Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 48 Kidnapper

CA SSANDRA

As the shopkeeper stared at us expectantly, a pit formed in my stomach. I wanted to turn down the man’s offer and was about to open my mouth to do just that, but before the words could leave my mouth, Finnick jumped excitedly.

“Yes!” he declared, and then he whipped back around to look at me. “Just one look, Mommy, pleaaaaaase?”

My son’s storm-gray eyes were as wide as the puppies’ in the window. He wasn’t normally one to beg so I was a little taken aback by his demeanor, but I was struggling to refuse his request. It wasn’t very often we were able to do something like this.

“You don’t have to take one home with you today, kind lady,” the shopkeeper addressed me gently. “You’re more than welcome to join the boy and look.”

I considered the idea for a moment and then nodded. “Thank you for your

kindness.”

I took Finnick’s hand in mine and the two of us followed the man into his shop. As we crossed the threshold, I couldn’t help but remember being here when I was young. The shop looked exactly the same, but the gentle older lady who ran it didn’t appear to be around.

The moment the doors closed behind us, the puppies in the pen began to bark.

Their hackles raised and their tails thrashed as if we were intruders instead of

visitors. Finnick stiffened beside me, a little taken aback by the sound.

“It’s okay, honey,” I whispered gently, and I squeezed Finnick’s hand.

“They’re just a little excited,” the shopkeeper explained to us when we stopped in ront of the pen. “It’s been a slow day today and they haven’t seen many people.”

I was surprised by his explanation. The main street was full of so many people. It struck me as odd that this shop hadn’t been more popular on a day like today. Had

their customer base dwindled?

Finnick tugged on my sleeve. “Mommy, can I pet them?”

he gave me a small nod of approval. I then turned back to Finnick. “Now,

promised, and then he turned

“Of course, young man.”

the pen of puppies. The little dogs swarmed toward him, and their body language, shifted from guarded to ready for love. They all jumped up and began

time came, but for now, he deserved to feel the joy of being a child. Life in Anemond had been so difficult lately. He deserved some

arms and my heart panged at the sight of them together. The animal was a fluffy little thing with

a hopeful expression and it took

from the market, but

enough to bring me to tears

the shopkeeper approached me and offered me a kind

and then he gestured to the cup. “Would

said gratefully, and I accepted the cup.

offer.”

at all,” he

when I raised the cup to my lips, the steam reached my nose, and the smell of the tea caught me off guard. It smelled strange, nothing like chamomile.

Something wasn’t right, I could feel it in my

nowhere and rushed toward my son. Before I could react, the young woman grabbed him and glared at me.

of malice and she laughed cruelly as Finnick tried to

–

That laugh only grew

and I started to rush to him, but I was stopped when the shopkeeper stepped

lips curled into a mean smile. “Emmett Keller sure did

his words sank

man knew

that this man wasn’t the shopkeeper and that Finnick wasn’t his

I was.

do anything, just let my son

who you really are,” the man sneered and he leaned in closer. “And if you don’t come with me, your son

interrupted, but the man’s eyes narrowed.