Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

ASHER

Chapter 70 Dubious foreigners

I was only half awake as I sat in the meeting room and listened to the morning report. Jacoby was informing me about the investigation being conducted about the attempted kidnapping that’d taken place in the market, and the councilor’s dark eyes were glum as he spoke.

“We checked the identity of the kidnapper, Your Majesty,” he said. “They didn’t live in Anemond, nor did they seem to be residents of Wegalla at all.”

My brow shot up immediately. “Do you think they were foreigners?”

Jacoby nodded. “I believe so, Your Majesty. But without officially issued certification, no foreigners would have been able to pass the territory line of Wegalla.”

I frowned.

This was all very strange.

“Did the soldiers stationed there fail their duties?” I wondered as frustration rose within me. “How could a foreigner enter the territory without anyone knowing?”

Jacoby hesitated for a moment.

“Perhaps,” he began. “There’s another possibility. I find it a little coincidental that the king of Yurene appeared right then and there to stop the kidnapper from taking Miss Ca ssandra…”

“Are you suggesting that he was behind it all?” I asked directly.

“I don’t know,” he replied, and his cheeks flushed with color. “All I know for sure is that the king is infamous for being scheming and slippery. He could be responsible. It would certainly raise the reputation of Yurene if a king swooped in to

save a citizen of Wegalla. It would make their country and their people seem much more civilized and important.”

My frown deepened as I considered his words.

I wasn’t sure if a matter such as this was important enough to make such a fuss about. I didn’t want Wegalla’s own reputation to come into question and be smeared by an incident such as this. But then again, I couldn’t deny the possibility that Kaleb was behind this. As Jacoby had pointed out, it was a little coincidental that he happened to be in the vicinity when the incident had taken place.

think about Ca ssandra.

with the way he devoted so much of his attention to her. I didn’t want to consider the idea too much further, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he had his

for certain was that I couldn’t trust the Northerner.

who was waiting

of this,” I said politely, and then I nodded at him. “Please keep up the investigation and let

bowed his head in respect. As he walked out of the room, I couldn’t help but admire the way he’d conducted himself. Jacoby was discreet and highly loyal to me. If anyone was going to get any further in this matter, it

head throbbed. Though I’d drank my fill of coffee this morning, I still found myself to be quite tired. My sleep had been restless and little the night.

since Kane had told me that Finnick wasn’t Emmett Keller’s son,

had revealed that he’d heard from the villagers in Wild Crawler that Ca ssandra had been three months pregnant when she’d been brought to the territory by Emmett. Of course, it had just been idle gossip since no one seemed to

this beforehand. Kane had been right when he’d said this

wrought with mystery. But then again,

crossed my mind.

been pregnant

thing to consider, but I couldn’t help but think about it

to recall the events from all those years ago. I tried to picture her body… was

I couldn’t recall. Before the inferno

palace business, along with

washed over me like a tidal wave and my heart began to ache.

done everything I could?

had I let my final images of Cora fade away?

chair and wiped away the tears that had started to spill down my cheeks. For the briefest of moments, I considered telling my visitor to leave me alone, but I couldn’t. My duties as the Alpha

is there?” I called out as I

Moses, Your Majesty,” my guard reported from the other side of

door.

swelled within me.

Just who I wanted to see