Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

 Chapter 31 Her grave 

CA SSANDRA 

The dream began just like many others before it. 

I knelt on the floor, begging the intruder to see Asher until my throat was raw. But the soldiers never listened. 

Their faces were black, undiscernible no matter how much I stared at them. They were like shadows, mocking my every word, my every whimper, my every cry. 

As my voice caught in my throat, one of the shadow men took a step forward and gripped my arm. He pulled me harshly to my feet, gripped my face, and pried my mouth open. I kicked and kicked, but the effort was useless. The shadow man forced a liquid down my throat, and as it streamed into my mouth, I began to gag. It was cold and harsh and burned every bit of the way down. 

My mind started to swirl as the room spun around me. I collapsed to the cold ground and froze, unable to move. 

The shadow men spit and snarled at me. They cursed me, called me an indecent, terrible woman, and swore that I deserved every bit of what came next. And then, they left the room, locking the door behind them as I sobbed and shook. 

Then, the smell of smoke- soft, at first, but then it filled the room. My eyes burned and my skin itched as I struggled to breathe, but I couldn’t move. I was frozen, trapped on the ground, unable to scream. 

Fire consumed me until there was nothing left. 

“Mommy?” a small voice woke me up, and then suddenly, a push rocked my b*dy. I woke with a start and startled Finnick, who stood beside my bed. 

“Finnick?” I managed to say and then I shot him a confused glance. “What’s… what’s going on?” 

“Are you having bad dreams again, Mommy?” Finnick wondered, and his serious gray eyes stared into mine with concern. 

Truth be told, I’d been having nightmares every night since I’d arrived in Anemond. They varied in subject, but they mostly centered around Finnick in Asher. In those dreams, in particular, Asher discovered Finnick’s identity and wanted to take him far away from me. The Alpha King would stare deeply into my eyes as they hauled Finnick away kicking and screaming, and then a mysterious fire would appear and engulf the room with flames. 

They always ended in flames and me waking 

un with a scream. 

Sometimes, the mu ffled screams against my pillows would wake Finnick up. On those nights, I repeated the same story- that I was just exhausted these days and was struggling to adjust to life in Anemond. 

Finnick never seemed to believe me, but he respected my words and didn’t pry further. 

“I’m okay,” I a*sured him now, and then I k*ssed his forehead. “I’m going to go for a walk, baby. Why don’t you get back to bed and try to get some rest?” 

“Can I come too?” my son inquired, but I shook my head. 

“I need you to get some rest,” I repeated softly, and I ran my hand through his hair. “I’ll come tuck you in, okay?” 

“Okay,” he murmured, and he nodded his head politely. I climbed out of bed and then crossed our large room until I was over in Finnick’s area. I helped him into bed and then pulled up the plush white comforter around him and secured the sides. 

Finnick let out a small sound of contentment. His new bed was far more comfortable than the one back home, and aside from my nightmares interrupting him every so often, he was sleeping much better here. The feeling was bittersweet. I was glad my son wasn’t upset about his new living quarters, but I was sad that I’d never feel comfortable here, no matter how fine our surroundings were. 

There was simply too much hurt, too many bad memories. 

“I love you, Finnick,” I whispered, and I k*ssed his forehead. 

“I love you too,” Finnick replied, and then he closed his eyes. About two minutes later, his breathing changed, and he sl*pped right back into sleep. I smiled down at him. He was an angel for caring about me the way he did. 

Once I was sure he was asleep, I crept to the door and sl*pped out into the hallway. 

It’d been nearly a week since we’d come here to Anemond, and I’d made few breakthroughs. Asher had supplied me with a small lab here in the palace, along with an a*sistant, a young woman named Becky. Becky was a quiet girl, not nearly as talkative as Marley, but she was intelligent and very helpful. She also didn’t ask as many questions, which is why I a*sumed Asher had appointed/her to help me. 

The Alpha King had also a*signed Finnick a babysitter to take care of him while I worked. She was a nice older lady who seemed very attentive to my son’s needs. I’d wanted to request Erika, but I couldn’t. As much as it pained me, I needed to pretend I didn’t know her. 

Every day, I would visit the Alpha King’s study at sunset and check the mark on his b*dy. I had to wait until he was finished with his daily duties and appointments so it wouldn’t alert anyone else to the matter. 

At first, it was an awkward experience. With the proximity required to examine the mark, I could feel his hot breath every time I leaned in to examine the mark. As I studied his skin closely, I could feel his steel-like gaze on-me, and the warmth of his b*dy radiated onto mine. The smell of his earthy cologne danced across my nose and reminded me of different times, times when he was mine and would press his l*ps against mine,.. 

But I would force myself to not get drawn into the appeal. I had to remain professional and attentive to his condition. 

We hardly spoke during this time, and when we did, it was only about his symptoms and how he felt that day physically. He always kept it short and to the point. 

Luckily, I also hadn’t seen Adalyn at all. I figured Asher’s wife was making it a point to stay away from me, which I didn’t mind at all. 

Yet, I was still uneasy. Something here wasn’t right and I couldn’t put my finger on why. 

I managed to make my way down the stairs mostly undetected. A few guards I’d come to know nodded as I walked by, but other than that, the dark palace was quiet. 

I took the back way to the doors that led to the gardens and sl*pped outside. I wandered out into the cool night absently, enjoying the slight breeze as it tangled through my hair. My nightgown flared around me slightly, and I let out a sigh of relief. There wasn’t so much pressure to appear a certain way out here. I could breathe and allow myself to relax. 

I wandered down past the beautiful, fragrant garden until I reached Othe expansive dew-covered lawns. The gra*s was cold against my feet, but it was a welcome sensation. 

As I walked, I began to lose track of my destination. I allowed my mind to wander completely, forgetting all about Asher and Adalyn, and the nightmares that plagued me. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out here until I stopped in place and became aware of my surroundings. 

I had reached the gates of Rosepetal, my old mansion. A strange sensation traveled through me as I stared up at the white brick building and nostalgia rushed into my brain. It was the same as ever, just as beautiful as it’d been back then. Tall rosebushes were planted on the other side of the gate, and as I inhaled the red blooms deeply, it felt as if nothing had changed. 

I knew it was a bad idea, but there was an indescribable feeling in my heart that told me to push the gate open. So, I did just that. 

The lock was rusty, so I was able to get it open quite easily. I peered around to make sure I wasn’t being watched, and once I was certain there was no one around, I opened the front doors and entered the mansion. 

I’d expected Rosepetal to look desolate and deserted, and yet, much to my surprise, the mansion was well-tended. The walls and floors, along with the furnishings, were pristine, and there was not even a trace of the inferno.. 

I continued down the marble floors until I reached the back doors that led to 

the gardens. I stepped back outside, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised again. 

The gardens were even more beautiful than they’d been back then. Hundreds of rosebushes were arranged into paths and were filled with white blooms. Their fragrance filled the air with sweet perfume, and after I inhaled deeply, my eyes fell to the ground. Beautiful white stones paved the paths made by the roses and led to a point just beyond me. My eyes followed along the path and as I took a few steps forward, suddenly, I caught sight of something that made me freeze. 

Since the mansion had been empty, I’d a*sumed there wouldn’t be anyone else here. And yet, a silhouette was standing at the edge of the garden. I gulped. Who was that? 

Suddenly, they tilted their head, and I realized it was Asher. 

I narrowed my eyes to see what he was standing in front of, but I couldn’t see it from back here. So, I took small, quiet steps until I reached a tall bush. I ducked down to make sure I wasn’t spotted, and once I was certain he hadn’t seen me, I peered over at Asher. 

My heart stopped. 

He was standing in front of a white marble tomb. 

My eyes widened and I held my breath as I read the name engraved on the 

grave. 

Cora Felix.