Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 66 The soldier

CA SSANDRA

That night, for the first time, after all of these years of loneliness and emptiness, I dreamt of my father and brother.

It was a nice dream. In it, I was out with my family in a field. Ector and I were running while my father watched on with a kind smile on his normally stern face. As we ran, a warm breeze kissed my cheeks and bright sunlight filled the sky. Ector and I tumbled around in our wolf forms and rolled in the tall, soft grass. It was the first time I’d pictured my wolf form in ages. I’d almost forgotten what she’d looked like.

I wished I could have stayed in that dream forever.

But it wasn’t meant to be. I awoke the next morning to the sound of someone calling my name. My eyes blinked open slowly and my vision was blurred as I came to. Who was saying my name?

Moments later, my eyes focused, and I saw Erika standing over me. The maid’s face was painted with worry and she touched my forehead gently.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured. “You have a fever.”

For a moment, her stance and tone of voice reminded me of my childhood.

contain myself, I began to s ob.

swelled up in my eyes and before I reminded me

“Oh Erika,” I managed to say through my cries. “I’ve missed you so much.”

The maid stood there, completely stunned and unsure of what to say. I was confused by this interaction- why wasn’t she saying anything?

Suddenly, another voice chimed in.

“Mommy?” Finnick called out in a worried voice. “Mommy, what’s wrong?”

I realized I was no longer dreaming. The realization hit

and the tears came

soothe me, and I felt her touch my bandaged hand. I winced from the pain but allowed her to check the wound. Her face suddenly paled. “Your wound is infected, Ca ssandra. Do you

here?”

composure. I nodded and then pointed at the

walked over to the closet. She rooted around through

and containers until she

bedside, and then carefully applied the salve to my hand. I cried out in pain as the medicine touched my wound but then forced myself to

turned my attention back to Erika.

I said.

nodded. “Of

me carefully, and I could tell from her perplexed expression and the glimmer in her eyes that she wanted to ask me something. Her lips event parted but she seemed to change her mind about whatever she was going to

to take care of yourself, Ca ssandra,” she offered. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard these days. But don’t worry. We’ll get

I nodded. “Alright.”

lip trembled and he had his favorite stuffed bear in his

admitted quietly, and then the tears spilled onto his cheeks freely. “I hate it here in Anemond. Ever since we got here, there’s been no happy things. I miss Wild Crawler. I miss Dominic and Luna Sofia. I don’t like Prince Marco. He was supposed to be my friend but he’s so mean, Mommy. I don’t like him and I don’t

head and fought back the sadness that was swelling within

was willing to let us go, it was unlikely we’d return to Wild Crawler safe and sound. Too much had happened here. There was no chance that we could go back to our normal lives, not after the ordeal with Adalyn.

handed me a glass

and as I obeyed, she glanced over at the door. “There were a few guards when I arrived

to make sure I don’t leave,” I explained. “The Alpha King confined me

and she shook her

King didn’t seem angry with me after I explained what had

into the distance. “They’re dangerous, the

at all,”

it instantly. It belonged to Margaret. She was arguing with