Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 16 Cora’s story

CA SSANDRA

I lingered outside the meeting room door for a moment, and my heart beat ferociously in my chest. Sure enough, Marley was gone, and I took this alone time to center myself.

It’d been a long time since I’d thought about the girl I’d been before the inferno.

As the years had grown by, I’d allowed her to fade away into near nothingness, but the return of Asher Collins to my life had changed that entirely. Ca ssandra Keller, my new identity, was no match for the Alpha King, and his arrival, along with the order to return to Anemond, had a chance of tearing my life to shreds.

Long ago, I’d been Cora Felix, the daughter of a Ga mma wolf named Darrin Felix. I had been born into a prestigious werewolf family, exalted in the Wegalla Empire, and the Crescent Pack in particular.

My father and my older brother, Ector, were well-respected warriors in our Pack. They were tough as nails and a major asset to the crown. After a chain of events, I was chosen to be Asher-the Alpha prince’s-mate and the future Luna of the empire. Life was perfect, wonderful even.

That is, until it all fell apart.

For reasons unknown, my father was framed and accused of committing crimes. against the Lord Beta’s family. It was claimed that my father wanted to steal the Beta’s position, and as such, he was imprisoned for his alleged crimes. Meanwhile, my brother Ector was banished to be a guard at the impoverished border.

I was taken prisoner as well, confined away, and left to die alone.

It was well-known throughout the Wegalla empire that Cora Felix had died in ant inferno, Darrin in prison, and Ector at the border. It was believed that the entire Felix family had been cursed by the Moon Goddess for their crimes against the crown.

But it wasn’t a curse.

It was a plot.

We’d all be set up.

They’d wanted me to die alone. They’d forced a poison down my throat that’d numbed my limbs and rendered me unable to move. They’d arranged the entire thing to make it seem as if it were an accident.

Even to this day, I had no idea who the killers were. They had been wearing elaborate masks when they broke into my home and set the place ablaze. As they forced their concoction down my throat, they claimed they had been empowered by the Moon Goddess and were executing me out of loyalty to their new King.

the same again. I’d sworn many times over the years that I’d

now… I had no choice. I had to follow the Alpha King’s orders and treat the illness that plagued the Wild Crawler Pack. I

breathe and then forced the memories out of my mind. I couldn’t let myself drown in them, not when I had

the h orizon.

I had to keep my wits about me, since Anemond was a dangerous place full of dangerous werewolves. I would need to stay strong if I was

noticed. a young woman not much older than me, staring at me with a pleasant expression.

unfortunately couldn’t remember.

“Yes?” I asked.

the hallway beside us. Her voice was very kind, and she offered me a soft smile.

name?” I

she introduced herself.

smiled. “That’s

Alpha Gareth and Luna Sofia were far more gracious to their staff than the other royal

so much, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to walk too far throughout

my own.

past the lobby,” Amalia said, and then she gestured forward.

the hall. Each step was incredibly painful, but I managed to keep my face from betraying my

reached the lobby of the Pack House, I spotted Jasper. His arms were crossed behind his back dutifully,

when I arrived.

Amalia?” I asked the maid, and she offered me a small nod.

said, and after she glanced at Jasper, she walked to the other end of the entryway. Once she

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I asked him, and his cheeks darkened significantly.

reached up to brush his neck

wanted to make

embarrassed by something. “She.. didn’t exactly want

of his neck was red and raised, as if he’d been scratched.