Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 25 Where was she from?

CA SSANDRA

The Alpha King’s tone told me all I needed to know. This was not a request, it

was an order, and it was one I couldn’t refuse.

“Oh,” I remarked quietly, and then I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

Asher released his hold on my arm and then nodded back before gesturing to the luxury car. “Let’s go then, Mrs. Keller,”

My name on his l*ps sounded so strange, but I couldn’t let myself freeze up now. I wanted nothing more than for him to call me by my true name, but that could never happen again.

I followed the Alpha King to the car, and once we were there, a se rvant held the door open for us. Just as we were climbing in, I heard a familiar voice calling my

name.

“Ca ssy!” Marley yelled, and when I turned around, I saw her running toward me with great speed. Jasper wasn’t too far behind, and a smile broke out on my face.

I met her halfway, and she threw her arms around me when we met. We hugged each other tightly, and once we parted, Jasper and I exchanged nods.

“Oh, I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Marley said sadly, and her eyes welled up at little with tears. “What am I going to do without you, Ca ssy?”

I smiled back at her and rested my hand on her arm. “You’re going to be an excellent healer, Marley. I promise you can do this.”

“I don’t know,” Marley replied, but I shook my head.

“You can do this,” I repeated. After a moment, my best friend nodded and then wiped the tears from her eyes.

I knew the transition would be difficult, but Marley was more than capable of handling things without me. Our patients needed her, and she would do well with the clinic in my absence.

“Come back and see me,” Marley insisted, and I nodded my head.

“I will,” I promised, but we both knew there was little chance of that actually happening. Once I got to Anemond and became a royal healer, it was unlikely that I would be able to leave. My duties would lie in treating the Alpha King of his

ailments.

We hugged one last time, and then I returned to the car. I helped Finnick get settled into our seats in the back, and then the car door was closed behind me. Marco was seated beside us, and Asher was in the pa*senger seat. As the Alphal King, he should have been placed in the back and out of harm’s way, but he insisted on taking the pa*senger seat. Maybe it was him being gentlemanly, but I suspected this arrangement was made so he could study me in the rearview mirror.

The car drove out onto the main road, and when I turned to look back, Marley was waving goodbye. I waved back and watched her figure grow smaller and smaller until it was gone completely. I forced my tears back and then turned back to

look at the road ahead of us.

We continued down the main road until we reached the turn that took us out of

Wild Crawler territory, and a strange sensation went through me. Once again, I was leaving behind all that I knew, only this time, I was going right back where I started.

The four of us, along with the driver, rode along in silence for a few hours. Finnick closed his eyes and fell asleep, and then Marco right behind him.

As they dozed soundly, Asher’s eyes met mine through the mirror and then

narrowed.

“So, Ca ssandra,” he said in a softened tone so as not to wake the boys. “I heard from Alpha Gareth that you arrived at the Wild Crawler Pack five years ago.”

My heart sank a little in my chest. His tone was casual enough, but why was he bringing this up now? Sure, there was plenty of time to make small talk between

here and Anemond, but my past seemed like a loaded topic.

So, why was he asking?

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I answered anyway. “My husband brought me to the Pack. five years ago. We got married, so I settled down there with his people.”

“So, where are you from then?” Asher asked.

I searched my mind quickly and then came up with an answer.

“The Moon Chase Pack, Your Majesty.”

I had been preparing for this question for a while, though I hadn’t thought of the answer in a long time. Years ago, worry had painted my mind- what if someone. were to question my origin- and Emmett had helped me craft a past for myself.

The Moon Chase Pack. Emmett had decided that was the perfect answer. Members of that Pack used to be nomads, he’d explained. They traveled along the territory line as a Pack and moved with the guidance of the moon.

“The Moon Chase,” Asher repeated back, and through the mirror, I could see his raised brow. He seemed a little taken aback.

What answer had he expected?

“So, Mrs. Keller, why haven’t you registered your origin in Wild Crawler?” he asked suspiciously. “You know that’s illegal, right?”

I thought quickly on my feet.

“I was wounded back then,” I explained. “My husband, Emmett, was busy taking care of me. I suppose he must have forgotten.”

“Wounded?”

The Alpha King’s interest seemed piqued, much to my dismay. I needed to stay sharp.

“Yes,” I replied. “I was severely wounded after being attacked while traveling in the forest. Emmett saved me, and then we fell in love.”

It was a lie, but a good one. It was a better idea to tell a story close to the truth. If Asher really wanted to investigate the matter, he would discover that Emmett had in fact, spent months on my treatment. It was no secret in the Wild Crawler Pack.

Asher’s l*ps curled into a frown.

“I see,” he remarked, and then he sat back in his seat. He didn’t ask me a single question after that.

We continued the ride in silence. Finnick woke up a couple of times and stared, out the window in awe. This was the furthest he’d ever traveled, and he was impressed by all of the sights. Marco, meanwhile, was bored and huffy. If I had to guess, I’d say the young prince wasn’t too pleased to be riding with a pair of country

commoners.

I didn’t let him bother me, though, and neither did Finnick. My boy was too strong and tough to be affected by such a spoiled child.

When they both fell back asleep, I decided I should close my eyes as well. We still had quite a ways to go to Anemond, and I’d barely slept the night before, and I’d need all of my strength to make it through this.

So, I leaned back into my seat and let my mind wander. I took a long, deep breath, and allowed myself to sink in further.

I drifted off into sleep, and after a few hours, a voice woke me up. It was the driver, verbal at last.

“Your Majesty, we are arriving at the Merliscire Palace.”