Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 85 Unexpected visitors

CA SSANDRA

“Lancel looks so sullen,” Becky whispered to me quietly.

My assistant and I were hard at work in the lab, and Asher’s head guard was perched near the door. The older gentleman had a look of disdain on his face, but I wasn’t sure if that was due to any actual reason or if it was just his appearance.

Either way, I stifled a giggle.

“Don’t take it personally,” I whispered back. “Maybe he’s just having a bad day or something.”

“Or maybe it’s just his face,” Becky joked. I started cracking up immediately. Though we were two different people, we had the exact same sense of humor. Becky always knew how to make me laugh.

My assistant was right of course. Lancel was a very serious guard and performed his duties diligently. I’d hardly ever seen him smile. Even when I was younger, I rarely saw the man’s expression change.

Then again, Lancel had never really liked Cora. I didn’t know why exactly, but maybe it was because he thought the poor, miserable girl brought his Alpha too many difficulties and struggles. Every time there’d been any sort of drama happening in my life, he’d always seemed to have his nose turned up.

Of course, it seemed like Lancel didn’t really like me now either. When Asher had asked his guard to protect me and keep me safe, the older man’s expression had been one of disbelief. Though he was too loyal to question his king’s orders, he didn’t look all that willing to lay his life on the line for me.

But he cared for Asher too much to defy him.

Once Lancel had agreed to the idea, Asher and I set the rest of the plan int

motion. It wasn’t too difficult. The message had been spread out and well-received in the palace that Healer Ca ssandra had found something important among the vipers. Maybe a little too well, because when I returned to my room yesterday, even Erika had started to ask me about it.

vipers, but I assured her,

everything up. Even though

he already gone? Slipped away into the

unlikely since Asher had made a decree that no one was allowed to leave the palace or Anemond for that matter without a

gossip about the supposed meeting and wasn’t falling for

man didn’t turn up before then, all of this effort

to my life. Palace life had become such a tangled

managed to pull my thoughts away from my old life. I wasn’t naive enough to believe that it would all go back

now for that.

back to my research. I’d hoped that Becky and I could find some clues through the venoms of the snakes we’d sampled, but unfortunately, we didn’t know enough about poisons. As much

I studied my papers, I thought of Marley. Though she was still a healer in training, having another medical and scientific mind around would be of great help. I wondered if she would be able to see some kind of pattern that we didn’t.

the laoratory’s window dimmed, I realized it was the end of our work day. I cast

my assistant. “I think we’re done for the day.”

her book and then glanced at

went by quickly,” she noted, and then she closed the book and gestured to me with it. “If it’s okay with you, I might take this with me. Maybe read ahead

me,” I said. “Just make sure you’re getting some rest,

and a raised eyebrow. “Make sure you’re getting some decent sleep yourself, Ca ssy, okay? I know we’ve been pulling some

back at her gratefully. “I appreciate

at me and tucked her short dark red hair behind her ear. In the light. of the setting sun, her hair looked like fire. She was very pretty, and I admired her intellect

again as she headed toward

she asked as she

of your help. And