Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper
Chapter 32

Chapter 32 He protected her?

CA SSANDRA

My heart sk ipped a beat in my chest and every inch of my skin broke out in goosebumps.

Was this real?

Was that really my tomb?

But as I stared on at the marble monument, I knew it to be true. That tomb was indeed for Cora Felix.

Had Asher built it himself? And furthermore, did he have Rosepetal reconstructed? There was no other logical reason for the mansion to be intact after the inferno. The blaze had rendered everything damaged and destroyed.

I stared at the Alpha King and frowned. His stance, his bowed head… he appeared to be in mourning. As sad as it was, it made little sense to me, and many questions swirled around my mind like a tornado. Why did he do all of this? Was he sorry for me? Why had he left me alone that night and why didn’t he come to my rescue if he was so sad?

My instincts told me to run to him and demand answers, but after a moment of deliberation, I managed to get myself under control.

What would change if I got the answers anyway? It was too late. Cora Felix was long gone.

I decided the best course of action was to turn around and leave. If I was quiet enough I could sl*p right back over to the palace and put this strange encounter behind me. I could bring Finnick into my bed and snuggle him until I fell back asleep. Perhaps his mere presence would be enough to push the nightmares away.

I turned on my heels and started creeping forward. Each footstep was cautious

and careful until I accidentally lost my momentum and brushed against one of the rosebushes that lined the path. The thorns brushed the skin of my arms and I cried out a little in surprise. My hands suddenly flew to my mouth at the sudden sound.

“Shoot,” I whispered, and even though I said a silent prayer that Asher hadn’t heard, it wasn’t enough.

“Cas sandra Keller?” the Alpha King’s voice called out angrily, and when I turned around, I saw him coming toward me swiftly. The cold light of the moon made his gray eyes even more piercing, and his nostrils flared as he glared at me. “What are you doing here?”

The moment he reached me, he lunged and gripped my arm. The sudden force made me cry out. He was angrier than I’d seen him before and heat spread to my cheeks as I fought back nervous tears.

“Y-Your M-majesty,” I stammered as I fought to replace my words. “I’m s-sorry”

“What are you doing here?” he demanded again, his tone even more severe this time. I was in deep trouble, that much was certain.

“I didn’t mean to sneak about and watch you, Your Majesty,” I insisted as I fought back the lump in my throat. “I was… I was just taking a walk, but I got lost out on the grounds. There’s still so much of the palace I haven’t seen and the roses. were so beautiful…”

My lower l*p trembled as the lies poured out of me, and my entire b*dy shook with nervousness. Asher’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he lessened his grip. around my arm. He studied me for a while in silence, as if he were evaluating my lies. My heart thrummed in my chest like a hummingbird’s wings, and as his l*ps drew into an irritated line, I wondered what he was going to do to me.

“Do you know anything about Cora?” he asked finally, and it took all of my effort to keep from gasping in surprise.

“No, Your Majesty,” I managed, and then I shook my head for good measure. “I don’t.”

“Hmm,” he remarked, and then his glare intensified. “I think you’re lying Ca ssandra.”

“No, Your Majesty-” I insisted, but Asher raised his hand to silence me.

“I saw your expression just now,” the Alpha King said sternly. “If you were simply lost on the grounds, you wouldn’t have made that face at the mention of Cora. You must have known her or known about her. Unless you were stalking me-”

“I don’t know her, Your Majesty, and I wasn’t following you,” I pleaded with him. His l*ps curled downward into a frown, and he sighed. His grip suddenly tightened again and when he tugged, I accidentally bumped into his chest with a solid thud.

My heart raced even faster. I had no idea what was happening and what he was about to do to me.

Suddenly, I heard a noise behind us. It was a strange rustling sound, and when my eyes fell to the ground, I spotted an enormous viper heading toward us.

“Your Majesty!” I cried out as the beast hissed at us. Asher dropped my arm and gasped.

The viper was enormous, bigger than any I’d seen before. Its large b*dy was studded with black and red scales, and even from here, I could see its pointed fangs.

It slithered toward us with incredible speed, and before I could react, it lunged right at me to attack.

There was no way to escape. I was trapped by the enormous snake. I closed my eyes at the last second, ready to be attacked. And yet, as braced myself for impact, it never came.

Moments later, a strange gurgling sound and a sudden thud.

My eyes flew open to a gruesome sight.

The black-scaled viper lay on the ground, its large b*dy ripped open from its

mouth all the way to the bottom of its tail. Blood seeped onto the lawn and glinted crimson in the moonlight. My jaw dropped as I took in the sight, and then they raised to see Asher standing off to the side. His hand was raised in the air, blood dripping from his claws.

My voice caught in my throat as I fought to replace the right words to say. The Alpha King had taken out that viper like it was nothing.

Suddenly, I spied a mark on Asher’s wrist. I took a step forward and horror spread through me.

He’d been bitten.

“Your Majesty-” I started to say, but before I could finish my sentence, Asher began to tremble. Perspiration broke out along his forehead and his entire b*dy shook. Then, he collapsed to his knees wordlessly, his head practically falling from his n*eck as he slumped over.

“Asher!” I cried out, forgetting all formalities, and I dropped to the ground beside him. I wiped the sweat from his brow and then grasped his arm. His wrist had started to swell and his gray eyes were absent as they looked at a point beyond

I tried to steady him, but he was much too big and heavy for me to hold up. Seconds later, he collapsed on top of me and the two of us fell onto the wet gra*s.

My efforts to push him off of me were useless.

“Stay with me!” I insisted.

Asher’s clammy cheek pressed against mine and the sound of his shallow breath filled my ears. Suddenly, a whimper, followed by a single sentence.

“Cora,” he whispered. “I miss you so much, Cora.”