Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

ASHER

Chapter 81 A taste of jealousy

When Ca ssandra Keller arrived at my study for the health check the next day, was still thinking about Adalyn’s accusatory words. I wasn’t st upid enough to fall for the claim that the healer was somehow entangled with the king of Yurene. There

was no way she had anything to do with him..

I knew Adalyn’s words had come from jealousy.

And yet, I couldn’t help but consider Kaleb. The way the king from the North treated Ca ssandra bothered me greatly. There was something there in the way the tall, foreign man studied her. There was an affection that I didn’t like, one that even now, I couldn’t deny.

But a spy? No. There was no way that the beautiful healer I’d plucked all the way from Wild Crawler was an operative.

“Is everything okay?” she asked me quietly.

“Sure,” I remarked simply.

She spread her supplies out on my desk and then got to work. As she poked. and prodded me, my mind began to wander until I finally slipped back into reality. Ca ssandra was engrossed in her work. I watched her closely as she made notes about my blood pressure and then moved on to the next task with ease.

I wanted to make small talk, but I had the sense she didn’t want to speak with me at all after what had happened between us in my chamber yesterday. What could I say, and what could I do about it all?

A sigh escaped me before I could stop it.

“You can sit closer,” I said-softly.

Ca ssandra looked up from her notes and seemed taken aback by the offer.

“Excuse me?” she asked as her brow furrowed.

I repeated myself, and then I took a breath. “I promise, I won’t touch you if you

nodded. She scooted in a little closer, but I could tell from her body language that she was still too nervous to be around

and tried to seize you. Her guards had no reason to lay a single hand on you and I promise it’s being dealt with. I’ve always tried to play nicely with her for my brother’s sake, but

say the last sentence aloud, though it was true. I’d always wanted to send Margaret away, and now since my father was gone, there was really no reason for her to remain in Anemond. But I resisted the urge to exile her for Kane’s sake. I

somewhere else.

her. I needed to punish

“After all, Your Majesty, Adalyn was wounded in my laboratory. I

response but didn’t know what. I was reminded of

earlier conversation between us where Ca ssandra had asked me if

and I’d

in my heart

Kaleb was the one that

nodded and tucked a lock of her hair behind her

I said. Ca ssandra stopped

said.

but when she didn’t, I decided I needed to pry a little bit more. Why wasn’t she sharing any of this with me? Did she really trust me so little and the king of Yurene so much? Why was she being so coy?

asked her directly as my head began to pound.

and then her eyes fell to the

brought me some salve from his country to soothe my burn. I don’t know if he’s sent any to Lady Adalyn, but the stuff was quite useful. It took much of my pain away.”

“At her family’s

stopped making notes in her journal and her

little, but she managed to steady them

Your Majesty,”

hearing the words “Your Majesty” coming from her lips.