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.

closer,” I repeated myself, and then I took a breath. “I promise,

cheeks flushed scarlet and then she nodded. She scooted in a little closer, but I could

did. There was no reason why she should have shown up to your chambers 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

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 didn’t want

somewhere else.

I needed to punish her

was wounded in my laboratory. I understand why Margaret would be angry that her

in response but didn’t know what.

earlier conversation between us where Ca ssandra had asked

with Adalyn, and I’d said no.

unease in my

Kaleb was the one that stopped Margaret,” I

a lock of her hair behind

said. Ca ssandra stopped what she was doing and raised her eyes to meet mine.

she said. “He did”

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

I asked her directly

and then her eyes fell to the ground.

brought me some salve from his country to soothe my burn.

checked on Adalyn last night,” I said. “At her family’s

making notes in her journal and her mouth

Her hands shook a little, but she managed to steady them quickly and offer me

to hear that, Your

I didn’t object too much to the formalities that came with my position, but I didn’t like hearing the words “Your Majesty” coming from her lips. They were too cold, too courteous, too/polite. As absurd as it seemed, they almost felt like an insult coming from