Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 17 Healer’s fear

ASHER

Once the healer left, I leaned back in the armchair in Alpha Gareth’s meeting room and released a sigh. My head was aching, as if I had a million hammers, pounding at it at once. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers.

It was difficult to say whether the headache was from the mysterious disease worsening or the lack of sleep. I barely got a full night’s rest these days, and it was, beginning to take its toll on my entire body. It was simply too difficult to rest when there was so much plaguing my mind.

And now, there was someone else to consider, someone I couldn’t get out of my

head.

Cas sandra Keller.

Even though she was gone, her name ran circles in my mind, over and over, as if it were a song rather than a name.

Ca ssandra Keller, a nobody healer from a long-forgotten Pack on the border of

Wegalla.

Over the past few conversations I’d held with her, I knew there was something special about her, something weirdly familiar that drew me in in unexplainable ways. As much as I wanted to dismiss those feelings, I knew they couldn’t be ignored.

Had I heard her name before? Or known someone with a similar one? Was her face similar to one I’d seen before? I couldn’t place it anywhere in my memory, but perhaps she just reminded me of another subject… It was so hard to say.

Either way, I couldn’t figure it out.

Deep down, I knew there was no need to bring the girl all the way to Anemond with me. My son was nearly healed from his encounter with the viper and was going

to make a full recovery. And she had been right- she could easily conduct her research here and report her findings to me in the capital city.

But I wanted her to come with me.

her beautiful dark green eyes, and her full lips… even her petite, lovely figure drew

this in years. In fact, I hadn’t

what was it about this woman that I couldn’t get out of my head?

rang out

of my guards. He’d been under my command for years and was one of the few I actually trusted. Despite being the king of the realm, there were

as I could remember. He had been my bodyguard since I was very young,

blue eyes, and hair that had turned prematurely white. He was broad and

stopped in front of me and bowed in respect.

healer’s bags are all packed,” he reported.

Keller’s house to pack her belongings while we spoke, so she wouldn’t have

wondered, and I pinched my nose again as my head

found on the kitchen table,” Lancel

assistant before she

I asked, and my eyes

read it?”

be suspicious if even

this Pack for good. She planned to leave her clinic to her assistant,

repeated back. “I’m not

lowered his voice slightly. “There’s something

I frowned. “Really?”

may be reading into the matter, but I think she may be

afraid of Anemond.”

repeated

trusted guard nodded. “Yes,

laugh rose up from

“I noted, and I rested back into the seat. “She’s afraid she might struggle to take on the responsibilities I’m asking of her.

yet Lancel didn’t seem too convinced.

said. “But that’s not

my head pounding as severely as it was, I needed rest, and my guard was taking too long to