Ch. 56..60: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 56-60

Chapter 56 He needs alcohol

ASHER

“What’s the matter, Asher?” Adalyn demanded as she followed me into my study. “What exactly has gotten into you tonight?”

I fought back a groan as I approached one of the leather couches in the corner. Alcohol had plagued me just a little and my head swam with a mixture of drunkenness and agitation.

“Nothing is wrong,” I sighed as a heavy exhale escaped me “Go back to the banquet, Adalyn. I just need some time alone-”

“Time alone?” Adalyn repeated back in confusion and she shook her head. “Time alone for what, Asher? We have guests downstairs to entertain, in case. you’ve forgotten. We’re supposed to be welcoming the king of Yurene and his diplomats. I don’t think this is making too great of an impression of Wegalla.”

“Don’t tell me what I’m doing wrong,” I managed to say as my head pounded angrily. “I’m fully aware of what’s going on down there. I don’t think our guests care if I step away for a moment-”

“I bet Ca ssandra Keller cares,” my wife blurted out, and I whipped around to glare at her.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I challenged her.

“You seem to care a little too much about that healer and what she thinks,” she

seethed, and she crossed her arms against her chest. “I don’t understand what’s going on with you. You’ve never lost control like that in public, not ever. What was that little outburst in the banquet hall about?”

As Adalyn’s golden eyes shot daggers in my direction, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was right..

Did I care too much about Ca ssandra Keller and her whereabouts?

“I just… I don’t care for the king of Yurene,” I remarked as I fought to find an explanation. “Something about him doesn’t sit right with me. He’s arrogant, lofty…”

As my words trailed off, Adalyn remained silent but continued to glare at me angrily. As she continued to watch me, Kane’s words sparked back in my mind. Was my stepbrother right? Was she jealous?

“You should go back to the banquet,” I advised her with a wave of my hand. “I’ll see you later-”

“No,” Adalyn cut me off, and she took a step toward me. “I would rather stay here with you-”

As she advanced closer, I instinctively took a step back. Her hand raised like she was going to reach out toward me, but I rebuffed her. Adalyn’s red-painted lower lip trembled and for a moment, she looked as if she was going to cry, but then

she raised her chin slightly.

“know you brought back that woman because she’s a capable healer,” she said. “But I have a feeling that there’s more to the story than that. I think you’ve either crossed a line or you’re toeing the edge. Whatever the truth is… I think Marco would be very disappointed if you had any sort of relations with her.”

“Relations…” I murmured and then I turned away.

Adalyn was no stranger to these kinds of accusations. Whenever a woman even tried to hold my attention, even just a simple conversation, Adalyn threw a fit and tried to play at my emotions by bringing up Marco. Sometimes, she even brought Marco with her, as if his presence was going to further any suspected guilt.

Normally, I would find some kind of way to assure her or cast aside these. accusations. But tonight, I was exhausted. My head was throbbing with pain and my entire body ached.

“You know, Asher, Marco often asks me why we don’t live together,” Adalyn pressed when I didn’t respond, and when I glanced over at her, her eyes were

narrowed. “He wants to know why his mother and father aren’t close, why we don’t stay in the same room. To be honest, I don’t quite understand either, Asher…”

As she continued on, I began to tune out her words. All I could focus on was the pounding in my head and the soreness of my limbs. Finally, I rubbed my thumb against my temples and sighed.

“I’ll speak with Marco,” I said. “He’s a grown-up now. He should understand-”

“We’re married, Asher!” Adalyn blurted out. “I don’t understand why you forget that sometimes. We’re married!”

Tears sprang out of her eyes. Had it been anyone else, I may have softened. But my heart had hardened toward Adalyn a long time ago.

“Yes, we’re married,” I said coldly.

“So why haven’t I been made your Luna?” Adalyn demanded. “Why am I not the queen of Wegalla and why haven’t you taken me as your mate? Marriage isn’t enough. I want to be your mate!”

It was true. Though Adalyn and I were married, I hadn’t taken her as my own in a real sense. We’d had the ceremony, but I hadn’t recognized her in the ways that

mattered.

Five years ago, after my engagement to Cora had been cut off, everyone had wanted her to be sentenced to death. Adalyn’s father was the one who’d insisted that if Cora didn’t die after her family had been sentenced, she’d affect me too much as her mate. I’d constantly feel the pangs of her emotions and they’d affect my ability to rule.

That’s when Adalyn had appeared with a plan. She told me that if we became engaged instead, her father would believe that I had forgotten Cora altogether and -leave her alone completely. That would buy me some time to investigate and try to

scrub away the Felix family’s guilt. Adalyn said that this plan was to help out her best friend Cora. If we didn’t get engaged and pull attention away from Cora, things. would go south.

So, I went through with the idea.

But then, Cora perished in the fire.

After that, I’d considered breaking off the engagement. I had no use for it any longer. But then Marco had appeared and he needed a mother. So, I married Adalyn and we became the boy’s parents.

But I would never think of Adalyn as anything more than that. As far as I was concerned, she would never be the Luna of this Pack or the queen of Wegalla. I couldn’t trust her and I certainly didn’t love her.

“I want you to at least think of Marco,” Adalyn pleaded.

“You’ll always be Marco’s mother,” I said. “And you’ll be my wife. But that’s all I’ll respect you as, Adalyn.”

Her eyes glimmered angrily and she opened her mouth to speak, but instead, she shook her head slowly. For a moment, I thought she was going to breathe fire, but then I spoke.

“Stay away from Ca ssandra Keller,” I warned her. “She is none of your concern.

Before she could say another word, I waved her on. “You’re dismissed. Return to the party, Adalyn.”

She shook her head but didn’t fight me. As she stormed out of the office, I

called out for one of my se rvants.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” he said as he entered the room. “How may I be of assistance to you?”

“I need you to bring me some wine,” I ordered as I finally slouched onto the leather sofa. I was in need of further distraction tonight.

 

Chapter 57 The North King’s offer

CA SSANDRA

My heart beat like a hummingbird’s wings as I stared at Kaleb. I’d messed up and given myself away, I just knew it.

Much to my surprise, Kaleb didn’t seem to put two and two together and simply continued dancing.

“No wonder you don’t seem like you belong here,” Kaleb remarked with a raised eyebrow. “You look quite uncomfortable here with these… arrogant, upper-class

snobs of Anemond.”

I couldn’t contain myself and a laugh escaped me.

Kaleb frowned. “Did I say something funny?”

“No, no,” I assured him. “No, I’m sorry.”

Truth be told, I didn’t feel uncomfortable in this setting. I used to enjoy the finer things like fancy balls and banquets. I also used to love dancing and having all of the eyes of the room on me as I lost myself in the music.

But I wasn’t Cora anymore and Anemond wasn’t my home. It was a terrifying place where I needed to stay guarded and not let my disguise slip.

The next move in the dance was a spin and Kaleb handled it beautifully. He had a natural rhythm about him that was satisfying to see and even better to witness as his dance partner. The skirt of my dress

flared out with the motion and as the music swelled, a warmth bloomed in me. For the first time in a while… I felt content,

almost.

Thoughts of Asher and his outburst threatened to creep into my mind, but I pushed them away before they could ruin this.

Kaleb’s hands fell to my waist as we turned in time with the music.

“Ca ssandra, would you like to go to the North with me?” he asked abruptly, and my jaw nearly dropped.

“Excuse me?” I asked in shock.

“Would you like to come back with me to Yurene?” he asked again. “The North is nothing like here. You would have more freedom, no worries of kidnapping-”

I was so taken aback that I almost tripped, but Kaleb managed to steady me. In the process, my lips brushed against his cheek lightly. Heat spread to my own and I stepped back. This was getting worse and worse by the second.)

As I fought to find the right words to say, the crowd erupted into applause. I hadn’t realized that the king and I had garnered the attention of the entire banquet hall.

Kaleb smiled brilliantly, his deep blue eyes glittering as he glanced around the room. There was no denying it, he was effortlessly handsome. The candlelight made. his hair look even more golden and his cheeks were flushed a warm pink from the

dance.

His proposal was tempting, but there was no way I could leave.

The king of Yurene gently touched my arm and guided me away from the crowd. Once we were alone in an empty area of the room, he tilted his head and

studied me.

“So?” he asked, and he reached out and ran his large hand through a tendril of my hair. “What do you think?”

I considered my words carefully as panic bloomed within me.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your offer,” I said slowly. “It’s very kind of you to ask me to come to Yurene with you. But I have to stay here in Anemond. I have a job to do as a royal healer and I don’t think the Alpha King would allow me to leave.”

I took a step backward. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to return to my chambers for the evening.”

Kaleb took a step closer, and when he did, the strange smell of his cologne hit my nose. I hadn’t noticed it in the crowd, but now that we were alone, I could detect

I

the scent of roses and something sp icy, peppery almost. It was an unusual fragrance, but still very pleasant.

“I’m not joking about my offer,” he said in a low voice that sent a chill through me. “Please, consider it. I would even discuss it with the Alpha King myself if

must.”

I nodded and forced back the lump in my throat. Before Kaleb could utter another word, I turned on my heels and swiftly walked out of the room. With every step, I could feel myself going faster until I was practically running. This continued until I reached the stairs, and once I was sure no one was following me, I released a sigh and walked at a slower pace.

A heavy sigh escaped me. I hadn’t expected any of this.

What-made Asher leave the banquet hall? And why did Kaleb ask me to go to

Yurene with him?

I smoothed the front of my gown and thought about the dress I’d stained with wine earlier. Though the maid had said they’d clean it, I knew it would be difficult to get such a dark red out of the pale silver fabric. The dress would never be the

same.

My eyes welled up a little. I felt sorry for Erika. She’d been so thrilled and willing to lend me something that meant so much to her and my clumsiness had likely

ruined the dress forever.

The tears streamed down my cheeks and I had to take a moment to breathe. I crouched down over the rail of the stairs as a strange feeling crashed over me. I too was feeling a loss of sorts. This whole evening was a cruel reminder that no matter how much I wanted to be, I would never be Cora Felix again. I could wear the same dress, dine in the same banquet room, dance the same dance… but I couldn’t be Cora again. That life was gone forever and there was nothing I could do about it.

I lingered there on the stairs for a while until I could get myself under control, and once I was more steady, I headed toward my chamber.

The halls were quiet and empty, which I was grateful for. Everyone was still back in the banquet hall, dancing their troubles and cares away while drinking wine.

Suddenly, Asher’s cold expression replayed in my mind. His icy glare from across the table had been so intense that I wasn’t sure if I should say something or apologize.

Before I could make that decision, my body subconsciously guided me toward the Alpha King’s study. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I had to try something.

Adalyn suddenly appeared in the distance. She strode through the hallway quickly and even from my vantage point, I could see she was visibly distressed.

I hid myself in the darkness and placed my hand over my mouth so as to not make any noise. Luckily, Adalyn didn’t notice me at all and walked right past. The hall filled with the sound of her steady so bs as she openly wept.

Something had happened, something bad.

Adalyn disappeared at the end of the corridor, and once she was gone, I rose from my hiding spot and stared down at the door to the Alpha King’s study.

I had no idea what had happened, but I decided it would be best not to visit

Asher or try to apologize tonight.

So, I turned on my heels and headed back to my chamber.

 

Chapter 58 He’s drunk

CA SSANDRA

I was half-asleep when I heard a loud knock on the door. Startled, I sat straight up in bed and caught my breath.

My eyes flew to the clock. It was nearly three in the morning.

Who was at my door this late?

“Who’s there?” I called out just loud enough to not wake Finnick. Luckily, my boy fast asleep and snoring lightly.

was f

When I didn’t get an answer, I pulled myself out of bed and headed toward the door. I was nearly halfway there when I heard another series of knocks. They were more forceful than the first and I felt a mixture of fear and irritation.

I opened the door and when I did, my lips parted in surprise.

It was Asher.

I was about to ask what he was doing here at this hour, but before the words could escape me, the Alpha King rushed into the room, closed the door, and then cornered me against the wall. His steel gray eyes bore into mine with intensity and his breath was hot against my face.

He smelled heavily like liquor.

“Are you drunk?” I asked as my body trembled.

He’simply stared back at me. “What do you care?”

Frustration bloomed within me and I broke eye contact for a moment to collect

myself.

“I don’t,” I blurted out bravely. “But consuming any bit of alcohol, especially in excess, will only further your disease-”

“My disease,” Asher repeated back in a mocking tone and then he chuckled and stared back down at me. He leaned in even closer. “I don’t care about any of that anymore. If I’m doomed to perish from it.”

He steadied himself against the wall and turned away slightly.

“In fact…” he murmured. “I wish it would take me… so I could see my Cora

again.”

It took all of my effort to keep from uttering a sound. No… he couldn’t mean that, could he? Was he really so willing to die, even when he had a family, a wife, a child? I knew that Marco wasn’t his biologically, but did he really care so little about the boy that he was willing to leave him fatherless?

Asher turned back to me and narrowed his eyes.

“Did you know Cora?” he uttered, and before I could say a word, he pressed further. “You must know her. I can see it in your eyes, Ca ssandra. You know more than you’re letting on. Tell me the truth.”

Intors

His tone shifted and became almost cruel, dangerous. He wasn’t Asher Collins, not right now. He was the Alpha King and he was giving an order to a lowly subject.

“Everyone knew Cora,” I managed to say quietly. “All-of Wegalla knew of her. She’s infamous-”

“You’re lying,” Asher cut me off. “I know you are. You know far too much about her than anyone else. I keep finding you in the same places she lingered in, in the same clothes… something isn’t adding up here.”

I stood there, frozen. I hadn’t been careful enough, it seemed. Asher was beyond suspicious of me and my recent actions, and his drunkenness had only furthered his boldness. I knew he wouldn’t stop questioning me until I came up with an explanation.

I

I was trapped.

“Why do you care so much about her?” I shifted the subject from myself. “Coral Felix died five years ago. Why can’t you let her go-”

“So you do know Cora,” he cut me off, ignoring half of my statement. My frustration grew exponentially, but before I could utter another word, the Alpha King pressed his lips firmly against mine.

The motion was so forceful that it took me by surprise. I struggled underneath him and tried to push him away, but Asher’s strength was far greater than mine.

My legs quivered and my body shook.

The Alpha King leaned in and kissed my ear.

“Tell me the truth,” he whispered, and a chill ran through me.

“Please stop,” I begged timidly. “Please.”

Asher pulled away for a moment but maintained his hold on me.

“Is this not what you wanted, Ca ssandra?” he asked in a tone that was both terrifying and utterly sensual, and he lessened the space between us. “I can tell by your heartbeat and the look on your face that you want me. And I want you too.”.

The Alpha King wasn’t wrong by any means. I wanted him more than words. could express, but not like this, not when he was so inebriated and intense. This

was wrong in so many ways.

Asher leaned in to kiss me again, but before he could press his lips against. mine, a high-pitched voice called out from behind us.

“Let my mommy go!”

Asher whipped around instantly, and once he was out of the way, I could see Finnick standing there in his pajamas. His hands were curled into tiny fists at his sides and he glared at the Alpha King as if he were much older than his five years.

Asher chuckled at the boy and released his hold on me. As I rushed away from the wall and headed toward Finnick, my cheeks heated with embarrassment. No. part of me wanted my son to see me like this, in this kind of position.

“I’m okay, honey,” I assured him quietly when I reached his side. “I promise-”

“He looked like he was hurting you, Mommy,” Finnick insisted and his lower lip trembled with fear.

Footsteps rang out behind us, and I turned to see Asher with a strange expression on his face.

“Listen-” the Alpha King began to say, but Finnick didn’t let him say another

word.

“Don’t worry, Mommy,” he said and he stepped in front of me “I’ll protect you.”

As Asher laughed, I reached out and gently touched Finnick’s arm.

“I appreciate it, baby, but everything’s alright,” I lied to him. “The Alpha King and -I were just talking, that’s all.”

Finnick’s gray eyes were full of tears when he turned to look at me. I knew he didn’t believe me, but I had to do something to diffuse the situation. After a moment or two, he eased up and his body language softened.

“How about I tuck you in?” I suggested. “The king and I will go to another room so we don’t wake you up again. How does that sound?”

Finnick glanced over at Asher and then back at me. He contemplated my words for a second and then nodded slowly.

“Okay, Mommy,” he said quietly.

Without another word, I took his hand in mine and started to lead him back over to the bed. It took all of my effort to keep from shaking. All I wanted was to climb in bed with him, close my eyes, and pretend this entire night and the encounter with Asher Collins had never happened.

I helped Finnick back into bed and once he was situated with his favorite. stuffed bear, I tucked the comforters tightly around him.

“Sleep tight,” I said gently, and then I kissed his forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered, and when I stood back up, he closed his eyes.

Asher stood by the door, his arms crossed. His expression was almost sheepish, like he was embarrassed by his actions. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could come out, a scream rang out.

We both jumped in surprise and Asher’s face went stark white.

“It’s Adalyn.”

 

Chapter 59 Viper appears again

CA SSANDRA

I stared at Asher in surprise. Adalyn?

The Alpha King wasted absolutely no time. Without another word, he turned on his heels and rushed out of the room.

“Go to sleep, baby,” I called out to Finnick. “I’ll be back in a while.”

“Okay,” Finnick replied, but his sleepy tone dripped with confusion. “Mommy, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, honey, but I have to go check,” I said as my hands began to shake at my sides. “I love you.”

As Finnick mumbled back a tired response, I followed Asher out the door. The Alpha King-had managed to cover quite a bit of distance during my exchange with my son, but I was able to catch up to him on the staircase.

“It sounded like it came from the garden,” Asher blurted when I arrived. “I don’t know what she would be doing there at this hour…”

His gray eyes flashed with urgency and though his gait was a little sta ggered from the alcohol, he remained steadier than expected. Meanwhile, I was thoroughly panicked and just as confused as he was.

What had caused his wife to scream at this hour?

Asher barely seemed to notice me as we hurried toward the garden, but I didn’t mind much. I was here only as a healer, not for any other reason. If Adalyn or someone else was hurt, I needed to be in attendance..

Once we reached the garden, I was surprised to see the mass of people gathered around. Everyone was speaking at frantic paces and staring on in the

distance..

At the center of the garden near a tall rose bush, Adalyn stood with her

parents. Her mother, Linda, had her arms wrapped around her, and her face was as pale as the moonlight above us. Her eyes were distant and a little glazed and tears streamed down her cheeks.

I followed the direction of her gaze and let out a small gasp of surprise.

There, lying on the ground was a viper.

I then noticed Kaleb was also there. The king of Yurene appeared less shocked than the others and when my eyes flew to his hands, I noticed they were covered in blood.

From his proximity to Adalyn and the trail of blood on the ground, it seemed that he had been the one to kill the beast.

Asher stood there in shock for a moment and then he rushed to Adalyn’s side.

“Were you bitten?” he asked and she shook her head. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she managed. “N-no Iwasn’t.”

Beyond us, Oliver Moses approached Kaleb. His stern face was just as colorless as the others and his body was as stiff as a board. He offered the king of Yurene his

hand.

“Thank you for saving my daughter,” he said, and then he glanced over at Lindal and Adalyn. “If it weren’t for you… well, I don’t want to think about what may have happened.”

“Of course,” Kaleb said simply, and he accepted the Beta’s handshake. Once -they were finished, Oliver glanced over at Adalyn and Linda.

“If it’s alright with you, Your Majesty, I think it would be best for us to escort Adalyn back to her chambers,” he sighed, and he ran his hand through his thick dark hair. “I think she needs some rest.”

“I think that’s for the best,” Asher agreed, and his eyes fell back to Adalyn. His. expression was somewhere between guilty and alarmed and I watched him force. back a gulp as he touched her arm. The pair exchanged glances, and after Adalyn began to sniffle, Oliver and Linda moved in closer and helped steady their daughter.

As they escorted Adalyn away, Asher turned to the crowd of people that lingered. All fell silent as he cleared his throat.

“Everyone go back to your rooms at once,” he ordered, and without another word, the crowd left until it was only Kaleb, Asher, and I.

Despite the circumstances, Kaleb was in good spirits and stared at the snake.

with an almost amused look.

“Of all of the things to come across in Anemond,” he said as he crossed his arms. “I never expected a viper. What an odd surprise, especially at an hour like

this.”

Asher’s expression darkened and for a moment, I thought he was going to get angry with the king of Yurene. Like me, I’m sure he was wondering what had happened exactly, but instead of taking his frustration out, he simply sighed and glanced at the viper.

“Is that the same kind of viper that attacked me days ago?” he asked me directly as he gestured at the snake.

Heat spread through my cheeks and I immediately crouched down and inspected the body of the dead viper. I needed to stop acting like a bystander and act more like a healer.

“I don’t know,” I admitted as I turned the beast over and examined its scales. “It looks quite similar though. I’d need to get it to the lab and run some tests on it to be

sure.”

“A viper attacked you?” Kaleb asked Asher with a raised eyebrow and when the Alpha King nodded, he frowned. “Were you bitten?”

“Yes,” Asher answered, his steel gaze still on the viper.

Kaleb’s head tilted to the side and stared at the snake as well.

“I don’t understand,” he mused. “How could an animal such as a snake bite an Alpha? Sure they are fast, but werewolf kings are faster.”

“He was trying to save me,” I explained quietly.

It was true. Asher wouldn’t have been bitten if he wasn’t trying to keep me out

of harm’s way and I still felt a touch of guilt over the whole affair.

The king of Yurene’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he offered me a strange smile. It was a little smug, a little amused, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret

1.

As I rose to my feet and dusted my hands off on my nightgown, Asher turned to the guard perched at the garden’s gate.

“Send the viper to Healer Cas sandra’s lab,” he ordered. “And then check the garden thoroughly. I want to make sure no more of them are hiding around.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard said obediently, and then he offered the Alpha King a small bow of respect.

As the guard sprang into action, I stared down at the viper and concern

crashed over me.

Though my hypothesis hadn’t been fully formed, I’d figured Margaret had something to do with the vipers, and by default, so did the Moses family. But if that were the case, why had Adalyn been attacked? And why were there vipers near the

palace anyway?

Vipers normally didn’t release their venom except for in the vicinity of prey, but if this one had been enchanted or trained, perhaps the rules were different. Were these vipers trained to attack anyone they came into contact with or were their

attacks calculated?

Marco, Asher, and now Adalyn.

What was going on here and how could we put a stop to this mess before anyone else got hurt?

Kaleb interrupted my train of thought when he suddenly cleared his throat.

“I don’t know much about snakes,” he offered in his heavy accent. “But I do know one thing. Although snakes usually move alone, they prefer living together.”

“So?” Asher sighed impatiently.

“So,” Kaleb continued, and he shook his head slowly. “If one snake has been found near the palace… there must be a snake pit somewhere in the vicinity.”

Chapter 60 Mysterious box

CA SSANDRA

“I got the test result, Ca ssy!” Becky exclaimed with excitement as she rushed into the lab the next day. I’d been half-asleep at my desk and close to nodding off when my assistant walked in, and I quickly regained my composure so she wouldn’t notice just how exhausted I was.

Between the encounter with Asher and the situation with the snake in the garden, I’d gotten very little sleep and was feeling a little ghostlike.

“Oh?” I managed to say, and I swept my long hair out of my face and pulled it up into a high bun. “What does it say?”

Becky glanced down at the stack of papers in her hand and quickly, her excitement turned to concern.

say?”

“Becky?” Lprompted her again when she didn’t say anything. “What does it

“It says it wasn’t Udosyn,” she said quietly, and her lips curled into a frown. “And it wasn’t the same venom that we’d extracted from the vipers that had bitten Prince

Marco and the Alpha King.”

This time, it was my turn to frown.

No matter what happened around here, it always seemed to be incredibly complicated and confusing.

I considered the information for a moment as Becky handed me the results. If the vipérs had been raised by someone, as I’d suspected, we would have found Udosyn in this one’s body. But the results

on the paper said otherwise. The facts simply didn’t line up with my hypothesis.

“Can you check to see if the venom matches with any possible venom in the

records?” I asked.

Becky nodded and I handed the papers back to her. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. A headache was beginning to build and all I wanted was to go back to sleep. But this was something that couldn’t wait. We had to uncover the mystery of this string of viper attacks before the next one struck.

We got to work right away, and as we threw ourselves into research, I found myself watching Becky. This job was grueling and required so much attention and patience. Becky had both, but she’d never been a healer before, which I found, curious.

Before I could stop the question from leaving my lips, I found myself blurting it.

aloud.

nose.

Becky looked up from her research and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her

“Well…” she trailed off. “I just never passed the examination for royal healers. I suppose it just wasn’t in the cards for me.”

The moment the words hit my ears, I knew they were a lie. Becky was incredibly intelligent and hard- working. She often surprised me with just how much she knew about different subjects and she spoke about them so passionately. Her heart and her mind were in it, so why wasn’t she in a higher position than a laboratory assistant?

When she went back to her books, a thought entered my mind. Becky wasn’t from a prestigious family. Anemond was nothing if not nepotistic and uppity when it came to those who were appointed to higher- up positions. Of course, a young woman like her wouldn’t be considered qualified in the eyes of the other royal

healers.

I remembered the way the chief royal healer had looked at Asher when he’d appointed me to the position. There had been so much contempt and confusion.

It wasn’t fair. Becky deserved to work in a position that suited her

qualifications. Hopefully one day, I’d be able to sway Asher into making her a royal

healer.

The hours passed by quickly. I wasn’t making any sort of progress and I found my mind wandering. Between Asher and Kaleb, I had a lot on my mind and all I wanted was to sleep.

Becky cleared her throat and interrupted my daydream.

“Ca ssandra?” she called out and she gestured to the papers with the lab, results. “I have some bad news.”

“Oh no,” I murmured as I looked her way.

“The venom in the viper isn’t matching up with anything,” Becky said bleakly, and she let out a small sigh. “I don’t understand. How are none of these beasts. related to anything? Or even to each other? I don’t understand what’s going on here. In all of my time in Anemond, I’ve never encountered anything like this.”

“I hadn’t in Wild Crawler either,” I offered as my head throbbed. “Even though we were deep into the woods, we hardly ever encountered vipers like this.”

“It’s all so strange,” Becky remarked as she sat down in her chair. “I don’t get it. Where did these snakes come from?”

“I wish I knew,” I said, and I meant every word. I still had so much research to conduct about Asher’s illness and this snake hunt was taking my energy away from it. I only had so much allotted time to solve the mystery and I didn’t want to waste any time. Finnick and I needed to leave Anemond behind for good and the only way to do that was to cure the Alpha King.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

“The royal library,” I whispered to myself and then I turned to Becky. “I found an interesting book the last time I was in the library. I wonder if it would be of any help.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Becky said with a shrug. “We could take all of the help we could get.”

I stood up from my desk and gathered up a could of notebooks and some pens.

I

I stuffed them into my backpack and then turned to my assistant.

“Keep digging here and I’ll look in the library,” I said. Becky nodded and then I left the lab and headed toward the library.

Once I got there, the librarian greeted me warmly.

“Healer Ca ssandra,” she said as stood up from her desk. “Welcome back.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “Would you mind letting me into the restricted room? | need to conduct some more research and pick up where I left off the other day.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

She led me back

to the room and unlocked the door for me. Once she left, I wasted no time and picked out an assortment of books.

I spent the rest of the day sorting through them, particularly the one I’d found last time. Though there were many poisons recorded in the book, there was nothing noteworthy about their features and traits that I could use to compare them to the poison of the snake.

After a while, I reached my limit and started to give up. I filed the books back to where I’d found them, and just as I was about to leave, I noticed a large wooden box where I’d found them, and just as I was ab in the corner. I approached it curiously. It was made of black wood and had some intricate carvings I couldn’t make out across the top. Most importantly, it was locked with an enormous gold lock.

When the librarian walked by, I pulled her aside.

“Are there any books in this box?” I wondered.

The librarian frowned at the box and slowly shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve never opened it before and I don’t think my predecessor did either. He never mentioned anything about it in the many years he served as head librarian. I have always been curious about it though.”

As I stared at the box, I got a strange feeling. Something was suspicious about that box, I just knew it.