Ch. 176..180: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 176-180
Chapter 176 Accidental injury ASHER Much to our shock and concern, Ector Felix’s condition worsened upon reaching the military base. It had been a difficult journey back to the compound. Ector had been reluctant to leave his home, so a mild sedative had to be administered to transport him. Upon arrival, Silas and I carried him inside, where a host of military personnel were awaiting our return. A gurney was procured immediately, and the Beta and I carefully set him on the cart. I was grateful that no one seemed to question the identity of the poor, frail man that the Alpha King and Beta had brought into the facility. It was one of the perks of being the ruler of Wegalla- discretion was the name of the game. I couldn’t be questioned by anyone, no matter their rank, for fear of punishment. Of course, I wasn’t that type of ruler by any means, but when it came to Ector Felix, I wasn’t going to risk his safety by someone asking questions. The gurney was wheeled into a private room, and once the doors were closed behind us to grant some privacy, we eased him into the bed provided. Though he was somewhere between conscious and asleep, he was shivering like crazy, so one of the female healers tucked him into a swath of thick blankets. Ector’s breath was labored and his chest rose and fell with what seemed to be quite a bit of effort. He awoke every so often, though his green eyes were glazed over and a sheen. of sweat covered his brow. He didn’t seem all that aware of his surroundings, but he began to panic a few times over the course of an hour. Each time, he would look around in fear, but the moment he noticed me, his temperament shifted and he seemed to relax. I was grateful my presence was comforting, considering that he had been banished by the royal family. 0 1/4 However, when Ector was alone with the base’s resident healer, he would panic again and attempt to
flee. After a while, the healer was forced to administer another round of sedatives. After a brief and hasty examination, the healer, a woman named Marya, emerged from the infirmary and joined us out in the waiting room.
“Your Majesty?” the curly-haired woman prompted me, and when I rose from my stiff chair and approached her, she offered me a polite bow of respect. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” “It’s no trouble at all,” I assured her and then I took a short breath. “How is he?” “Not as well as we wish he was,” Marya sighed, and she pushed her glasses her nose. “Your Majesty, the patient needs urgent medical attention and a thoroug diagnosis. The root cause of his fever is unknown and given his fragile m ental state, there’s a high risk of self-harm, or worse, if he doesn’t get some real help. His condition is weak and we’re worried about what he might do without further intervention. We have great facilities here, but he needs the kind of care that only the capital can provide.” As her words entered my mind, I realized we had only one option. We had to bring Ector back to Anemond immediately. Leaving him here at the military base was too dangerous. Without my presence, he could hurt himself, and if we didn’t get him the type of medical intervention that only the capital was capable of, he could die. I nodded at Marya. “Thank you for assessing him. I’ll make the arrangements at once.” The healer nodded at me and then offered me a small bow. “Of course, Your Majesty.” As I exited Ector’s room and stepped out into the hall, my head swam with a million thoughts. I had to arrange discreet transportation at once. I couldn’t risk anyone recognizing Ector, at least not yet. 2/4 Just as I considered Lancel as a possible driver, I caught sight of Silas. The Beta’s already serious face appeared even more grave than usual, and there was a strange lack of light in his golden eyes.
I was about to open my mouth to ask my brother-in-law what was wrong when suddenly, a familiar cry pierced through the air. The terrible sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and when I turned around quickly to determine the source of the noise, I caught sight of Lancel, who held a sobbing Marco in his arms. “Daddy!” my son cried out, and he reached his small arms out toward me. He tugged and pulled at Lancel, but my most trusted guard held him steady. “Marco?” I asked in surprise. “What are you-” My voice suddenly caught in my throat as my eyes trailed down to the young prince’s left leg. It was heavily bandaged but still, dark red blood seeped through the dressing. I could feel myself grow pale as my own blood chilled in shock. Concern bloomed within me and I began to shake with worry as I approached him. But before I could reach my injured son, Adalyn appeared and I stopped in my tracks. “This is my fault!” the sobbing woman wailed, her gold eyes full of anger and tears. “Oh, Asher, it’s all my fault!” “What’s going on?” I asked as a lump formed in my throat. I glanced over at Silas, who looked equally alarmed, and then turned back to Lancel. My guard’s face was solemn, but his eyes were weary with despair. “The fault is mine, Alpha,” he blurted out as he continued to restrain the poor boy. “The mishap is my doing.” I noticed that just beyond us, a small group of people had formed just down the hall. A handful of military personnel studied the strange scene, and I could hear a few of them whispering about the royal family. III O 3/4
I wasn’t a fan of scenes, and this display was definitely terrible. “Okay, let’s go somewhere else to discuss this,” I suggested gently in ant attempt to diffuse the situation. “Somewhere more private.” Marco continued to cry, but Silas, Lancel, and Adalyn simultaneously nodded in agreement. Without another moment of hesitation, I guided them down another corridor and down the stairs. I led us into the nearest meeting room and then locked the door behind us. Everyone sat down in the chairs, with the exception of Marco, who remained in Adalyn’s lap. Adalyn stroked his dark curls in an attempt to soothe the boy, and it somewhat worked. Once everyone was situated, I turned to Lancel. “Lancel, speak first,” I demanded. “What happened? What’s going on here?” “Alpha, I was accompanying Prince Marco on a forest run,” he explained. “He tried crossing over a branch, but it was too large and it snagged on his leg and caused an injury.” “Why was Marco even allowed in the forest in the first place?” I asked sternly. “He’s far too young to go out there.” “He insisted on playing out in the woods after missing out on the Hunting Festival,” Adalyn spoke up. “He’d received that viper bite, remember? So he wanted to go out there and see the forest.” I felt my gaze turn icy as I focused it on my wife. I stared at her for a moment and then practically growled. “Why are you even here at the military base, Adalyn?” 4/4
Chapter 177 Innocent and naive ASHER Silence hung like a heavy veil in the room as I awaited an answer from the group. Lancel’s expression remained stoic and composed, meanwhile, Adalyn’s normally richly tanned skin had paled considerably. She bit her lower lip and slightly smeared the red lipstick that covered it. Agitation rose within me and with each passing second, my patience thinned. I was the Alpha King of Wegalla. Why was no one respecting my demand? Finally, Adalyn cleared her throat and her piercing golden eyes met mine. “It was my doing,” she admitted, and her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. “After he was injured by the fallen tree in the woods, Marco cried out for you. He begged and demanded to see his father and refused medical attention unless you were there. Don’t blame Lancel. I all but forced him to bring us here. I know it’s improper to interrupt the Alpha King when he’s on official business, but I didn’t know what else to do-” “It’s completely improper,” I interrupted her sternly. “Daddy, don’t blame Mommy,” Marco pleaded as tears streamed down his. cheeks, and he began to hiccup from the effort. “It was my fault. I just missed you so much!” As he dissolved into so bs and his little body heaved with sadness, exhaustion washed over me. This situation felt like a mess. Though I couldn’t fault Marco, as he was simply an injured child seeking 1/5 comfort from his father, I was irritated with Adalyn. Perhaps I had been too lenient with her or not stern enough in my warnings. I had given her too much freedom and
power. Again, I was the Alpha King. Why were others going against my orders? My gaze landed on Lancel, who immediately averted his eyes. I hadn’t expected this sort of behavior from my most trusted guard. He had always been my most loyal man, and I was surprised that he had disobeyed my orders to leave me to my confidential business. For a moment, I considered tearing into them both with the intensity that I saved for my most disloyal knights and se rvants. But as I studied Lancel, I couldn’t bring myself to get angry with him, at least not in front of the people in this room. Marco was in a state of disarray and I didn’t want to upset him further. He was just a scared child and me yelling at the guard would only make things worse. So, I decided not to delve deeper and instead exhaled slowly. “Lancel, please return Lady Adalyn and Prince Marco to Merliscire immediately,” I ordered. Lancel nodded and rose from his seat with no hesitation. Adalyn attempted to do the same, but Marco refused to move. “I don’t want to go back!” he practically yelled, and he began to kick as Adalyn tried to wrangle him. “Daddy, I don’t want to go back! I want to stay with you!” “Marco, your father said we have to go,” Adalyn insisted, and her eyes flashed with irritation. Finally, she managed to get him up off of the seat, but just as she got him to his feet, Marco tried to dart over to me. Luckily, Lancel was close enough to step in, and as the child was halted in his tracks, he began to cry further. I felt entirely overwhelmed by the situation. Normally, I would have given in and 2/5 consoled the young prince. But deep down, I knew that my son was prone to these types of tantrums, and no matter what I did, he would pull this kind of behavior again.
“I need some fresh air,” I announced quietly, and just as I was about to leave the room, Adalyn reached out and touched my arm. “Asher, could I please have a private conversation with you?” she requested. “I know you have business to attend to, but it’s urgent. Once we’re done, I’ll leave with Marco.” “But I don’t want to-” Marco began to whine, but when Adalyn shot him a stern glance, he fell silent immediately. I wanted to spurn her request completely after this stunt she’d pulled, but I knew that if I appeased her at least a little bit, she was more likely to back off. As much as I felt apathy toward her, she was still legally my wife. “Fine,” I said, and then I glanced at Silas at Lancel. “Leave us. Take Prince Marco with you.” Silas and Lancel nodded in sync with one another and then escorted the boy out of the room. Once the door was closed behind them, I released a heavy sigh. I crossed the room and stood over by a large window. Dusk had started to set in and the sky was darkening with each passing moment. Time was of the essence and I needed to get back to my business with Ector. He was too ill to be wasting my time with trivial matters like Adalyn. “I have important business to attend to, Adalyn,” I remarked as I crossed my arms. “So, out with it.” Adalyn approached me but lingered a few feet away. “I’m sorry for our unexpected visit, Asher,” she apologized in a tone that was almost genuine. “I know it’s rude and insolent to interrupt your affairs. But when Marco cried… I didn’t know what to do. He misses you so much. You’ve been so distant since Cas sandra Keller’s arrival-” 3/5 “Don’t speak of Cas sandra,” I interrupted her and my eyes narrowed at her. “Asher, why are you being so cold to us?” she questioned with a doe-like gaze. “I don’t understand why you hate us so much.” “Adalyn, I don’t have time for all of this drama,” I sighed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose between
my fingers as a sudden headache crept in. “Please, cut to the chase. What is it that you really want?” Adalyn’s innocent gaze suddenly shifted and fell away as if she had been wearing a mask. Her red- painted lips curled into a smile and she studied me in al calculating way. “You’ve always hated me because of Cora,” she accused me as she took a step. closer. “It wasn’t my doing that led to our marriage, you know. It was all orchestrated in a way to save her, you know that, right? Our marriage was meant clear her of her family’s crimes.” Silence filled the air again. I was completely uninterested in her defense, so I remained quiet. There was nothing she could say that could repair the distance between us. Still, she persisted. “Asher, I was innocent and naive,” she continued on, and she reached her hand out to me. “Please, you have to believe me- I immediately recoiled at her touch, and as a slight rush of air passed between us, I noticed a strange, pungent smell emanating from her palm. The scent traveled up my nostrils and immediately, my stomach began to turn. “What’s going on?” I murmured as I suddenly grew disoriented, and then Adalyn brought her hand even closer. This time, the strange smell flooded my senses, and my knees began to buckle. The room began to spin and my vision started to blur. III O 4/5 O Just before I lost consciousness, Adalyn spoke again. “This time, I won’t be as innocent or naive.” 5/5
Chapter 178 Death and threat CAS SANDRA The morning after my conversation with Spi ke, I was too excited to sleep in, and awoke far before the sun had even breached the h or izon. I sat straight up in bed and stretched my arms high above me, relishing in the sweet release as my muscles eased. I let out a soft sigh and a smile crawled on my lips. Asher was set to return in the afternoon. Though it had only been a few days, it had felt like an eternity since I’d seen the Alpha King. I yearned for the scent of his cologne as well as the feeling of his lips against mine. I longed for the warmth of his skin and the way his gray eyes softened when they met mine. It was crazy to think back to when we’d first met in Wild Crawler. That Asher had a steely gaze that made me uncomfortable and cold, but this new Asher, the Asher I knew in the past… he was someone else entirely. I quietly padded over to the bathroom and gently closed the door behind me to keep from waking up Finnick. I approached the sink and splashed my face with water. My emerald eyes were bright for the first time in a while and I was relieved that the Alpha King would see a well-rested version of me for once.. As I brushed the tangles out of my long copper hair, I remembered that today was also the day that Kaleb was leaving Anemond and returning to Yurene. I had heard that the farewell party would be arranged in the banquet hall in the afternoon. The king from the North had invited me to attend, but I wasn’t sure if I would or not. I didn’t know if Asher was set to return before Kaleb left, but I supposed that he wouldn’t be back very early. The palace guards had been vague with the details of his royal business, but from what I’d gathered from our conversations, he was likely a ways away. Considering that we might spend a long time together after his return, I decided to visit Spi ke early this
morning to check if he made any progress. 1/5 I quickly got dressed and took care to wear a cute but warm sweater. I’d purchased it in the market of Anemond and hadn’t had a chance to wear it yet. It was made of a nice plum-colored fabric that I hoped Asher would like. Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and asked Erika if she could keep an eye on Finnick. The maid was up early as well, and she had no problem with spending time with my son.
I headed straight to Merliscire and once I arrived, I was surprised to see that there was only one guard posted at the entrance of the dungeon. The rest of the corridor was empty and an eerie silence surrounded us. I thought it was a little odd that there were so few people around, particularly guards, but I didn’t give it much attention. I simply chalked it up to the fact that it was quite early and most of the palace occupants were likely asleep. The guard greeted me kindly and then stepped aside to allow me into the dungeon. I gave him a warm smile and then descended the stairs. I knew I was likely appearing far too early for Spi ke’s liking, but I was eager to know how the cure was going. As I made my way down the corridor, a strange feeling began in my stomach. It was somewhere between nausea and unease, but it was enough to make me stop in my tracks for a moment. How strange, I thought. I had no idea what was causing it, but I had a notion that something was amiss. But I forced the feeling down and continued toward Spi ke’s cell. Once I reached the cold silver bars at the end of the hall, I was surprised to find the imposter lying on the ground. His dark hair concealed his face slightly, and her was incredibly still. “Spi ke?” I called his name in an attempt to rouse him. I observed the bottle of liquor on his desk and noticed that it was empty. For a moment, I wondered if he was too drunk to move, but as I studied him for a minute, I quickly realized he didn’t seem to be breathing at all.
2/5 “Spi ke?” I repeated myself as my heart began to pound. I crouched down and reached through the bars. I prodded him and then tried to shake him awake, but when his arm flopped lifelessly, a lump formed in my throat and I couldn’t breathe. Spi ke was dead. I tried to stand up but my knees buckled beneath me. How was this possible? My mind began to drown as I tried to understand what had happened. Spi ke had looked perfectly fine yesterday, and now…he was dead. “Help!” I called out to the guard stationed at the top of the stairs, and when no one answered, I yelled again. “Help! Please! I need help down here!” No one came to my aid, so I decided to go get someone myself. Spi ke couldn’t be dead. He was my biggest hope and my only chance to get a cure to this dreadful illness. When I turned to head down the corridor, I suddenly slammed right into someone. The force of it coupled with the surprise almost made me scream. me. But before the sound could escape me, the man grabbed my wrist and shushed “Don’t make a sound,” he urged me as he held me in place. “We need to get out of here immediately.” The moment I heard his voice, my eyebrows knitted together. “Kane?” I asked in surprise. Sure enough, Kane Collins was there in front of me, wearing a guard’s uniform. His handsome face had a suspicious expression and his violet eyes were frantic. “Why are you here? And why are you dressed like this? Sp i ke is-” “Shh,” he urged me again. “We need to leave now, Cas sandra. I’ll explain 皿 3/5 everything later.”
I yanked my arm away and glared at him. “Did you kill Spi ke?” I demanded and Kane frowned and shook his head. “No,” he insisted, and then he looked around. “Now, come on, let’s go-” “I don’t believe you,” I interrupted him as I took a step back. Just as Kane was about to say something more, the clear sound of a chuckle came from the other side of the corridor. Kane’s face paled suddenly, and when we turned around, I quickly spotted who made the sound. Kaleb walked down the ward with a smirk on his face. “What a pity. It seems like it’s the end of your little game of pretend, Kane. Your chance to be a knight is over.” My eyebrows knitted together and I glanced between the two men. The foreign king’s expression was unfamiliar and mocking. It was so cold that I felt a chill run down my spine. “Don’t worry, Healer Cas sandra, there will be plenty of time to explain all of this to you,” he remarked in his heavily accented voice, and before I could utter a word, he snapped his fingers. Two of Kaleb’s guards appeared and approached us swiftly. The impossibly tall men caught Asher’s brother’s arms on both sides with an iron grip. Kane snarled as Kaleb walked toward me. “Stay away from her!” he demanded, but the guards held him in place. He snarled again. “Kaleb, stay away from her.” Kaleb ignored his cries and simply raised an eyebrow. His navy blue eyes glanced over at his guards and then he inclined his head to the side. I watched in horror as the guards extended their claws and slashed Kane’s arm. As tears welled out of my eyes, blood burst out of his arm and poured onto the cold O 4/5 stone floor in front of me. 5/5
Chapter 179 How sad
CASSANDRA
My eyes widened in shock at the gruesome sight, and for a moment, I thought I was going to vomit. Nausea sent waves of discomfort through me, and I shivered in fright.
As a healer, I’d seen plenty of blood and wounds over the years, but it was far different when the wound belonged to someone I knew.
“Stop!” I begged Kaleb and rushed over to where the guards had started, dragging Kane away. I nearly skidded on the wet floor but managed to find my footing just in time. The guards snarled at me and were about to stop me, but Kaleb raised his hand.
“Let her pass,” he remarked in an amused tone, and the incredibly tall men released their hold on Asher’s brother. Kane slumped over and then fell to the ground. Blood began to pool on the ground, and as the metallic smell hit the air, the nausea returned, but I forced myself to be brave.
I crouched down and carefully looked at his wound. The cut on his arm was deep, nearly to the bone. He was losing blood rapidly, and I wished I could find something to stop the flow.
“I’m okay, Cassandra,” Kane tried to assure me, but his voice was weakened. His body trembled and his violet eyes grew more distant with every passing moment. His substantial blood loss had rendered him on the verge of losing consciousness.
From his place beyond us, Kaleb began to clap, and when I glanced behind me, the king of Yurene’s cruel
smile had widened.
“Lord Kane must be over the moon now,” he mused, and then he chuckled. His words made no sense and neither did his motivations. Though he had always been a strange man, he’d never come across as cruel or evil. But as I studied him, it was as if he were a different person entirely, someone I didn’t know as well as I thought |
did.
“Kaleb, what’s going on?” I asked as I glared at him in confusion. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why am I doing this?” he repeated back mockingly, and then he shook his head as if it were obvious. “Oh, Cassandra, you already know the answer to this. What I want is simple enough. I want you to come with me to Yurene.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
What?
This didn’t make any sense. I had already told the foreign king that I wouldn’t be able to accompany him to the Northern country. So, why was he going to such an insane length to bring me with him? And how had Kane gotten in the middle of it all?
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Chapter 179 How sad.
“Did you kill Spike?” I asked as the realization crossed my mind.
Kaleb shook his head and then laughed.
“Actually, Healer Cassandra, I did not,” he said with a tilt of his head. “In fact, you did. Remember that- bottle of alcohol you procured for our dear low–rank sorcerer? It was poisoned.”
My jaw dropped in complete disbelief and my lower lip began to tremble as another chill ran down my spine.
“What?” I uttered in shock and I began to shake my head. “No no, that’s not possible… how?”
Kaleb winked at me. “It’s a secret, my dear.”
My eyes darted over to Spike. While the imposter had been a villain who’d played a part in the inferno that had destroyed my former life, he hadn’t deserved to die like that. He was troubled, arrogant, and not a good person, but he had been trying to turn things around. His work was going to help save the people of Wegalla.
And the man I loved.
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Why would you do this?” I whimpered.
Much to my fury, the king of Yurene simply smirked and shrugged. It was just a little bit of fun for my enjoyment. I could very well have just killed Spike, but I thought it would be more interesting and amusing if it was carried out by you, Cassandra.”
As he stared down at me, all traces of the kind man I’d met had vanished. He looked more like a demon than a friend, and as I studied his cruel features, I wondered how I hadn’t been able to see through him.
Yet another realization crossed my mind.
“Did you arrange the attempted kidnapping in the market too?” I demanded.
“Bingo,” Kaleb confirmed with a nod. “I have to hand it to you, dear, you’re very sharp.”
“Was the story of your father made up as well?” I asked with a snarl.
The foreign king’s eyebrow lifted and he made a strange face but didn’t answer me directly. “You’ll have to see for yourself in Yurene.”
“Over my dead body,” I hissed as I glared at him. “I’m not going with you, Kaleb. The Alpha King is returning today and your conspiracy will be exposed-”
“Unfortunately, your dear king won’t be returning today,” Kaleb laughed. “Perhaps not even tomorrow. In fact, his return doesn’t matter at all because you’re leaving with me today.”
“What did you do to Asher?” I growled.
Chapter 179 How sad
Despite my tone, he didn’t waver.
“Relax yourself, healer,” he said in a calm tone. “I won’t do anything bad to the King of Wegalla. I’ve only carried out a small trick to make sure he stayed longer for his business.”
As another snarl rose from my chest. I wanted to attack Kaleb for what he’d done, and before I could stop myself, I lunged toward him. But the king of Yurene grabbed me easily and avoided my attack. His dark blue eyes darted over to his guard, who immediately reached over and slashed Kane again.
Kane groaned as his new wound began to bleed.
“Now, I have no intentions of hurting you, Cassandra,” Kaleh remarked. “But I believe Lord Kane here would be more than happy to act as your knight and take the punishment for
you.
“Release her,” Kane cursed at him. “Let her go, Kaleb!”
The guards raised their claws again, and a scream escaped me.
“Stop!” I begged, and then I whipped around to face Kaleb and I fell to my knees. “Please, Kaleb, stop. I’ll consider your request.”
“Cassandra, don’t,” Kane pleaded. “You don’t need to do this. I’ll be fine-”
I glanced back at him and shook my head. “Kane, please. Don’t risk your life to protect me. I can’t see you like this. You need medical attention right away or you’ll die here”
Kaleb blurted out a sound similar to retching
“Ugh,” he groaned and he rolled his eyes. “This pathetic display of romance is making me sick.”
I glared at the foreign king. “It’s not like that. Kane stepped in to save me because he’s a decent person, unlike you, who’s completely evil and cruel-”
“Evil?” Kaleb snickered, and then he dissolved into a fit of laughter. He clutched his sides and the sound of his cruel utterance echoed through the dungeon. His guards joined in and the symphony of their awful noises flooded my senses.
After a while, the king of Yurene stopped and fixed his dark blue eyes on Asher’s bleeding brother.
“Healer Cassandra seems to be blind to your affection, Lord Kane,” he remarked, and then he gave Kane a sympathetic glance. “How sad.”
Chapter 180 He already knows it
KALEB
The pathetic expression on Kane Collin’s otherwise attractive face was sickeningly pitiful. His long– lashed violet eyes were pathetic as they remained fixed on the beautiful healer, and I fought the urge to sigh.
I wasn’t unfamiliar with this look. I’d seen plenty of it on my mother’s face before she died. She would lean her emaciated body against the door frame and stare at the empty hall with longing in her ice–blue eyes. Yet, despite all of her yearning and wistful dreaming my father never visited her.
So, my mother brought that look all the way to her tomb. It was silly and shameful for her to believe that my father ever loved her, not to mention pathetic and naive. The whole idea of love in general was foolish.
I averted my eyes from Kane’s face and glanced over at Healer Cassandra, who looked both baffled and vexed. I had to admit that I found it interesting to see this young, lovely woman lose her temper, given the fact that she always seemed to be so calm and subdued. I was somehow delighted by her fierce and lively expression and desired to see more.
She was an intriguing woman who perplexed me in so many ways. In all of my travels, I’d never known a girl like her.
I smiled at her. “I would love to allow Lord Kane to confess to what he’s done.”
As she stared at me in confusion, I glanced at the Alpha King’s wounded brother. “Go ahead, Lord Kane. What have you been doing daily during this, your longest stay in Anemond? Please, do tell us.”
Kane’s glare hardened as if he wanted to give me a warning, but I couldn’t care less. “What I do with my days isn’t any of your business. It has nothing to do with you.”
I I
Oh, but it does,” I replied, and I shot him a launting smile as I took a step closer to him. “My guards have made countless reports of your presence while they were keeping an eye on Healer Cassandra.”
Cassandra’s deep green eyes narrowed and shot daggers in my direction at the mention of her name.
“How long have you been letting your guards stalk me?” she demanded.
A laugh rose up from my belly. “I just wanted to make sure you were intact before you accompanied me to the North. You do have a way of getting into trouble, dear. Besides when it comes to stalking…. Perhaps you should save that moniker for Lord Kane here. It suits him much better.”
“I don’t understand,” Cassandra uttered as her eyebrows crinkled in confusion, and then she turned to Kane. “What is he talking about, Kane?”
I smiled at her and then answered for him.
“At first, my guards thought Lord Kane was planning something devious against you, Cassandra,“I
Chapter 180 He already knows it
explained as I crossed my arms against my chest and studied the pair. “So they reported every single detail of his actions to me. They told me about his every expression, the way he moved, and the way he stared at you through glass doors.”
As I paused, I caught a flash of awkwardness on the healer’s pretty face.
“But they quickly figured out there was nothing devious about it,” I sighed, and then I flashed her another smile. “In fact, I found that Lord Kane was doing all of that out of something else.”
While I didn’t say the word “love” as I hated even uttering the term, Cassandra was clever enough to understand what I meant. She would have had to be stupid to not get it. But the healer wasn’t unintelligent at all. From the moment I’d mentioned that Kane had been watching her, I’d watched her put it together in her mind. That flash of awkwardness spoke all.
Meanwhile, Kane looked mortified by my utterance. His violet eyes held fire and his lips were curled back. into a snarl. Despite the paleness of his face, his cheeks were scarlet.
I chuckled “Don’t look so upset. Lord Kane. There isn’t anything to be ashamed of. I’m simply doing you a favor by putting it all out in the open. If there’s something you don’t agree with, you could always deny it and share the truth with us.”
Kane didn’t speak and instead, averted his eyes. For a moment, I thought he was going to look at Cassandra, but the poor, pathetic, lovesick fool, dropped his stare to the ground.
Yet another unpleasant memory danced through my mind at the sight of his upsetness. I remembered that when the darkness filled up the hall and the room my mother resided in, she would drop her head like a lifeless doll. She wouldn’t move or say anything, even after being prompted to do so. She would simply remain still, frozen in place as if she were a hollow–boned statue.
I would walk forward through the dimly lit corridor to check on her, and sometimes, when she was caught off guard, she would turn frantic, and grab me by the shoulders.
During those times of despair and crazed emotions, all the warmth she’d once held in her eyes vanished entirely until she was someone I didn’t recognize. Her nails would sharpen into fierce claws that would rip into my skin as she shook me frantically.
As blood pooled down my arms and stained my shirt, she would repeat the same sentences.
“Why didn’t he come?” or “I love him“.
Sometimes, I would stand there and endure the abuse. I knew that she didn’t mean it, that she was simply haunted and mentally ill, but other times, I took the pain she inflicted on me personally. I would sob and beg for her to release her grip on me. I would plead for her to remember that I was her son and that I didn’t have anything to do with the way my father treated her. I would beg for her to remember that I wasn’t him, that hadn’t abandoned her in the same way he had.
But no matter how much I tried, it didn’t matter.
Mother had never apologized for the way she’d treated me, nor had she even acknowledged the impact the abuse had on me.
Chapter 180 He already knows it
I forced myself to shove the memories from my mind. I couldn’t think of all of that, not now.
Nothing could change the past, and even if it could… I’d learned enough about this so-called love. In my mind, I knew it didn’t exist,
As I stared at Cassandra and Kane, I felt sick of this little game I’d initiated. It had dragged out long enough and I was ready to move on from it.
But just as I was about to speak, the healer’s voice interrupted the silence first. She wasn’t speaking to me but to Kane. Her beautiful face was paler than usual, and she still appeared shocked, but not in the way I’d expected. All of the awkwardness in her expression was gone, and instead, was replaced by something | couldn’t quite place.
Her gaze remained locked on Kane, and when she spoke, her words were strange but gentle.
“You already know it, Kane, don’t you?”