Ch. 181..185: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 181-185
Chapter 181 Run Now
CASSANDRA
I had never considered myself a fool.
But then again, in light of everything, perhaps I was.
At the very least, I was naive, foolish, and blind. I should have put the clues together long before this moment. It should have been completely obvious from when Asher had mentioned the jasmine tea wasn’t a gift from him but from his brother.
Back then, I had thought that Kane Collins was just considerate. I thought maybe he had just checked with Erika or some other servants who knew I adored jasmine tea and then made an excuse saying it was a gift from Asher just because he didn’t want to pressure me.
Or maybe he just wanted to compensate for what his mother had done to Erika and me. Either way, I hadn’t given it a single thought
But if I’d been more careful and sharper about it all, I wouldn’t have neglected the possibility that Kane might find a clue to my real identity.
The moment that the question left my lips, Kane’s gaze remained elsewhere. He avoided eye contact with me as if he was too ashamed to look at me, but his silence gave me all the answers I needed.
Kane knew who I truly was, or at least the woman I had been.
When and how had he figured it out?
I’d been able to conceal my identity from Asher for so long because my appearance had been altered from that terrible inferno. Whatever Emmett had used to heal my wounds and burns had drastically changed my features enough to conceal my former identity. The only indications of my old self were the green of my irises, though they’d been much lighter back then, and then the sear on my leg. Without that scar, Asher would have taken longer to realize it was me.
So what had Kane noticed that his brother hadn’t?
Was it as Keleb suggested, that Kane had been following me for a while to gather intel? Or had he simply caught on by the mention of jasmine tea? It wasn’t the most common of tea flavors, and everyone who had known Cora well knew that it was her drink of choice.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask Asher’s stepbrother, but I couldn’t. This wasn’t the time or place, especially considering how injured he was. The sheer amount of blood loss alone was threatening his life. We needed to find a way out of this terrible scenario and get far away from the king of Yurene.
But before I could act, Kane spoke. He didn’t look at me and his voice was coarsely low.
Chapter 181 Run Now
“I’m sorry, Cassandra,” he apologized, and then he closed his eyes and his brows furrowed in pain. “I’m so, so sorry.”
A lump formed in my throat as I tried to make sense of it all.
Sorry?
Sorry for what?
I didn’t understand what was going on. There was nothing he needed to apologize for. Was he sorry for this situation? Or was he sorry for not letting me know that he had long uncovered the truth? Or maybe, he was sorry that we were involved in this sick game Kaleb appeared to be enjoying.
Regardless, there was nothing for him to apologize for. I knew he had his reasons for remaining quiet on
the matter.
I didn’t think what Kaleb had said about Kane was true. I didn’t think he had some kind of sick, twisted obsession with me. He probably just wanted to make sure I was okay out of kindness or something.
Though we weren’t the closest of friends in our youth, he had always been kind to me and treated me with respect. He was Asher’s brother, of course, so I had no reason to believe that he was acting out of some strange place or obsession.
Kaleb laughed when Kane uttered his apology to me.
“Oh, now I definitely feel sick of this pathetic love story,” he mocked him and then he sneered. “You’re a coward, Lord Kane, as well as a fool. I’ve heard the stories they tell about you in this terrible palace. You’re nothing more than a second–rate version of that pitiful excuse of a king that rules Wegalla”
At the mention of Asher, anger swelled within me and my hands balled into fists at my side. To throw insults and snide remarks at a wounded man on the ground was nothing short of cowardly in its own right.
How dare this cruel foreign king disrespect the royal family of Wegalla?
“Stop this,” I demanded. “There’s no reason to continue down here. It’s a waste of time.”
Kaleb lifted a brow and then shrugged. “You’re right, Healer Cassandra. Why pretend otherwise? Let’s get on with the show, shall we? You seem ready to accept the reality of your situation.”
When I continued to eye him coldly, he spoke again.
“If you agree to go to the North with me, everything will be just fine,” he remarked. “Lord Kane can get the help and médical attention he needs, and no one else will get hurt. The decision is yours. Of course, I’m not a very patient person, so you need to make your choice now. Will you come with me and save him?”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. I knew I didn’t have a choice in the matter, and I hated the loss of agency in my own life. After five years, after all that had happened, I was still incapable of controlling my own fote, wasn’t I?
Kaleb looked at our surroundings and grimaced. “This small ward is suffocating, isn’t it? And the smell of
|||
2:3
BK 5.77%
Chapter 181 Run Now
blood is too heavy. If it’s impacting your judgment, perhaps I could take you somewhere else and you could make your choice there”
“No,” Kane spoke up, and then he glanced at me finally. “Cassandra, don’t do this. You don’t have to go with him.”
I dug my fingernails into my palm and took a deep breath, I approached Kane and then crouched down
beside him.
I had an idea but admittedly, it was crazy. It would require swiftness if I was going to pull it off, as well as cooperation on Kane’s part.
“Tightly hold your breath,” I said to him in an almost whisper,
Kane’s eyebrows came together in confusion. “What-”
“Do it,” I insisted with a firm look.
Once he nodded, I put my hand in my pocket and retrieved a small bottle. I then lifted it in one swift motion and held my breath as I flung it against the stone wall.
The glass shattered upon impact and as the shards flew in every direction, plumes of shimmering smoke rose around us.
The bottle had contained an inhalation anesthesia. I always carried it with me when I went to visit Spike. just in case anything went awry. I’d never needed to use it, but now was the perfect opportunity.
The anesthesia wasn’t enough to make the guards lose consciousness, but it was enough for them to loosen their iron grip on Kane. The tall pair of men let go and began to cough, and as they dissolved into a fit, covered my mouth and nose with my sleeve. Kane copied my gesture and then I inclined my head forward, toward the dungeon stairs.
We needed to run
Chapter 182 Power game never end
KALEB
A werewolf’s olfaction was sharp and our reactions were incredibly fast.
But anesthesia and its effects were even faster.
As the plumes of the chemical’s smoke filled the air, I muffled my mouth swiftly with the sleeve of my thick jacket. I thanked the Moon that I’d selected that blend of fabrics this morning, otherwise, I might have succumbed to the smoke.
Thanks to the barrier of my jacket sleeve and the distance I kept from Lord Kane and Healer Cassandra, I didn’t inhale much of the awful chemicals.
However, my guards weren’t as lucky.
They appeared drunk as they stumbled around aimlessly. Their eyes had a glazed and distant quality, and their every movement was simultaneously delayed and erratic.
In a few more seconds, they would be lying on the ground like the dead corpse of Spike.
As I fought to gather myself and regain control over the situation, Cassandra and Kane rose up from their places on the stone ground of the dungeon and prepared to make their escape. Though they didn’t utter a word, I caught a gleam in Cassandra’s beautiful dark green eyes.
I was surprised to see it. I had thought the healer was defeated, yet she still had quite a bit of fight in her.
I hadn’t been prepared for any of this. Inhalation anesthesia…what a marvelous idea!
I was so impressed by her willful spirit that I almost wanted to applaud. She was truly more than just a meek little healer.
Unluckily for them, I was standing at the only entrance and exit of the dungeon’s corridor.
My lips curled into a satisfied smirk at the realization and then Cassandra let out a small growl. She appeared as if she were ready to attack me. A laugh escaped me at the sight of her fierce expression.
But as I did so, my sleeve slipped away, and I had to quickly recover so I didn’t inhale anything further.
Sleeve against my mouth and nose, I studied the healer for a moment. I had a few options. I could give them a host of trouble and continue with the petty torture, or I could stand aside.
I went with the latter and stepped aside, just far enough to give them room. Cassandra’s pretty eyes lingered on me and her face wore an expression of confusion, but she didn’t hesitate for a moment. She gripped onto Lord Kane’s hand and then guided him past me and down the corridor.
Their footsteps rang out through the dungeon and I watched them walk until they became specks at the
1/2__
16:30
25 Dec
Chapter 182 Power game never end
end of the hallway.
I followed suit but maintained a calm and steady air. My walk wasn’t slow but it certainly wasn’t fast. I was in pursuit but only so much.
I ascended the staircase and once I reached the top, there was a sudden rush of fresh air. I took a moment to inhale deeply. The anesthesia had been so foul and left me feeling a little numb, so the slight moment of relief was wonderful.
The guard posted in the palace corridor rushed over to me with a concerned look on his serious face.
“Your Majesty, what’s going on?” he wondered once he reached my side, and he glanced behind me as if he were waiting for someone else to follow suit.
“Nothing,” I said simply, and I shook my head and then glanced back at the door to the dark dungeon.
Cassandra and Kane hadn’t come this way, otherwise, the guard might have mentioned it. They would have been caught if they went through this exit.
Obviously, the palace dungeon had another exit, one that Oliver Moses had failed to disclose. That, or he didn’t know.
Either way, it was a shortcoming on the old Beta’s behalf.
“Are you sure, Your Majesty?” the guard asked again.
‘There’s only one winner in this game, I mused absently under my breath. “And that’s me.”
I then turned to the guard and offered him a raised chin. “That will be all. Thank you.”
The guard obediently stamped his chest and offered me a small bow.
That was called power.
One simple sentence and the guard was putty in my hands.
Power was al I needed to get the world down at my feet.
As I walked away, I glanced out the window and noticed the sunny day beyond us. The sky was a nice, cool blue, and beams of sunlight streamed onto the marble floors.
I could still remember what my father said before he was too weak to speak a word. He asked me “when I would stop the game“. Back then, I’d laughed at him and told him that I would only stop when I’d won.
Father had tried to argue that I’d already won, but I’d smiled and shook my head. That response was enough for him to flash me an angry look. There was something in his eyes that made me think he wanted to kill me on the spot.
Of course, he would have needed strength, and that had loft him long ago. In truth, he had never had the strength or the power again, nor did my siblings.
Chapter 182 Power game never end.
After our exchange, Father had slumped back into bed. A long silence lingered between us until he uttered a pair of sentences that twisted my stomach into knots.
“I’m sorry,” he’d said. “About you and your mother. I loved you both so much.”
Father had gotten a disgusting look on his face then. He began to shed some tears as if he was mourning. my mother, who had passed away more than a decade ago.
I doubted if Father would even remember her face, since he had never visited her, at least not that I could remember, and he hadn’t even attended her funeral.
As he lay there, eyes pitiful and wide with feigned emotion, I stared down at him with a look of disgust and irritation.
“You can die with that love, my dear father,” I said with narrowed eyes, and then I raised my chin slightly. “But the game will never end.”
Once the words left my mouth, I turned on my heels and left my father’s room. As I walked out into the cold corridor of the palace, the stale odor of his dying body filtered out and made my nose crinkle.
That was the last sentence I ever said to him.
The game will never end.
I took a long, deep inhale, of the lightly–scented air of Merliscire Palace. As I drew in the sweet scent of e rose–filled vases beyond the corridor, I rolled back i shoulders.
I began to walk until I reached the marble entryway. I stared out the windows once more and a smile formed on my lips.
A guard, the one who was normally posted in front of the palace doors, was just returning to his station, but once he eyed me, he frowned and approached me.
“Your Majesty,” he bowed politely, and then he stamped his chest. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
I studied him for a moment and then smiled.
“No thank you,” I said, and then I chuckled to myself as I walked away. “Healer Cassandra will come back.”
-9/3
Mon, 25
Chapter 183 Raid
BECKY
When I arrived at the clinic, Erika appeared to be a bit exhausted. Her eyes were slightly vacant and were underlined with deep circles. Her skin–normally a nice, creamy shade of tan, was pale, and her hair was in a slight bit of disarray.
“Erika,” I greeted her, my tone laced with concern. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”
The maid released a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose before responding. “I’m alright, Becky. It’s just been a busy morning and Cassandra hasn’t returned. She left at dawn to take care of some business, but she hasn’t come back. Normally, she isn’t gone this long.”
www
I frowned as her words set in. “That is strange. Do you know where she went?”
Erika shook her head. “She didn’t say. She just asked me if I could keep an eye on Finnick and get him ready for the day. And then she mentioned that she wanted to get everything done early today because the Alpha King is going to return to Anemond this afternoon.
I knew at once that Cassandra was likely visiting the dungeon and checking with Spike, the sorcerer working on the cure to the mysterious illness.
“Maybe there was something important they discovered and she’s been delayed,” I suggested.
Erika nodded thoughtfully and then gave me a small, meek smile. “I’m sure you’re right. You know me, Becky. I’m just prone to worry, especially when Cassandra is involved.”
Just as I opened my mouth to respond, the clinic door flew open, and a group of heavily armed guards rushed into the lobby. They were not guards from the palace, as I could tell from their uniforms and the badges on their shoulders. The symbol was foreign to me, and their expressions were far too fearsome for normal guards.
“Where is the son of Healer Cassandra?” one of them demanded in a deep voice. His tone was extremely impolite and his lips were curled into a snarl. “She wishes to see him, so we must take him with us.”
I quickly exchanged a glance with Erika, who seemed equally concerned by the guard’s strange tone and request. Something wasn’t right here.
“And where is Healer Cassandra?” Erika spoke up boldly, and she raised her chin slightly to show she wasn’t scared or intimidated by the guard’s demand.
Unfortunately, the guard didn’t seem phased by her reply, and he didn’t offer one in response. Instead, his pitch–black eyes searched around the room, and then at the stairway.
My heart nearly stopped in my chest as I spotted Finnick on the landing. The boy’s gray eyes stared down at us curiously, and his head tilted to the side slightly
Chapter 183 Raid
As he opened his mouth to speak, I shook my head in his direction and then inclined my head upward. I tried to mouth the words “Go upstairs silent“, but the guard followed my gaze and spotted the boy before! could finish.
The guard sprang into action, and when we tried to step in front of him, he shoved us aside. I managed to steady Erika before she slipped on the cold marble floor
Above us, on the stairs, Finnick widened his round eyes and called out to us.
“Erika!” he cried as he rushed down, and once he was in the lobby, he ran right in front of Erika and faced the guard with a fearsome glare. “Don’t push Aunt Erika or Becky!”
Erika squatted down and swept Finnick into a hug. She held him tightly and gave the guard a similar look of anger as she protected him.
“Healer Cassandra asked us to bring her son to her” the guard repeated as if his words held stronger weight the second time.
“That’s a lie,” I blurted out, and I narrowed my eyes in the guards‘ direction. “Cassandra would never do that. She would come here herself to grab Finnick. So, what do you really want with him.”
The guard didn’t reply to my question and instead made a declaration of his own.
“I must comply with my duty,” he stated. “Do not interfere.”
He suddenly glanced behind him at one of the other guards, who nodded back at him. Before I could understand the meaning of the exchange, the guard shut the blinder of the glass doors in warning.
My stomach twisted into knots and I felt a shiver travel down my spine
The lead guard turned his attention back to me. “I don’t want to make a further fuss about this.”
As he leaned in closer, I saw his badge clearly and I suddenly remembered the pattern.
The symbol belonged to the Beta family.
I had seen it at Silas‘ terrible welcoming party.
I stared back and the guard with fury in my mind. “Does Silas know you’re here threatening two women and a child?”
The lead guard frowned and didn’t bother to answer my question either, Instead, he turned to the other guards behind him and waved his hand. “Take the child away!”
I prepared to step in to fight them off, but Erika took a step forward.
“If you want to take this child, you’ll have to take me too,” she announced bravely.
The guards stood frozen for a moment and then glanced at one another. Finally after a second of hesitation, the lead guard gave her a nod
Chapter 183 Raid
I wanted to stop her but before I could protest, the maid turned to face me.
“Stay here and wait for Cassandra,” she requested softly but firmly.
Her steady gaze bore through me and I knew that I couldn’t refuse her. Someone needed to remain here in case Cassandra returned to the clinic.
After I nodded, the guards led Erika and Finnick to the door, and I watched them leave with a heavy heart.
I wished I could do something, but I couldn’t. My mind was like a storm, and for a moment, I got lost in the torrent of my anger. Finally, I forced myself to take a long, deep breath. Erika’s implication was right. They probably wouldn’t do anything to Finnick with her around, but why did they need him in the first place?
I also couldn’t fathom why the guards belonged to the Beta family. Why were they so intense and what was their purpose?
Did they know Cassandra was preoccupied with something important? Were they aware of the secret business that was being conducted in the dungeon by the imposter?
I sighed and tried to consider the answer to all of my questions. I began to pace the lobby, and I wasn’t sure how long I was there, but it was long enough to make my legs ache.
I let out a soft sound of frustration and then stared out the window, I needed to get some fresh air and try to steady my nerves. If I wanted to make it through this stressful time, I needed to try to calm myself.
So, I decided to step out of the clinic, but before I could take a step toward the door, I heard a sound just behind it. I frowned and my heart began to pound.
Who was on the other side?
Before I could investigate, the door opened, and in walked Cassandra and a tall man.
“Cassandra?” I asked in shock as my eyes trailed over the pair.
They were both covered in blood.
Chapter 184 We formulate a plan
BECKY
My jaw dropped in shock as I took in the gruesome sight, and for a moment, I was frozen in place in pure panic, but then, I managed to snap out of my haze and rushed over to the pair.
“Becky,” Cassandra greeted me as she struggled to support the man. Her emerald eyes were enormous with concern and her expression was panicked.
“What happened?” I asked as I studied the man in her arms. His shirt sleeves were soaked with blood, and his face was pale, likely as a result of the blood loss. His captivating violet eyes were distant and his breathing was laborious as he tried to maintain consciousness. It took me a moment to realize who he was, and then it hit me
He was Lord Kane, the Alpha King’s brother.
“I’ll explain later,” Cassandra remarked as she tried to steady Kane. “But I need you to bring me one of the medical kits at once. Lord Kane needs immediate medical intervention.”
I nodded and then swiftly rose to my feet and practically sprinted to the supply room. I rooted around until I found one of the kits, and after I double–checked the supplies and grabbed some extra towels and wipes, I ran back out to the lobby.
“We should get him to an exam room,” I suggested, and when Cassandra nodded, I stepped over to the other side of Lord Kane and helped her steady him.
We guided him out of the lobby and into the nearest room. Luckily, he was lucid enough to get onto the exam table, but once he was there, he laid down and closed his eyes.
“Kane?” Cassandra asked worriedly. She reached out to take his pulse, but he opened his eyes again before we could freak out too much further.
“I’m here,” he assured her with a small groan. “Just needed to close them for a second.”
I passed the medical kit over to Cassandra and then remembered what had just happened.
“Cassandra, I don’t understand what’s going on,” I uttered, and my stomach twisted in knots. “But things have been crazy over here.”
“Crazy?” she repeated back in surprise.
“Cassy, they took Finnick,” I blurted out, and the healer stopped in her tracks. Her lips parted in shock and her already fair complexion paled further.
“They… they what?” she uttered and she began to tremble.
HAL
Chapter 184 We formulate a plan
“A group of guards came to the clinic a little while ago and claimed they needed to bring Finnick to you,” I explained. “They said they were delivering him to you at once. Erika when with them. They weren’t going to leave without Finnick, so Erika convinced them to take her too so she could keep him safe.”
Cassandra stood there, expressionless. She remained silent for a moment and then let out a wavering
breath.
“Who were the guards?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’ve never seen them before. But I noticed that the leader’s jacket had a badge with a symbol on it. it looked like the royal family’s crest.”
Cassandra nodded and for a moment, I was taken aback by her calmness. She didn’t appear to be shocked by any of this at all.
“So, the Betas are involved,” she murmured. “No wonder Kaleb was so confident.”
I didn’t understand what she was talking about and wanted to ask for further information, but before the words could escape my lips, Cassandra stood up straighter and rolled her shoulders back.
“I think it would actually be best to escort Lord Kane to one of the guest rooms,” she announced. “We’ll have a lot more privacy there and there will be no chance for anyone to overhear us.”
I nodded, and Kane released a heavy sigh.
“I’m fine,” he uttered through a soft groan. “Don’t worry about me. We need to find Finnick. I’ll accompany
you-
“You don’t need to do that,” Cassandra interrupted with a shake of her head. “Finnick and Erika will be fine. Kaleb wants me. He won’t harm them if he wants me to cooperate. He’s probably just using them for insurance. Right now, we need to get your wound treated before you lose any more blood.”
She then turned back to me. “Becky, can you help me get him to the back room?”
I nodded without hesitation, and without further ado, we helped ease Kane from the examination table. Luckily for us, the guest room wasn’t far, and once the Alpha King’s brother was seated on the bed, Cassandra got to work and began to stitch up his wound.
We remained silent and she concentrated fiercely on the task at hand. Lord Kane’s wound was a long and deep slit, so it took a great deal of time to handle. But Cassandra was an expert healer. She was highly talented at her craft, and when she finished, she let out a soft sigh and told Kane he would be just fine.
“I’m sorry, Cassandra,” he apologized to her quietly. If only I could be more helpful.”
“Shhh,” she hushed, and she shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath, and then studied her. “I hope what Kaleb said to you isn’t bothering you. I need you to know his words were nonsense, I only wanted to…”
His words trailed off as if he wasn’t sure what to say next. I sat there in anticipation. Their conversation
1011, 25
Chapter 184 We formulate a plan.
made no sense to me, but I was captivated and intrigued by what was happening.
F
Cassandra rested her hand on his arm gently. “I understand. I know you just wanted to help and appreciate that.”
Silence fell again, and in the midst of this tense moment, I decided to make myself useful and pack up the medical kit. After a minute, Cassandra left the room and then returned with a cup of warm water. She carefully handed it to Kane, who accepted it gratefully.
“You need to get some rest,” Cassandra said kindly but firmly. Kane took a drink of the water and then let out a small sigh.
“I’ll be fine in just a few minutes,” he insisted, and though he appeared weak, he managed to speak with a steady voice. Please don’t go see Kaleb alone, it’s too dangerous.”
He sipped from the cup again, and Cassandra gave him a reassuring smile.
“I know what to do,” she assured him.
She turned to walk away, but before we left the room, Kane called out to Cassandra.
“Are we friends?” he asked her, and my eyebrows knitted together in surprise. It was a strange question. and I decided to step out of the room to give them a little privacy. I wasn’t sure if Lord Kane was going to do anything else and I felt a little lost.
But then, I heard Cassandra simply reply: “We were always friends.”
She joined me out in the hallway and then closed the door behind her. Then, she turned to me and gestured toward the stairs. We walked down in silence, and once we reached the lobby, I tucked my hair behind my ears and adjusted my glasses.
“So, what do we do now, Cassy?” I wondered as I tried to make sense of things.
Cassandra reached out and gently took my hand in hers.
“We formulate a plan,” she stated.
Chapter 185 It’s going to be a fight
Chapter 185 It’s going to be a fight
CASSANDRA
As Becky stared at me in confusion, I gestured down the hall.
“Follow me,” I said. “First, I need to wipe some of this blood off of me. It smells so awful I can hardly think straight.”
My assistant nodded. “Of course. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
We walked from the lobby down the hall to a private bathroom. It wasn’t accessible to patients and existed solely for our benefit. I’d stashed a few changes of clothes in the closet, and once my arms and face were free from the blood from Kane’s wound, Becky helped me get dressed in fresh clothes. She even braided my long copper hair back into an intricate style that kept the tresses away from my face.
talk.”
“Thank you,” I said gratefully, and she smiled at me.
“Of course,” she replied. “It’s the least I could do. Now, come on. Let’s get you some tea and then we can
I followed her into the meeting room and she immediately threw the kettle on. I sat down on one of the leather chairs and after a few minutes. Becky handed me a cup of my favorite tea. The sweet scent of jasmine comforted me greatly, as did the warmth of the cup.
“Cassy, what happened to you?” Becky spoke up after she settled into the chair opposite me. She leaned forward in anticipation, and her russet eyes bore into me intensely.
I took a moment to compose myself and then launched into everything that had happened. When I mentioned that Spike had died in the dungeon, she let out a gasp and nearly dropped her cup of tea,
“No,” she uttered, and her already big eyes grew larger.
We both knew how serious the situation had become. Spike’s untimely death meant the invention of the cure to the mysterious disease had been brought to a sudden halt.
“The good thing is that I kept records of every detail Spike had written down,” I reassured her. “Perhaps. they could still be helpful and you could find some intriguing points in there-”
“I
‘t know if that’s something I could do alone…” she said, and she bit down on her lower lip. “With us working together, maybe, but alone…”
I shook my head fiercely. “I might not be able to be here to help you. But I believe in you Becky and think you’re more than capable of making it happen.”
“I don’t understand,” she said with a puzzled look on her face. “What do you moan?”
|||
Chapter 185 It’s going to be a fight.
I took a deep breath and then told her about Kaleb’s request, or rather, his order to come North with him to Yurene.
“No!” she uttered, and she shook her head. “No, no, no! You can’t go with him. How could that evil foreigner do this?”
“All I know is that this must have been well–planned from the beginning.” I lamented. “My only regret is that I didn’t see through him from the start. Maybe if I had. I don’t know.”
“What about the Alpha King?” Becky wondered. “The Alpha King wouldn’t allow this to happen, especially not to you. The foreign king might be able to pull this off under the protection of old Beta, but once the Alpha King returns, he’d have nowhere to go. He’d never allow that villain to take you away to Yurene.”
I shook my head again. “That’s my second request of you, Becky. Kaleb must have done something to stop the Alpha King from returning, so there’s no one able to stop him at present. As I said, this all must have been planned for a while.”
I set my cup down on the table and then leaned forward. “Becky, I want you to reach out to Wild Crawler. I think something terrible is going to happen to this country. I’m not sure how many people would keep their loyalty to the Alpha King, but I’m certain that at least Wild Cralwer and my old friends there would be reliable. I want you to tell them everything I’ve told you about what’s happened here and ask Alpha Rayden to send a group of trusted guards to Anemond. I know this all sounds drastic, but we need to make sure that you can carry out your study of the cure without any threat. His guards will be able to protect you.”
Becky’s expression was weary and she hesitated for a moment.
“If there are any difficulties, I’m sure Lord Kane would be of some help as well,” I assured her. It’s safe to say he’s on our side in all of this.”
She nodded seriously and her expression softened. “It’s going to be a fight, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Unfortunately, it is.”
Silence hung in the air again and then Becky cleared her throat,
“Do you think Silas is involved in this mess?” she wondered quietly. “And if he was, do you think he was the one who detained the Alpha King deliberately? As far as we know, he was on a mission with the Alpha King and he’s a member of the Beta family…”
I
“I don’t know,” Jadmitted. “I don’t know Silas as much as I want to. I have no idea if he’s an upstanding man or if he’s devious like his father. I know that’s not of much comfort…”
“Forget it,” Becky said as she shook her head. “I know it’s a stupid question. I shouldn’t even be thinking of Silas at this point.”
“It wasn’t a stupid question at all,” I assured her gently. “I know you’re concerned and I don’t blame you at all. I wish I could offer you some kind of comfort. All I can do is hope that Silas isn’t collaborating with his father. With his military influence, things could grow even more complicated.”
Becky appeared as if she were going to cry for a moment but then she nodded.
ווו
Chapter 185 It’s going to be a fight
“All we can do is hope,” she whispered, and she reached under the neck of her blouse and pulled a small necklace out. It was white gold with a moon and star pendant. She kissed it gently and then glanced out the window. Though I couldn’t hear the words she whispered, I had a feeling it was a prayer to the Moon Goddess.
I was jealous of her. I wished I could use prayer as a tool to soothe myself, but my relationship with the Goddess was too complicated for that.
Of course, now was as perfect a time as any to try.
So, I whispered a small prayer for strength of my own and then rose from my seat. As much as I didn’t want to go, it was time to see Kaleb now. Though I knew Finnick and Erika wouldn’t be mistreated, I was still worried about them. My poor sweet Finnick was probably so scared and confused. I needed to be strong for his sake and do what was right.
“Get in touch with Wild Crawler,” I told Becky. “Tell them everything I told you and make arrangements with Rayden. Meanwhile, hide out in the back room. Lock the clinic door while you work, I put sedatives in Kane’s glass so hopefully he won’t wake up until late tonight.”
Becky nodded and then got up and came over to me. She drew me into a hug and nestled her head into me. We held each other for a moment and the warm gesture was almost enough to make me cry. She was more than just my assistant. She was my sister, and I was grateful to have her in my life.
“Be safe, Cassy,” she whispered. “Please.”
“I will,” I assured her. “Please, do the same, Becky”
We pulled apart and she nodded. “I will.”
I gave her a small smile and then left the room. As I walked to the door, my heart pounded in my chest. but I forced myself to stay strong
This was going to be a battle I had to fight alone, both for the ones I loved and for myself.