Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 30 Reunion with her nanny

CA SSANDRA

I could only blame myself for my own carelessness. Finnick’s eyes. Why hadn’t I found a better excuse for their coloring, and why had I let myself tense up so much when the Alpha King had inquired about them?

I should have been more prepared, more calm… but everything about Asher Collins’ presence set every nerve in my body on fire. I was a deer, cornered by his steel-like gaze.

I couldn’t even keep my grip on a simple teacup. When it shattered all over the floor of the king’s study, I found myself wishing I’d shattered with it to avoid the embarrassment of facing him.

“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty!” I cried, and then I lept to my feet and started collecting the pieces from the floor. All the while, my forehead broke out in sweat, and heat spread through my cheeks. This was beyond mortifying.

“It’s okay,” Asher muttered as I cleaned around the room. “It was an accident.”

Yet, his tone said otherwise. I’d made a huge mistake. I’d broken palace property and probably burned the Alpha King’s skin with my carelessness.

“You don’t need to do that, Healer Ca ssandra,” Asher said as he dabbed at his shirt. “A s rvant will sort that out.”

I rose to my feet instantly and then bowed my head.

I

“My apologies,” I said quietly. I set the shards down on an empty part of the table and then brushed my hands on my trousers before I sat back down. Beside me, Finnick looked flabbergasted, and I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t conducting myself properly at all, and I hoped he wasn’t too embarrassed by my actions.

“Are you okay, Mommy?” he whispered, and I nodded my head and patted him

on the shoulder.

Asher sighed and then stood and walked over to his desk. He reached into a drawer and retrieved a bell. He rang it three times and then replaced it in the drawer. Once he was finished, he sat back down on the leather sofa and crossed his

legs.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter another word the doors to the study opened, and a maid entered the room.

bowed. “At

She gave

apologized as she dusted the floor. “My

to apologize, miss,” the maid

smiled up at me, and suddenly, realization crashed over me.

She was Erika.

My former nanny.

he hired a nanny to look after me and my brother Ector while he was away working. Erika was a perfect

the world to me.

to leave. I’d wanted to hire her as my private maid in Rosepetal, but

it was of no use. I couldn’t let Erika get

seen Erika in five years, but her smile

with a

my sorrow with anyone after my father’s death. I knew Erika would have understood and offered me. a shoulder to lean on. She would soothe me and tell me that

didn’t know me now. I wasn’t Cora anymore.

if she did, things weren’t

said simply. Erika nodded and then continued cleaning. Once she was done, she turned to the Alpha King who gestured for her to leave. Erika

was an extremely tall man with long auburn hair, a thick beard, and an incredibly freckled complexion. His eyes were as black as coal,

Majesty,” he greeted the Alpha

turned to me. “This is the Chief Healer, Marten. Marten, this is Ca ssandra

you,” Marten

as well, sir.”

Marten privately,” Asher said.

Majesty,” I replied, and I turned to Finnick. “Let’s

the sofa. We quietly walked out of the study, and once we passed through

been messy, and I was relieved for it to be over.

hall and once we reached the stairs, I nearly froze

at the staircase, and her beautiful face had a strange expression on it. She stared me down

eyebrow at me.

her once and attempted to walk past, but she didn’t let me go