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.

king, and the Moon Goddess only knew

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

ssandra Keller considered my answer for a moment, and then she tucked her long copper hair behind her ear

said simply. “I’ll

I

I continued to study her. Something about her was

Cora, though I couldn’t place why. Though Ca ssandra was impossibly lovely as well, 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

the boy. “How old is your son, Healer Ca

couldn’t figure out why. Despite her quiet nature, she was prone to fear and it

before she could answer, and Ca ssandra’s deep green eyes widened as if he’d said something

now, Your Majesty,” she managed. Uneasiness painted her features,

it about this woman? Why was she so scared? Was she simply uncomfortable with me because

picked up the teapot. She streamed steaming hot tea into her cup and then gently set the teapot back down. She passed the cup down to Finnick, who accepted it quietly and then

until they were finished and then continued with my

ssandra?” I wondered. “Or perhaps

curious of Finnick’s eye color. Was there something in his bloodline that made the pair familiar

twitched, causing her teacup to crash to the ground. It shattered upon impact and the pieces

the shards from the floor. Meanwhile, I reached forward, grabbed a napkin, and began to dab at my shirt. Luckily it didn’t leave a huge mark, but

“It’s ok

I dried myself off.

accident it was. The timing of Ca ssandra dropping the

ssandra Keller had something to