Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 137

Marley had originally planned to leave Anemond in a few days to return nome, but when she heard that Becky was going to Wild Crawler, she pointed out that my clinic was going to be short-handed.
“As much as I want to get home, I won’t leave you to deal with all of these patients on your own,” my friend insisted with a twi nkle in her light green eyes. “I’ll extend my stay a little longer so I can help.
“You don’t have to do that,” I countered. “What about your boys?”
“They’ll be fine,” she assured me with a wave of her hand. “Besides, I’ll just call my parents. They love spending time with the kids and the kids love their grandparents. It works out well for everyone, Cas sy.”
I offered her a small smile. “That’s really kind of you, Marley. Thank you. I really appreciate the help.”
“Of course,” she said. “That’s what sisters are for.”
Sisters.
The words from her lips brought me joy like no other. Though my identity prior to Wild Crawler was a mystery to them both, I considered Marley and Becky as my sisters. They were there for me and made this life of insanity and complications worth it, and I was lucky to have them by my side.
Once we got the plans arranged, we decided to have a nice dinner with one another to celebrate Becky’s newest scientific accomplishments.
Erika and Hannah prepared an insane amount of food, including some mouthwatering roasted chicken, garlic and cheese potatoes, a salad full of leafy greens, and an impressive dark chocolate cake for dessert.
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As we tucked into the food, Marley did her best to cheer everyone up. Despite the gorgeous meal, our spirits were a little dim and tired, but that didn’t stop my friend from trying.
Finnick was seated beside me, but he was preoccupied with a new book Asher had gifted him. Normally I didn’t allow books or toys at the table, but since it was a gift from the Alpha King and it offered a little bit of a distraction so the adults could talk, I allowed it.
The new book was a lot more wordy than the picture books Finnick wa to, but he was keeping up quite well. Finnick was naturally a quick learner and very proud at him for pushing his studies further.
Meanwhile, it took a few attempts, but finally, Marley managed to make Becky laugh, and then the floodgates opened. We were all cracking up like we’d been friends for decades. It was a relief. I knew Marley felt responsible for Becky’s feelings about Silas and was doing all she could to smooth it over.
After a long session of laughter, we sipped at the sparkling grape juice I’d requested (since alcoholic beverages didn’t feel fitting given the circumstances), and Marley shifted the subject.
“Becky, if you’re looking for a handsome guy in Wild Crawler, you might be out of luck,” she giggled.
t was difficult back when I had first started dating and nov well, it’s even harder to find a decent young guy there now.”
I half-expected Becky to be upset by talk of men, but to my surprise, she simply chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“I’m sure,” she noted. “It’s the same in Anemond, too. You should have seen. some of the men my mother tried to set me up with. Even the handsome ones had some serious problems.”
“Like the Alpha King?” Marley quipped, and a lump formed in my throat as heat spread to my cheeks. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s handsome and all, but between him and Rayden, I think I would choose Rayden.”
“Marley!” I gasped, and I playfully rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe you would say
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that.”
“What?” she replied, and despite all of the eyes on her, she strongly defended herself. “I’m serious! Rayden is a total catch. You know what I’m talking about Cas s! He’s got that gorgeous bluish-black hair and those eyes…”
“Yes, yes, he’s handsome,” I said off-handedly, and I glanced down at Finnick. Luckily, he was still too absorbed in his book, along with his mashed potatoes, to pay attention.