant more to me than

was so

left. for the Pack House. It was so strange, Ca ssandra. It was like he was a completely different person

bed, my shoulder cried out in pain, and I

to stress your body

I

I suddenly became aware of the rest of the pain. It was there in

I wondered even though I

gave me an apologetic look. “The bear’s claws scratched your stomach up pretty badly, and your

is sprained.”

My eyes widened.

insisted. “You’re going to be just fine. It’s just gonna take some time to heal. Now, I’m gonna take a look

“Okay,” I agreed.

carefully shifted the covers away from