Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 19 Mommy said you’re bad

ASHER

I stared out the window and admired the way the light entered the room. Dusk here in the Wild Crawler Pack was far more tranquil here than it was all the way out. in Anemond. Out in the capital, it was nearly impossible to see the h orizon amidst the tall buildings and structures. Here, there was nothing but open sky for miles.

I peered out at the front lawns. Here, the grass grew tall and was a plush, emerald green. The lawns of my palace in Anemond were nothing like this. They were broad and sp acious but cut meticulously short by the team of gardeners. It was almost as if wildlife was forbidden. There was no smell of pine, no fresh air…

I inhaled deeply. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I would miss the fresh air here. There was something to be said for this land beside the border. There was a wildness here that didn’t exist out in Anemond, no matter how much I yearned for it.

Far out on the lawn, two boys were playing ball with one another. One of them, I assumed, was the son of the Alpha, and the other I recognized as Ca sandra Keller’s son, the one with the gray eyes named Finnick.

Finnick Keller.

As I watched the two play, I considered the strange color of the boy’s eyes. In the past, it was said that the color of the iris was a royal trait, passed down from an ancient bloodline. However, I had a few acquaintances who had similarly colored eyes, so that wasn’t exactly true.

The strange part was the way Ca ssandra had acted when her son pointed out that I shared the same color eyes. The beautiful healer seemed scared, panicked almost, when the boy had spoken up.

Why was she so afraid of me?

I knew I could be intimidating, but was there something more that I didn’t

know?

with his friend, and the musical sound made me smile. The pair looked so happy and innocent, and

with my own friends. We’d spent. countless hours playing ball, exploring the castle, and reenacting plays we concocted in our minds.

Ector. We were practically inseparable and spent all of our time with one another. We grew up together, and as the years flew by, I found myself becoming more and more enamored with Cora. Falling in love with her came

so far away

longer the little boy

empire, a ruthless leader who didn’t have time to play or enjoy myself.

was

I watched the Alpha’s son sigh in dejection. The se rvant soon left, and the boy followed suit. Finnick was left on the lawn alone, and even from the vantage of my

me too, and I was all alone with nothing but

knock was heard behind me. I turned around and released a

I asked, and I straightened

Your Majesty,” a young man’s voice replied. “May I

enter the room?”

door opened, I took a breath. I needed to push away all thoughts of Ector and Cora. I had

were timid as they flashed over to me. I recognized him

the se rvant announced, and he offered me a

small bow.

and his wife Sofia had been wonderful hosts, but I was tired of having business conversations. They were

my presence.

I

I had a part to play. If I showed weakness, my authority could be questioned. I