Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 274

KANE

Even as a child, I had been well aware of the fact that my new stepfather didn’t love my mother. Though the King of Wegalla had always treated us well, and Margaret never complained about his lack of attention or kindness, it wasn’t difficult to tell that he didn’t share any affection toward her. Truthfully, Asher’s father had only married Margaret because she had been his late wife’s maid. After Selene Collins’ death, the king was desperate to learn any and all information he could about the queen, and he saw his union with my mother as an opportunity.

He asked Margaret to tell him everything about the late queen: how she had laughed, how she would smile, the things that brought her happiness. Every single detail about her. Selene was the only subject of their conversations, and while my mother didn’t outwardly protest or refuse him, it bothered her greatly.

She had told me once that she believed the king was just trapped in his regret. He regretted that he had neglected his beautiful and beloved wife. He was remorseful and told my mother once in a drunken stupor that life felt unbearable after Selene’s death.

Despite the king’s words and actions, Margaret was fully convinced things would change. She believed that if she tried hard enough, she could help Asher’s father forget Selene.

But it was nothing more than a delusion in her mind.

Things didn’t improve, not in the slightest.

One day, I had even heard the king ask Margaret to imitate Selene.

I didn’t remember what I had wanted that day, but I had overheard the conversation when I was roaming the halls of Merliscire in search of my mother. I had been searching high and low, and when I arrived in the corridor near their room, I heard voices filtering out. I froze for a moment and then quietly crept toward the room until I was just outside of it. I crouched down low to ensure I wasn’t detected and held my breath as I listened in.

Their conversation was nothing noteworthy until the king asked my mother to speak like Selene. It wasn’t a typical order, more like a plea, and when he spoke the words out loud, Margaret had laughed, thinking it was a joke. The moment she had laughed, the king’s demeanor changed and his pleas turned into a command. He told her that as her king, he was giving a command and she had to obey.

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done as she was told and obeyed, though she was ashamed to do so. When her imitation didn’t

the best,” he snarled at her. “That’s why I married you, Margaret. But it seems like I

after and Margaret broke into tears. Thankfully, the king hadn’t seen me as he rushed out into the corridor, and once he

to say wasn’t going to do me any good, nor her. I wanted

Margaret and the king had ended. And it was the deepest secret I held in my heart. I would never find the courage to confess to my brother that Margaret had been complicit in killing his father. She had once confessed to me that she had put an end to the late king’s life using some sort of chronic poison, and while killing was never the answer, I couldn’t blame her for wanting an escape from

it was going to decide her future for her, and when I didn’t speak, she reached out toward me and

as her lovely

of

distracted. I don’t know, Kiara.

in her eyes diminished and her gaze dropped

said quickly, and then she nodded her head. “It was st upid of me to ask, of

at the window again and

were madly in love with me, as if they thought I was too slow- witted to know they were lying. But I’m not. I know most of those men were

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softly as I tried to make sense of her words. “Kiara, you’re clever and kind… you deserve so much more than a man who would

that,” Kiara replied, and she gave me a small smile. “I was happy when you said you wanted to marry me. I had heard about you from cousins and friends who came to visit Anemond at festivals. You’re even

then rose

should get married,” she said, and then she nodded her head. “Thank you for your

started to walk out of the room. I

glanced behind her and