Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

ASHER

Chapter 29 Her secret

Why did I trust Cas sandra Keller?

That was a great question. But I was completely surprised when the healer asked it, and even more surprised when I realized her question had a point.

I hadn’t told anyone about my ailment apart from Lancel. My most trusted guard had been attempting to investigate the mark for me, but it hadn’t been going well. Besides him, no one else knew I had the disease. Not the royal healers or even Adalyn.

So, why was I willing to entrust this secret to a healer from a mostly forgotten

Pack on the border?

In all honesty, I didn’t know why, but something in my gut told me she could be trusted. When I’d shown her my mark back in Alpha Gareth’s meeting room, I hadn’t thought about it twice. Trusting her felt natural as if she were someone I’d known for years.

But in reality, it was unnatural, strange even.

Why would I trust a village healer?

So, I reached into my mind and crafted an answer for Ca ssandra Keller that seemed passable. I told her it was nothing, just a calculated choice. I hated to lie, but I needed to do so to cover for myself.

My father, the late Alpha King, once told me that the king should trust no one. I’d never believed him until I myself became king and realized that Anemond was full of traitors and liars who sought to sway me in their favor. They smiled at me and treated me favorably, but their reasons for doing so only came down to one thing.

Power.

if I wasn’t the king, and the Moon Goddess only knew there were plenty of others who wanted

stepmother and stepbrother, Adalyn’s family, the malicious Northerners… they all wanted my power, and that was all.

answer for a moment, and then she tucked her long copper hair behind

“I’ll do my best, Your

I

to study her. Something about her was familiar, I

they looked nothing alike. They had completely different faces and their demeanors were entirely different. Cora was lively and outgoing, while Ca ssandra was calm and thoughtful. Still, there was something there that made me like Ca ssandra, along with

looked at the boy. “How old is your son, Healer Ca ssandra?”

why. Despite her quiet nature, she was

before she could answer, and Ca ssandra’s deep green

five years old now, Your Majesty,” she managed. Uneasiness painted her features, and she appeared as if she wanted to run

this woman? Why was she so scared? Was she simply uncomfortable with me because of my station? Or was it

one of the small teacups from the silver tray and then carefully picked up the teapot. She streamed steaming hot tea into her cup and then gently set

and then continued with my questions.

have gray eyes, Ca ssandra?” I wondered. “Or perhaps your husband?

wasn’t sure what inspired me to keep pressing further, but I was still a little curious of Finnick’s eye

upon impact and the pieces

Your Majesty!” she apologized profusely, and her big eyes flashed in horror. She rose to her feet in a flash and started collecting the shards from the floor. Meanwhile, I reached forward, grabbed a

“It’s ok

myself off. “It was an

my mind wondered how much of an accident it was. The timing of Ca ssandra dropping the cup seemed a little

was for sure, Ca ssandra Keller had