Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 98 Dark Abyss

ASHER

Kane studied me with an amused smile. His appearance was as immaculate as ever, and he looked well-rested. I envied him. Up until last night, I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. My mind had been too vexed by the viper situation to truly let myself relax, and my body ached too much from my escalating illness.

My head began to pound as if to remind me of the disease. Luckily, Kane didn’t seem to notice my turmoil.

“You seem to be growingly busy these days, dear brother,” he remarked with a sly grin, and then he pouted for emphasis. “I miss playing chess with you.”

“I have been busy,” I agreed, and I let out a small sigh. “How can I help you, Kane?”

“Wow,” he said as his eyes trailed over me. “This definitely isn’t the welcome | expected. You seem to have lost your sense of humor.”

“Too much on my mind these days,” I murmured.

Kane pulled up a chair and sat opposite of me. His lithe frame was lion-like, and his violet eyes danced with amusement. He was like some kind of wild cat, set to pounce at any moment, and just as sneaky.

I knew this wasn’t a friendly visit.

He wanted something.

“My mother is quite freaked out,” Kane noted as he leaned back in his seat and examined his nails. “She heard that you caught and imprisoned one of her private guards yesterday.”

Margaret was freaked out?

The idea of my stepmother in panic was hilarious. She’d always been calm and collected, even when my father had died. She hadn’t shed a single tear, at least not in the anywhere where she could be seen.

Kane chuckled. “So, who was this guard exactly? And why was he apprehended?”

man was an imposter,” I explained. “He isn’t truly a guard, from what intel has been gathered. His presence has something to do with the vipers that were

Kane, but he didn’t look surprised in the

only this time, my tone was far more serious. Something was off

my mother isn’t behind this,”

do you know that?” I asked without missing a beat.

isn’t a fool,”

agreed. “But that doesn’t clear her of suspicion. You know that, right?”

He nodded his head lightly and glanced at the other side of the room.

necessarily the one behind this, but she

accept a guard with an ambiguous background?” I asked aloud before I could stop myself. “Did she know who could have arranged the man for

silent until Kane looked back at me.

wouldn’t tell me,” he admitted. “I already tried. You know her, Asher. She never

time, I couldn’t help

I muttered under

a proud woman,” Kane said. “And a private one. She speaks with me often but holds her personal information at a distance. She’s always been like

replied. I was moments away from dismissing my brother when he shifted his chair closer to the

be. But I’m not against you. You know that. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that my mother isn’t planning some kind of conspiracy. I promise you, I’ll

you,” I remarked, though I wasn’t sure how much he could really accomplish. I trusted my brother, but I didn’t trust my stepmother.

rubbed my temples. This was a troubled

had this feeling in my gut that she was up to something. She’d always been conniving and wicked, and I didn’t trust her even a little. She

it odd that Margaret, a woman who normally thrived at events in high society, had been absent, and then

had my

was one of her personal guards.

Why wasn’t he guarding her?

on Adalyn’s behalf. Had the imposter been one of the men who had laid his hands on her? Why