Ch. 281..285: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 281-285

Chapter 281

As we raced through the grounds in our wolf forms, I saw the buildings beyond us and noted with horror that they were all on fire now. The smoldering flames rose high, as did thick plumes of smoke.

I had hoped to get some medicine from my room to treat Asher’s wound, but there was no chance of that happening now. Part of me felt a small amount of loss in knowing that many of my belongings were still within the chamber, but the other part knew that material items didn’t matter. I had my family with me, and for now, we were all safe and sound. The medicine would have been nice, but I would have to find other methods of dealing with our injuries.

As I tried to suppress the pain in my back and the panic of escaping this place for good, my eyes scanned the grounds. Serv ants were running around desperately, their expressions horrified as they fled away from the burning buildings. They were so terrified that they hadn’t even noticed us.

Finnick clenched himself against Asher tightly, his sterling eyes wide with fear as

screams rang out around us. I wished I could use my newfound magical abilities to put out the fire, but since I knew little about how to use sorcery, I didn’t know how.

he studied the blaze. Our son trembled and wa

Thankfully, none of the soldiers had followed us, so once I was certain we would be okay, I carefully eased Raven’s still unconscious body onto the ground and then changed back into my human form,

Erika followed suit and helped Finnick get down from his perch on Asher’s back. Once he was secure in the maid’s arms, I nodded at Asher, and the Alpha King shifted back too.

“Is everyone alright?” I asked as I glanced around at my family.

Everyone nodded, and then Asher approached me.

“There’s nothing we can do here,” he said, recognizing the concern on my face. “We need to leave before the situation escalates.”

I nodded my head and then Erika did the same.

TALLIN

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“If you take Finnick, I’ll worry about this one,” she said, and she inclined her head to Raven. When I nodded again, Erika handed Finnick over to me and then carefully eased Raven up. Despite her calm demeanor, the maid was incredibly strong and powerful. She carried the sorceress with ease while Finnick buried his face into the crook of my shoulder.

I kissed his forehead and tightened my hold around him. “It’s okay, baby. We’re gonna get out of here.”

We resumed our journey back toward the gate, but before we could get too much further, I heard a voice call my name.

I whipped around, and through the thick smoke, a figure approached. It was Ms. Benn. The head housekeeper held Lila in her arms. Her sharp, angular face was stained gray from the soot and there was a franticness in her ice-blue eyes.

My eyes fell on Lila. She appeared to have lost consciousness and appeared weak. The smoke inhalation had likely done a number on the

poor child.

Even though I knew it would have been smarter to turn and continue heading to the gate to escape this wretched place, I couldn’t turn my back on a child.

“Cassandra,” Ms. Benn pleaded as she approached me. “Please, you have to take Lila with you.”

PI

I was taken aback and frowned. Had I heard her correctly? Was this a trap? quickly scanned the area, yet Ms. Benn seemed to be acting alone.

“What do you mean?” I asked as my eyes trailed over her. “Why would you want me to take her when you could just come with us?’

Ms. Benn shook her head quickly. “I can’t leave. The king needs me.”

“The whole country is on the verge of war,” I practically shouted back at her, nearly laughing at the absurdity of her statement. “Kaleb won’t care about losing a maid.”

Her pale eyes widened and then flashed. “You know nothing about this country, about loyalty. I would rather die than leave. But Lila doesn’t deserve that. Get her out of here, take her somewhere safe. Make sure she will be safe.”

My lips parted but I couldn’t refuse. We didn’t have time to have a whole discussion, so I just nodded. Wordlessly, Erika passed Raven over to Asher and then took Lila into her arms and held her close.

TH

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Ms. Benn bowed and then quickly left and headed toward the main building. As I wretched her leave, I shook my head. I had never understood Ms. Benn, but her loyalty to Kaleb seemed to be unquestionable. I couldn’t imagine abandoning my child just to stay put and help such a violent king, but I supposed it wasn’t for me to understand.

We continued moving moments later, and uncertainty filled my mind. We were supposed to meet with Rayden, but as we approached the gate, we didn’t see anyone other than Kaleb’s guards, who appeared restless. Their eyes were locked on the smoke, but duty apparently kept them trapped in their positions.

We hid in the dark shadows cast by the trees. I wondered if we would need to fight the guards to leave. Without Rayden and his friends’ help, we couldn’t slip out unnoticed. Of course, we weren’t in the best position to be fighting. Asher and I were wounded, and we had two children with us, not to mention Raven, who could wake up at any moment.

As I contemplated our next move, I heard a small noise come from the bushes behind us. I exchanged a glance with Asher. He seemed to have heard it too. I silently set Finnick down and motioned for him

to join Erika. Once he did, Asher and I crouched down and then quietly moved in the direction of the sound.

As we stepped forward, we were surprised to see Rayden, but he didn’t appear to be alone. The Alpha of the Wild Crawler Pack didn’t seem too worse for wear, but his expression was distressed like he was in some kind of trouble.

“Let me go,” he hissed to someone beside him. “Or you won’t like what happens

next.”

A woman’s voice scoffed. “If you don’t do as I say, you’re dead.”

My lips parted as I recognized the voice.

It was Helene.

I walked toward them and saw Rayden standing in front of Helene. Helene’s hand was on his right shoulder while her left hand was behind his back.

Helene didn’t seem to recognize me at first.

“Don’t move,” she warned me. “My knife is soaked with a deadly poison. This man will die the moment it breaks his skin.”

“Helene, it’s me,” I pleaded with her. “It’s Cassandra. Please put the knife down. That man is my friend.”

Suddenly, her expression changed and her honey-brown eyes widened. She removed her hold on Rayden, sheathed her knife, and then moved toward me.

“Cassandra!” she said, and then she wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you. I didn’t know he was your accomplice. Please, take me with you.

We need to get out of here.”

Chapter 282

Asher approached us silently, and once Helene stepped away from me, I glanced at Rayden, who was rubbing his shoulder with an unpleasant expression on his face.

“What happened?” I asked him directly. “Where are your people, Rayden?”

Rayden rolled his eyes at Helene. “Ask her. She’s responsible for what happened.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

The Alpha of Wild Crawler gestured around the area. I peered over the bushes and noticed several people were lying on the ground, clearly unconscious. When I turned back to Helene, she simply shrugged nonchalantly.

“I saw this man and the others sneaking around the grounds with a large wooden box,” she answered, her eyes watching Rayden suspiciously. “I supposed they were planning on taking something out of the castle, so I used some tricks.”

“What tricks?” I asked as fear swelled within me. I could see the men’s chests rise and fall with their breathing, so it was obvious they were still alive, but that didn’t mean that Helene hadn’t done something lethal to them. The necklace weapon she’d gifted me proved that she was capable of plenty, and besides, I was still a little hesitant toward her after the way she’d acted around Ronald,

She had been under his spell for a good deal of time, and while she seemed fine now, I was still cautious.

“I wasn’t going to fight against so many men alone, so I used some drugs to make them pass out,” Helene answered calmly. Her tone was so casual that it was a little alarming, and I fought the urge to groan.

Instead, I glanced at Rayden, who very much didn’t appear to be drugged.

“What about him?” I asked her as my eyes trailed over my friend from Wild Crawler.

that he’s your

“I needed at least one conscious man to negotiate with,” she answered. “So I gave him an antidote. And then you walked over here: Is it safe to say friend? You seem quite worried about him.”

Δ

I sighed and then nodded.

Though I’d been initially cautious, Helene seemed to have recovered from her state of hysteria. She was speaking calmly and seemed to be making sense. But now we had a bunch of unconscious allies around us that needed to be roused at once. We needed all of the manpower we could muster if we were going to leave Yurene for good.

“I’ll keep my promise to help you get out of here, but I need these men in order to carry out the plan,” I said. “Can you wake them?”

Helene let out a small gasp of happiness and then nodded quickly.

She got to work administering the antidotes, and as we waited for the men to wake up, Rayden asked us what happened.

“I saw smoke and then watched a bunch of soldiers rush to the checkpoints,” he explained as he rubbed his neck. “I was so worried about you guys. Thank the Moon Goddess you’re alright. What happened exactly?”

I glanced at Asher and struggled to find the right words to say. How could I summarize this madness when I didn’t understand the details myself?

“This country is doomed,” Helene spoke up, and Ronald isn’t any better than his cousin.”

and all eyes fell to her. “Kaleb is crazy

Rayden furrowed his brow. “What does that have to do with the fire? I don’t understand.”

“Kaleb set fire to the main building,” I explained. “He was trying to kill Ronald and his accomplices, but they managed to escape somehow-”

“It wasn’t ‘somehow”,” Helene interrupted boldly. “It was magic. I saw it with my own eyes!”

I shot her a glare. “Stop, Helene. Things have been complicated enough. We can our escape plan, alright?”

discuss the details late For now, we need to figure

out

Helene didn’t seem too keen to let it

go

but nodded anyway.

Asher finally spoke up.

“The men are all awake,” he pointed out. “We should be good to move out. We just

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need a plan.”

Rayden offered him a polite bow of respect. “Your Majesty, it’s good to see sorry for not bowing sooner-”

you.

I’m

“Don’t worry about it,” Asher assured him with a nod and when Rayden softened, he continued speaking. “Where is the Alpha of Red Stone?”

“He left the castle earlier today,” Rayden replied. “He should be waiting for us with a few of his soldiers in the nearest town.”

Asher nodded thoughtfully and then turned to me. “I suppose we return to Erika. We need to take advantage of the commotion over there.”

I nodded in agreement, and when Helene, Rayden, and Rayden’s men obediently did the same, we left the area surrounding the bushes and reunited with Erika.

Once everyone was in place, we observed the gate. A bunch of guests were running toward it, hoping to leave the castle, but it was soon made obvious that no one was allowed to leave. One of the guests tried to forcer through the checkpoint without permission and was shot immediately. Based off his attire, the guest seemed to be a high-born from one of the Packs outside of the country.

Everyone was shocked. Both us and the other guests stared on in shock as the high-born man fell to the ground dead.

My heart sank and I turned Finnick away so he couldn’t see what was happening. He buried his face in my neck again and I held him close.

“I wonder if the other gates are the same,” I whispered as my eyes scanned the perimeter of the castle grounds.

“Most likely,” Asher replied, much to my dismay. “No one will be able to leave this place tonight. I’m certain of it.”

I wanted to fight against this idea, but I knew he was right. The guards must have received orders from someone. Ronald or Kaleb. It didn’t matter. The cousins likely knew the other had tricks up their sleeves and we were all collateral. They didn’t care about us. They just cared about killing each other and maintaining control of this country. This fight was inevitable.

past

few

I wanted to pull my hair out at the very idea. I’d seen more violence in the months than any person should have and I yearned for a more peaceful existence

=

O

Δ

Your sign-in rewat.. Come to claim your free coins.

with my family. But here for good.

and then get out of

So, I reached into my pocket and retrieved one of the syringes of sedative. I injected Raven with it and then we put her in the wooden box. We delegated responsibilities amongst the group and decided that Erika and one of Rayden’s

for taking care of Finnick, Lila, and the box while the

gate.

men would be respons through the

rest of us would fight to

Helene had originally been appointed to stay with Erika, but she insisted on fighting with us.

“I don’t know how to fight with claws, but I know how to use poisons,” she argued, and she showed us her knife. I suddenly remembered the eagle necklace she’d given me and pulled it out of my pocket.

“You might need this,” I said as I handed it to her. She accepted it and stared at me.

“Did

you use it?” she wondered.

I shook my head. Helene snorted.

“If we fail, I’d better use it to end our lives,” she said bitterly. “Better that than being caught and tortured to death by those crazy Northerners.”

I didn’t like the sound of that but nodded my

head anyway.

him a hug.

Once the plan was confirmed, I kissed Finnick and gave

“I love you,” I said as I held him close. “Listen to Aunt Erika, okay?”

He nodded his head. “I will. I love you too, Mommy.”

We parted ways a moment later, and after Asher and I shared a nod, we headed toward the gate.

Chapter 283

KALEB

“What a pleasant surprise,” I laughed as I spat out a mouthful of blood.

Asher Collins was here, and I hadn’t known it until now. Judging by the way he stood beside Cassandra, I surmised that he’d been under my nose for at least a day or so, and I was amazed by the absurdity of all this.

On any other day, the self-righteous Alpha King of Wegalla would have been a worthy adversary. I would have engaged in a battle to the death with that co cky leader of my country’s enemy, yet as I watched him leave with Cassandra and her maid, I couldn’t stop laughing. This situation had escalated far beyond my expectations.

My soldiers seemed ready to follow the black and white wolves, but I ordered them to stop at once.

“There’s no need to chase after them,” I announced as they stared at me with expressions of confusion. “No one is able to leave the castle tonight, not even a fly. Besides, I have a more important rival to deal with now.”

deal with

As if on cue, Ronald approached with a group of soldiers surrounding him. My cousin’s face was extremely cold and brutal. His blue eyes, usually as soft and blue as a slightly cloudy sky, had iced over and shot daggers in my direction as he advanced. I wasn’t used to seeing such a display of hatred on his unassuming features and it brought a smile to my face. It appeared he had finally given up pretending to be a gentleman. It was a relief to see his true intentions so readily shown.

For years, I’d told people that there was more to Ronald than what was on the surface. It had been infuriating to see them be so easily swayed by my fool of a cousin, but no one could mistake his expression for anything other than malice. His hatred for me brought made my smile widen.

“In our hatred, we are the same, cousin,” I whispered. “Let us see who will be the winner once and for all.”

Ronald gave a signal to his soldiers, and mere seconds later, the muscular men hastened their pace and readied themselves to attack.

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My own soldiers reacted timely. They readied their weapons and fired at Ronald’s men at once, and at my signal, they struck. I seemed to have the upper hand, given the number of soldiers at my disposal versus Ronald, who had much fewer. But quickly, my men’s store of bullets and arrows ran out.

The fight against Cassandra hadn’t gone in our favor and my men had wasted too much of their ammunition trying to take her down. I silently chastised myself for not making sure they would have an additional arsenal, but I hadn’t exactly expected this outcome.

I realized I wasn’t in a favorable position because my cousin could use his wretched sorcery to heal his wounded men. It was an unfair advantage, but I would have to make do with what I had.

This fight was unexpected. Ronald and his men were meant to perish in the fire of the main building, so I hadn’t been adequately prepared for a battle. I hadn’t brought enough of my soldiers with me either,

so when Ronald finally stood right in front of me, he had a clear path. All of the soldiers on my side had been dealt with, so I was wide open.

I extended my nails into claws and prepared to shift into my second form. I was still quite weak from my fight against Cassandra, but I wasn’t incapable of defending myself. I was a formidable fighter and I needed no weapons but the natural ones I possessed.

My muscles tensed just as Ronald stopped ten away from me.

“This will be the last day of your miserable life, Kaleb,” he said almost mockingly. His arrogance was almost applaudable, but I wasn’t about to give up so easily.

“I don’t think so,” I replied with a raised eyebrow. I spat out another mouthful of blood and then lowered my body, ready to shift at any given moment.

As I moved, Ronald’s soldiers seemed ready to spring into action, but my cousin raised a hand to stop them.

“No,” he ordered quietly, and then he took a step toward me.

My eyebrow raised higher. What was his next move?

“We didn’t have to be this way, Kaleb,” he said. “If you hadn’t done all of this, I never would have considered taking your life. And yet…”

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He glanced at the burning building behind us. “It was supposed to be a beautiful wedding.”

I wanted to laugh. That was nonsense. I knew Ronald would have done the same to me if he’d had the opportunity. The wedding was an excuse to drum up his accomplices. It was nothing more than a prelude to usurpation.

“How could it be a beautiful wedding?” I mocked him as I looked at the sky and sneered. “It wasn’t even blessed by the moon. Besides, I don’t think it’s beautiful to have to hypnotize your own bride and force her to marry you. In fact… some could say it’s a little pathetic to have to go such lengths to make a woman want you.”

Ronald smiled coldly. “I’m not crazy lil

like you are, Kaleb.”

“Aren’t you?” I countered with a smile. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Ronald. Weren’t you planning on taking this castle over after the wedding ceremony? I suppose I would have been found dead in my bed, reeking of alcohol, if I hadn’t uncovered your plan beforehand.”

My cousin’s face hardened. “You don’t seem to understand the situation. You are nothing more than a dead man now. That being said, I suppose if you’re willing to kneel and beg for my forgiveness, I might show some mercy and consider sparing your life.”

He seemed certain I would take advantage of the opportunity, but I had no intention of doing so. I remained unmoved,

“You’re weak,” I said calmly. “Even if you took my place on the throne, you couldn’t rule Yurene properly. A mediocre sorcerer like you doesn’t deserve to be a king.”

My words seemed to hit hard. Ronald instantly looked vexed. He turned to his soldiers and ordered them to launch their attacks against me.

I had two seconds to breathe and then the fight commenced. I fought hard against the soldiers and managed to avoid most of their attacks, but there were still so

many

of them. As the minutes dragged on, it began to feel as if they were undefeatable with the help of Ronald. I shifted into my wolf form and it still didn’t feel like it was enough. For every swipe or wound I inflicted, my cousin used sorcery to heal his men.

I was also fighting completely alone. None of the guests on my side dared step over

A

or go against Ronald under such a circumstance. It was apparent that no one expected me to win.

It was infuriating. I was still their king and yet, they were all thrilled to see me fall.

I fought until my knees were weak. I sank to the ground and shifted back into my human form. Blood dripped from my numerous wounds and the metallic taste of it filled my mouth. I couldn’t even sense the pain now. I could hardly even move. I was so numb I barely even felt alive.

Ronald stepped forward and then placed his hand on my head, forcing me to lower it.

“You’re weak like a puppy without Roxy here to help you,” he said harshly and then he softened. “If only we had been friends before. We were both abandoned, Kaleb. I was the pawn of the king and you were the unwanted son. We could have been a united front, and yet here we are.”

His voice was so grating that I couldn’t take it any longer. I shifted myself away his touch and then spat a mouthful of blood onto his face.

Ronald’s mouth jerked at one corner as his eyes filled with anger. He stole a knife from the sheath of one of his nearby soldiers and then raised it in the air. He used

his other hand to grab me and aimed the blade at my heart.

I closed my eyes.

 

Chapter 284The fight was far more brutal than I’d expected.

When we’d left Erika, Finnick, Lila, and Raven behind and headed toward the gate surrounding Vlokwell, I’d known that we were getting ourselves into a mess of trouble, but I didn’t know how bad it would be.

The guards of the gate were far more difficult to defeat than anticipated, even with our numbers.

We had all shifted into either our wolf forms or at least partial forms, and even as wolves, it was a struggle to win against Kaleb’s men.

As Asher and I fought off one of the men, Rayden and his men took on another. It was a flurry of motion and movement, and it had taken all of my efforts to remain focused on the fight. Thankfully, Asher and I were a great team, and we managed to take our guard down after a little while.

The others, though, weren’t as lucky.

Rayden had nearly lost his left arm fighting with a large, burly wolf whose claws seemed as long as swords. Luckily, Helene reacted swiftly before those deadly nails could cut too deeply into the Alpha of Wild Crawler’s shoulder and plunged her poisoned knife into the guard. Rayden was completely taken aback, as was the guard, and when the wolf fell to the ground dead, his eyes widened, and stared at Helene in shock.

“Thank you,” he said to her as he fought to catch his breath.

Helene nodded at him, and then we continued on.

In addition to the pair of guards up front, there were guards stationed at the checkpoints ahead, but once we had broken the gate, the other guests seeking escape cheered. They had maintained their distance at first, unsure of how things would work out, but once they knew we were the good guys, so to speak, morale was boosted, and the guests joined our fight.

The influx of numbers helped our cause, and we quickly managed to pass all of the checkpoints.

A few of the men went back to grab Erika, the children, and the box containing Raven, and once we were all reunited, we left the horrible castle in the dust.

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Cars arranged by Rayden and the Alpha of the Red Stone Pack were waiting for us outside of Vlokwell, hidden behind a host of thick pine trees. We all piled into the vehicles, and once they began to drive away, I finally released a heavy exhale of relief.

We had done it.

We had survived somehow.

Well, at least mostly.

Rayden, Asher, and the other men were severely wounded. I had some cuts on my arms and shoulders, and Helene had some bruises forming on her arms and shins. Thankfully, Erika, Lila, and Finnick were perfectly fine.

We were all exhausted, and as the cars drove off the road at a fast speed, I looked back through the window at the living hell behind us.

The smoke was so intense that I couldn’t see the castle at all. It was a nightmarish sigh, one I was more than happy to finally leave behind. I wasn’t sure where Kaleb had gone, but I also didn’t care. All that mattered was that we were free from the confines of his wicked fortress.

The car continued driving and soon darkness fell. I drifted in and out of sleep, never knowing what time it was, until finally, the sky began to brighten again, revealing the dawn. The car came to a stop soon after and when I glanced out the window, I saw lights.

The driver stepped out of the car and held the doors open for us. I took a deep breath and then carefully got out of the vehicle. My muscles ached as I stretched and I grimaced at the effort. All I wanted was a bath and a good night’s sleep.

We had arrived ar

a country house. The Alpha of the Red Stone Pack was there waiting for us on the porch. He was a tall, middle-aged man with pale blonde hair and kind eyes, and he greeted us warmly and politely.

“Your Majesty,” he addressed Asher with respect, and he bowed. “Welcome. Please, allow me to escort you inside.”

Asher nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

The Alpha led us into the house, and I was pleased to see that all of the rooms within had been arranged nicely for us. It wasn’t a big house, but it was cozy and comfortable. After all we’d been through in Vlokwell, I would have happily taken a

shack or worse.

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We assigned people to the different rooms, and once everything was arranged, the wooden box was brought into the house. Rayden’s men pulled Raven out, and much to my relief, the sorceress was still sleeping.

“Is there anything we can use to limit her movement once she wakes up?” I wondered.

One of the men retrieved some ropes and carefully secured Raven’s wrists so she couldn’t escape or use sorcery once she awoke. When we were sure she couldn’t escape, we all went into our separate rooms to get some sleep.

Lila was still unconscious, but her breath was steady. She stayed with Erika, while Finnick insisted that he wanted to sleep with me.

With all that had happened and the millions of things that still needed to be sorted out, I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but as I lay in bed and watched Finnick’s chest rise and fall, my eyelids grew heavy.

I drifted off into dreamless sleep soon after.

***

When I woke up, the sun was shining in the sky, and its rays made the room bright and warm. My vision took a moment to focus, and when it did, I realized Finnick wasn’t in bed with me. I started to sit up, but then I spotted someone beside me.

“Asher?” I asked in surprise.

The Alpha King was lying on his side, propping his head up with his hand. He gave me a soft smile.

“Good morning,” he greeted me quietly.

“Good morning,” I replied with a smirk. “Where’s Finnick?’

“He’s with Lila, playing outside” Asher answered. “It’s a beautiful day, so Erika decided to go out with them. We wanted to make sure you got some rest.”

After I nodded, I noticed all of Asher’s wounds had been dressed and bandaged. His complexion was pale, but his eyes were bright. He was just as handsome as

ever.

Asher reached out and I leaned closer, allowing him to pull me close. He pressed his warm lips against mine, and a tingling feeling ran down my spine. His familiar scent flooded my senses, and a soft sigh escaped me when we parted.

Mon, 25 Mar

“It seems like we survived,” I laughed lightly.

“Yes, we did,” Asher agreed.

As I stared at him, I could still sense fear lingering in my heart. I had been so afraid of losing him, and part of me was still terrified.

“How do you feel?” I asked him.

“I’m alright,” he answered. “The stiffness is surprisingly gone. All things considered, I’m doing fine.”

His lips grazed against my neck, indicating that he wanted to do something more than talk. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him, but there were a million other things on my mind.

“We need to get up,” I said reluctantly. “What time is it now?”

Rayden, Erika, and the Alpha of Red Stone were probably waiting for us.

“Let them wait,” Asher insisted, and his lips continued to travel down my neck.

A giggle escaped me. I wanted to protest, but the nice warm morning with the sun shining on our bodies was irresistible. So, I kissed him back.

Just as I did, I heard Finnick on the other side of the door calling my name. Before I could move or reply, the door opened. My lips were still on Asher’s when Lila and Finnick ran in, and the children’s cheeks turned red at the sight.

We pulled apart and Asher chuckled.

Lila reacted before Finnick did.

“Sorry,” she apologized, and she shut the door hastily. Once it was closed, Asher and I laughed together.

Chapter 285One thing was certain. The view outside of the country house was indeed beautiful.

Once Asher and I pulled ourselves out of bed, we stepped outside and took a look at the wildlife surrounding us. Beyond the house, a great stretch of open field seemed endless. Green plants covered the field and colorful wildflowers grew everywhere. They dotted the field like confetti, and their perfume filled the air with a pleasant aroma.

For a moment, I completely forgot our circumstances and simply enjoyed the gorgeous sight. We hadn’t had a moment of peace in so long. Life had been an endless string of battles, violence, and schemes, and it felt nice to breathe.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t rest for too long or enjoy the scenery for more than a few minutes. We had to think about what to do next.

A meeting was called soon after. We all gathered around the backyard, save for Erika, Helene, and the children.

Once we were all gathered, the Alpha of Red Stone began to speak. He told us that this house was located near the borders of Wegalla and Yurene. It was a forgotten place and very few people lived out here. He assured us that the smells from the flowers and fruit trees would make it nearly impossible for outsiders to track tour scents, so we were safe here.

He then explained that there was a channel only a few miles away through which we could leave the country. The sentry post that should have been filled with Yurenian soldiers had been abandoned long ago, so it would be easy for us to leave through the channel. But it would cost us more time.

We took a moment to deliberate. We needed to get back to Wegalla as soon as possible but we had to do it strategically.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in Vlokwell,” I said. “Kaleb and Ronald sought to destroy each other and it’s hard to say who would win. Regardless of the victor, they would surely consider this channel, so we’d better not take this chance lightly.”

Asher nodded. “We should move out as soon as possible.”

I knew he was right, but we needed time to get some rest and tend our wounds.

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Rayden and a few of the men had been wounded pretty severely, and although Asher continued to claim he was alright, he was still very pale.

Admittedly, I was still exhausted too. My muscles ached and I had quite a few wounds that could use some care before we left.

We went back and forth for a while until finally, we decided we would need to leave this place in three days. That would be more than enough time to rest and ready ourselves for the next half of this mission.

The Alpha of Red Stone recommended that we should go with him to his Pack. He assured us that we would be safe from any soldiers and invited us to stay as long as we wanted until we recovered.

It was a tempting offer, but we knew we couldn’t take it. We needed to go back to Wegalla and deal with the chaos there.

Rayden insisted that he would come with us, but Asher commanded him to go to Red Stone and remain there until he was fully recovered. Rayden seemed reluctant, but Asher reminded him that even if he took the three days to rest, his condition would be too poor for him to travel back to Wegalla, and Wild Crawler couldn’t lose its Alpha.

with

After she was given the option to stay or go, Helene decided that she would go the Alpha of Red Stone. She didn’t want to get herself in trouble and she wasn’t a citizen of Wegalla.

“I have no place there,” she mused. “I need to figure out my next step, so Red Stone seems like the rational option.”

She then presented the idea of taking Lila with her, which surprised me greatly. She explained that she liked the little girl very much and considered her to be a friend. She swore she would take care of her as if she were her own.

While it was a surprise, when I saw the glittering twinkle in Helene’s caramel brown eyes, I knew Lila would be in good hands.

Once that was settled, I advised Erika to go with Helene. Anemond would be too dangerous and I didn’t want to risk my dear friend to get hurt. Erika was like a mother to me. I couldn’t lose her when things were so precarious.

As for Finnick, I wasn’t sure what to do. I couldn’t make a decision. I knew I shouldn’t leave him behind, but I was worried about what could happen if he came with us. Just as I feared Erika’s safety, I feared

my son’s too, so I decided I needed to have a discussion with him. He was such a young boy, but he was mature

O

beyond his years, so I knew he would understand if I explained things to him.

Once our meeting was over, one of Rayden’s men came over and told me that Raven had woken up. The sorceress had apparently refused to eat, drink, or say anything aside from wanting to see me.

I was annoyed at the interruption but decided to see her anyway. I wasn’t too pleased with the young woman, but I had brought her with us for a reason.

When I entered the room she’d been placed in, Raven’s eyes lit up and trailed over

1. me.

“Cassandra!” she practically shouted. “Look at you! You’re a great sorceress now! How do you feel? I’ve heard that great sorceresses can predict their own fates. I bet you feel amazing, huh? You should thank me for that, because without my brilliant idea, Kaleb would never have known how to cultivate your potential.”

I stared at her coldly. “Could that terrible fire really be called a brilliant idea?”

She nodded manically. “Without the fire, you never would have been able to connect with your past, your painful memories… Your potential was linked to your bad memories, Cassandra. You needed to see them. The method may have been unorthodox, but it was brilliant nonetheless.”

As irritation swelled within me, I fought the urge to hit her.

“What do you want?” I asked her coldly. “I was told you refuse to eat or drink. Do you want to die?”

Raven tilted her head slightly. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question? Why did you bring me here, Cassandra? Do you want to torture me like we did to the guinea pigs? Or do you plan to dismember my body and see what a sorceress would be like on the inside? I know you’re a healer, so the research could be-”

“I don’t have twisted interests like you,” I cut her off before she could continue and I stifled a snarl. “I want you to tell me how to command the magic within me. I haven’t been able to control my newfound power freely and I want to learn how.”

“And why should I do that?” Raven wondered and she rolled her pretty eyes in

annoyance.

“Because your life is in my hands,” I replied, and then I extended my nails into claws and narrowed my eyes at her. “If you don’t want to die, you’d better cooperate. And you better not play any tricks or attempt to fool me, Raven. I can assure you that if you try to cross me, I’ll slit your throat without hesitation.