Ch. 76..80: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 76-80

Chapter 76 The Scar

CA SSANDRA

I awoke with a start. My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath and once my vision adjusted to the low light, I realized I was staring into Asher’s steel-gray eyes. Startled, I nearly jumped out of my bed.

As I blinked and looked around, I realized I wasn’t in mine at all.

What was going on?

What had happened to me?

“Ca ssandra,” Asher said softly in surprise. “You’re awake.”

We were in a sp acious room I’d never seen before. The furnishings were extravagant and fine, from the golden-threaded rug on the dark floors to the intricate tapestry hung on the emerald-painted walls. Soft embers glowed from the fireplace on the far end of the room and provided warmth and a light glow. Every surface gleamed and sparkled, and I admired the warm comforter on the bed.

Yet, I couldn’t relax, not when I had no idea what was going on. I pulled myself out of bed and offered the Alpha King a small bow of respect.

“Y-your M-majesty,” I stammered as my head swam with slight dizziness.

As Asher studied me with a strange expression, I became aware of the thin pajamas I’d been dressed in. I didn’t recognize the purple silky fabric from my closet.

Where had it come from?

And how had it gotten on my body?

I became highly aware that I wasn’t wearing a bra, and I fought the urge to cross my arms against my chest. Had Asher changed me out of the suit and gas

mask? Had he seen me naked?

“Erika helped you dress,” he said quietly, and then his lips curled into a smirk. The Alpha King was obviously amused by my state of panic.

“Your clothes were covered in dust and all kinds of grime from that basement,” he continued. “So I had Erika bring some clothes up for you.”

I nodded as the information reached me.

The basement.

The assailant.

The Udosyn.

My head began to throb and I nearly fell over.

“Ca ssandra, sit down,” Asher ordered and he gestured to the bed. “You’re in no state to be standing. You’ve been through too much.”

“I’m fine-” I started to say, but before I could protest further, the Alpha King stood up from the chair beside the bed and rushed over to me. He took my arm and began to lead me. Before I knew it, I was tucked back under the soft covers.

די

“Thank you,” I murmured, and then I offered him a smile.

“I know it would probably feel better to be in your own bed,” Asher offered. “But I heard that Margaret tried taking you away this morning and I didn’t want to cause any further trouble. So, I brought you here in my chamber so no one could interfere with your rest.”

“Your chamber?” I gulped, and heat spread to my cheeks. This gorgeous room, with its high ceilings, arched window, and sp acious bed was Asher’s? It made sense but I couldn’t help but feel strange about laying in his bed.

“Yes,” he said without sk ipping a beat. “I wanted you to be safe.”

The explanation was strange and made me feel off. Of all of the rooms that Asher could have taken me to, why did he choose his private chamber? And what of Erika? What would she think of this strange arrangement?

I thought of Finnick, but I was certain that if he was under Erika’s care, he was

more than safe.

“Do you feel any better?” he prompted me.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure how true that was. I was still vastly shaken after everything that had happened.

“What happened in that basement?” Asher asked gently. “When we found you… things were strange, and they only got stranger. Why were you on the ground? And who left you there? You mentioned a man.”

I took a long, deep breath, and then explained everything. As I described the man, the bottles of poison, the snakes, and the books on the table, Asher’s face. grew grim. He nodded as I continued on,

and once I got to the part about the strange door and the hidden passageway, his mouth set in a thin line.

“The guards found the door,” he said. “When they pressed the button, a few of them went inside to investigate. The passage led to an underground tunnel, which seemed to connect with the sewer system. We couldn’t find out where he went, but at least we know all of that is down there.”

“Are the guards okay?” I wondered. “The ones who’d been bitten by the vipers?”

“Don’t worry about them,” Asher replied, and he leaned forward in his chair. “Becky found a cure for them. They were just normal viper bites, so they were treated accordingly.”

“Oh, good,” I said, and relief crashed over me. Thank goodness they were alright. I knew that my assistant had been more than capable, but I couldn’t help but worry about my patients.

I shifted my thoughts to the vipers and frowned.

“The viper that attacked you in the garden was probably raised in that house,” I realized. “Since the bottle i found said it was Udosyn.”

“It’s possible,” Asher agreed. “We’re looking into it now. I’ve launched an investigation. We’re going to figure out who’s behind all of this.”

“Good,” I remarked.

The room fell into silence for a moment. I wasn’t sure what else to say. I studied the tapestry in the distance as I waited for the right words to come to me, and when I looked back at Asher, I detected a strange look on his face.

“I had the royal healers examine you earlier,” he remarked as his eyes trailed over me. “They said everything was okay and that you just need some rest.”

“Thank you for arranging that,” I said politely. “That was very kind of you to have me examined.”

I was about to say something else when suddenly, Asher rose to his feet. He approached the bed and loomed over me..

What was happening?

I stiffened in place as he climbed up on the mattress and arranged his body over me. Her rested his lean yet muscular arms on either side of me. His broad chest eclipsed me, and we grew so close that I could feel the sweetness of his breath against my cheek. My heart raced and my body shuddered in anticipation.

I was cornered.

The Alpha King leaned in closer still, his soft, dark brown hair creating a curtain around our faces.

“Though the healer said there was nothing wrong with your body, I noticed something interesting,” he said, his voice so low it was nearly a whisper. A shiver traveled up my spine. “I need an answer from you, Ca ssandra.”

I inhaled through trembling breath.

“What?” I whispered as my body broke out in chills.

The Alpha King paused and then brought his face to my ear. His hair tickled my cheek and sweat broke out over my body as he whispered back.

“There’s a large scar on your inner thigh. If you could tell me where you got it from, I’d be most grateful.”

Chapter 77 Her explanation

CA SSANDRA

I gulped involuntarily and searched my mind for the right words to say. The scar on my inner thigh? I knew the mark all too well, but I’d never expected Asher to see

1.

How had it come about? Had I been undressed for the royal healers? Had he stayed here to watch Erika change my clothing?

I felt a little violated, but at the same time, there was a strange feeling knowing that Asher had seen my body like that.

As I trembled, a puff of air came out of Asher’s nose. He lifted away from me and the air suddenly grew a little colder around us. The Alpha King seemed to be suppressing a laugh, but his lips were still curled into an amused expression.

“I didn’t mean to see it,” he revealed. “I wasn’t purposefully looking there. But your maid let out a small gasp when she noticed it and I was worried that something was wrong, so I went to check.”

Suddenly, the smile left his expression and he studied me seriously.

“Ca ssandra, where did you get such a scar like that?” he asked, and my heart pounded in my chest.

The truth was going to be too impossible to explain.

The scar that ran all the way up my inner thigh had come about when I was Cora.

It had been my first time entering the hunting zone of the forest. I’d been extremely nervous but also incredibly excited. Unfortunately for me, I’d been too excited to really pay attention. Little did I know, there’d been a notice placed. outside of the forest that mentioned the traps that had been set within the hunting

zone. The traps were meant to capture some of the many beasts that lived within the woods, one that would bring harm if they made it out of the forest.

I’d been too careless to read the notice. I was too preoccupied with my excitement for the hunt to pay attention to the things I should have.

I made it out into the hunting zone and found myself running at full speed when I suddenly tripped. I flew through the air and fell right into one of the elaborate

traps.

The wound on my leg had been incredibly deep, so much so, that despite a werewolf’s natural ability to heal, a long, gnarly-looking scar was left.

Even when I’d sustained my burns and then been treated by Emmett, the scar had still remained.

I was so used to the sight of it that I rarely thought about it. But now… now it was a cause for suspicion.

Asher had seen the scar before, back when I was Cora. He’d seen every inch of me back then. He’d even kissed it before, when we were young and deeply in love. I’d always been so self-conscious about the scar, but he’d told me that it was beautiful. That I was beautiful. His voice back then had been so sincere and kind that I truly began to accept all of my faults, even such a nasty scar.

As the Alpha King stared at me now, I wanted to tell him everything. Every inch of me wanted to give into the impulse and stand on top of this bed and announce that I wasn’t in fact Ca ssandra Keller, but

actually Cora Felix. I wanted to proclaim that I was once the woman he’d vowed to share his life with and watch his face light up when he realized it was me.

I was tired of hiding my real identity from him.

I was ready to let go.

But I couldn’t.

There were too many factors keeping me from revealing the truth, and the most

important one was Finnick. I couldn’t risk his safety any more than I already was. There was too great of a chance that he would get hurt.

So, I took a long, deep breath, and did my best to remain calm. I had to play this a certain way if I didn’t want to give away my real identity.

“Ca ssandra?” Asher prompted me with narrowed eyes. “Are you going to

answer me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied, and I quickly came up with an excuse. “Sort of. It’s a story not worth getting into, honestly. The wound reminds me of bad times and I’d rather not get into it-”

“I asked you for

dancing around such a ssandra,” he practically growled. “Why are you

dancing around such a simple question?”

I gulped.

“I sustained it when I was young,” I said carefully, and after I glanced at the ground, I stared directly into Asher’s eyes. “It was an accident, you see.'”

“An accident,” Asher repeated back, and his eyes narrowed further. “Go on.”

I

an

“Yes,” I replied. “It happened to me when I was out traveling. It’s super common to get injured when you’re constantly moving around as a nomad. In fact, I was pretty clumsy. Managed to fall and hurt myself pretty badly. The scar is just a remnant of an accident. It never healed correctly and probably will always remain a blemish.”

The Alpha King remained silent and watched me. I did my best to sustain his gaze, but after a while, it was no use. I had to look away.

I had never been a good liar, even when I was a child. These days, all I did was lie, and they were beginning to stack up. With every falcity I told, there was another I needed to create to support it. I was tired of all of this pretending.

As I studied the tapestry again, I could feel Asher watching me. He was still so suspicious, I knew it, and I didn’t know how to handle this. Would he call me on my

bluff? Tell me he remembered the scar that he’d kissed so long ago? Would he reveal that he’d known my identity this whole time and was just waiting for the right. moment to say so?

When I gathered up the courage to do so, I turned back to the Alpha King. I waited for him to press further, but much to my surprise, he didn’t make any such demands. Asher straightened his posture and released a sigh.

“I see,” he remarked simply.

He stretched his arms above his head and rolled his shoulders back. As he took a long, deep breath, it took all of my effort to keep from sighing in relief. I’d miraculously gotten away with it, at least for now.

Though I still wasn’t feeling my best, I considered leaving and heading back to my own chambers. I liked the idea of sleeping in my own bed and checking to make sure that Finnick was alright after all. Finnick was probably at least a little worried about me. I had no idea what I would tell him had happened, but I’d come up with

something on the way there.

Just as I was about to swing my legs over and climb out of the bed, I noticed Asher’s bare forearm. The Alpha King had rolled up the sleeves of his dark gray

shirt.

I gasped in surprise when I saw it.

There, running down the length of his exposed skin, was a deep black mark.

Chapter 78 Marks grew quickly

ASHER

As much as I needed her to, Ca ssandra wouldn’t tell me the truth. As I stared into her deep green eyes, I could see the stubbornness within. Cora had been stubborn as well, completely defiant. Once she had made her decision, no one was able to change her mind, even if it was for her own well-being.

Along with the stubbornness was a touch of fear. That small glint of it bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I didn’t want Ca ssandra Keller to fear me. In fact, it

was the last thing in the world I wanted.

Even if she didn’t want to tell me the truth, there were other ways of finding out. what I’d already begun to assume. We could conduct genetic testing. A few strands of her long, copper hair were more than enough to be sufficient.

If the royal healers didn’t seem trustworthy enough to conduct the research. themselves, I could seek out other resources. I would do anything I could to find out the truth of the healer’s identity.

Of course, even if I got the proof I needed to determine that Ca ssandra was in fact Cora Felix, what happened next? Could she tell me what happened five years ago? Or would she just run away and vanish again from my life?

There were no guarantees for how the exchange would go.

I felt unease swelling in my heart. As much as I wanted to charge head-on into the issue, I needed to take things slow.

As Ca ssandra rose from the bed, I thought she was going to up and leave entirely. However, the moment that her gaze reached my exposed arm, her lovely eyes widened and she stared at me in horror.

“The marks,” she gasped. “How… how have they spread so quickly?”

I followed her gaze to my arm and suddenly felt my forehead break out in sweat. I hadn’t intended for her to see the marks that’d recently spread toward my

wrist.

“It’s nothing,” I remarked as I yanked the sleeve of my shirt back down. “Don’t worry about it.”

“It sure doesn’t look like nothing!” Ca ssandra exclaimed, and she climbed off of the bed and rushed over to me. The healer took my arm and yanked the sleeve back up. I winced slightly, but tried to play it off.

“Look, it’s not as bad as it seems,” I tried to brush her off. “It’s gotten a little worse over the past few days… but honestly, aside from the headache, I’m fine-”

“You must certainly aren’t fine!” she retorted, and her eyebrows furrowed together in complete annoyance. “This isn’t good. If the mark has already spread…”

Her voice trailed off as she examined me, and my lips curled into a frown. Why was she reacting in this way? I was no worse off than I’d been a week ago, mark

aside.

Suddenly, I recognized the look on her face. Ca ssandra’s expression was fearful. As she pulled my arm closer to her, I noticed that her eyes were wet with moisture. Was she… crying? Over me?

“It wasn’t this serious the last time we did a health check,” she said quietly, and when she met my eyes, I nodded.

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“Things have been so busy,” I murmured. “I wasn’t sure what to say. But I won’t lie to you any longer. I think the disease is spreading, Ca ssandra. Rapidly.”

The healer’s face grew pale. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and her lower lip trembled. For a moment, I thought she was going to dissolve into s obs. But instead, she concentrated on the mark.

I

“I think we need to resume our health checks,” she stated plainly and

professionally. “We need to get a handle on this and I need to keep working on my research. We have to find you a cure.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

As I studied her, I found myself a little… amused. It was strange to see that the

healer was so worried about me.

“Have the marks spread to any other parts of your body besides the arm?” Ca ssandra asked, and her eyes locked on mine. Her gaze was steady, and I had to admit, her big, doe-like eyes were drawing me in. She was so immensely beautiful, even when she seemed so concerned about my health and wellbeing.

“You… could always check for yourself,” I said slowly. For a moment, I couldn’t even believe my own audacity. Had those words really left my lips? Had I just dared

I

the beautiful healer to give me a thorough examination?

Ca ssandra seemed a little taken aback. She dropped my arm and then took a small step back. Her eyes remained locked on mine and I watched as she took a

small breath.

As she stepped back, I took a step closer. I knew what I was about to do wasn’t my best idea, but my pull to her was magnetic.

I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers. The healer was surprised by this and started to move away, but I placed my hand on her lower back and drew

her closer.

I wanted her. More than I’d ever wanted just about anyone. My body craved her mere presence and even being this far away from her wasn’t enough. I needed to

consume her.

Ca ssandra stopped fighting it and pressed her lips against mine. I was impressed by the force and a small moan escaped me as she wrapped her arms. around my neck.

I brought my hand up and gently pulled at her hair. She sighed, a good sign.

With this blessing in mind, I guided her to the bed and lifted her up onto the mattress. She sat down and then wrapped her legs around me for support. A shiver ran through me. I gripped one of her thighs and squeezed. She gasped and then pressed her lips against me even stronger. When I gently bit down on her lower lip, she groaned.

“Do you like that?” I whispered, and when she nodded, I did it again, only stronger. Ca ssandra moaned breathily, and the moment that the sound reached my ears, heat spread through my body. I ran my thumb over her thigh and brought my hand higher up. Just as it hovered dangerously close, I pulled away slightly and stared into her eyes.

It was obvious then that Ca ssandra Keller wanted me just as much as I wanted her. Her lips were red and swollen and her long, copper hair was tangled. Even in the low light of the room, I could see her cheeks were rosy with color. The sight of her like this was almost too much for me to bear. Her perfume filled my nose with its sweet scent and I wanted to give in to this intoxication.

I pressed my lips against hers again, and just as I slipped my tongue into her mouth, I heard a sound from the other side of the door.

“Prince Marco, I’m afraid you can’t go inside!” a guard’s mu ffled voice called out.

“Prince Marco! Prince Marco-”

I pulled away from Ca ssandra and my heart dropped.

“Daddy!” Marco cried, and before I could reply or stop him, the door flew open.

 

Chapter 79 Complicated mystery

CA SSANDRA

Though we managed to untangle from one another and separate just in time for the prince to enter the room, I could tell the boy wasn’t happy to see me as he ran to his father. I could pretend our moment hadn’t happened, but it was clear that Marco suspected at least something. The prince’s eyes narrowed as they fell on me, and I did my best to smile and remain calm.

“What are you doing?” he demanded and he glanced between Asher and me. “Why wouldn’t the guard let me in right away?”

“What we’re doing is none of your business,” Asher said firmly, and then he raised his chin. “Besides, Marco, I’ve told you countless times before. I didn’t hear a knock. It’s impolite to enter anyone’s room without express permission. You didn’t wait for me to reply.”

The young prince’s eyes dropped to the ground and he audibly gulped.

“Sorry, Daddy,” he murmured.

“Now, why are you here?” Asher asked directly.

Marco raised his gaze and peeked at me. His cheeks darkened he gulped again. He clearly wasn’t about to say anything, not with me around.

It was definitely time for me to leave.

I straightened myself out and then presented the Alpha King with a polite bow of respect.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Majesty,” I said in my most professional tone. “For the health check, of course.”

“Of course,” Asher replied, and after we exchanged a brief look, I took a breath

and then headed toward the chamber door. With every step, my body shook, but I managed to step out of the room just in time.

As the doors closed behind me, I could hear Asher’s voice, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. The guards allowed me to pass, and for a moment, I considered lingering, but decided it was time for me to go back to my own room. I’d been in the king’s chamber for far too long already.

On my way there, I remembered Asher’s mark and found myself at a crossroads. It was probably best to go straight to my own room, but I was too worried to just go to sleep. So, I decided to make my way downstairs to the lab.

Since it was so late, there were no people on the stairs, which meant I could slip around undetected. Technically, I was still under confinement, or at least I assumed I was, but I needed to do some reading before I could rest.

knew I was likely overreacting to the mark, but I couldn’t be too safe.

As I walked down the hall, the events of the last ten minutes raced through my mind.

The kiss.

The bed.

Everything about it was so intense.

Not to mention that all of that had been done completely sober.

My body shuddered as I remembered Asher’s hand on my thigh, the way he pulled my hair, and the way he’d bitten my lip.

I had just vowed to myself that I would be more careful and that I’d stay away from trouble, but it seemed that no matter how much I tried, I just sank deeper and deeper. There was no getting away from it, no matter how much I wanted to.

As images of Asher danced in my head, I reached the lab, and when I opened the door, I was surprised to see Becky there.

“Ca ssandra?” she greeted me in surprise, and then she rushed over to me. She pulled me into a tight hug and then squeezed. “Oh, Ca ssy, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

She pulled away and then frowned. “Are you… in pajamas?”

I suddenly became very aware of my attire and heat spread to my cheeks. I hadn’t even realized I was still in such a casual state of undress.

day.”

“Oops,” I remarked and I crossed my arms against my chest. “I… it’s been a long

“Don’t worry about it,” Becky said with a smirk, and then she tilted her head. slightly. “What are you doing down here?”

“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” I explained. “Thank you for taking care of the guards. The Alpha King told me you did a great job.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” my assistant said. “It was simple.”

“Still, it means a lot,” I replied. “Thank you,”

I walked over to my desk and took a seat. As I started to look over my papers, Becky approached.

“Ca ssy, I found something else when I tested the venom,” she revealed. “Some of the snakes we found in the basement seemed to be like the vipers that had appeared in the garden, but a few were different.”

“Did you find Udosyn in any of them?” I wondered.

Becky nodded.

So, my assumption was correct. The bottles I’d seen on the tables had in fact. been poisons and the mysterious man who’d attacked me was using them to change the venom of the vipers.

“That’s good to know,” I said, and then I took a good look at my assistant. She seemed pretty exhausted. “Becky, why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll handle

things from here.”

She seemed like she wanted to fight and continue working, but she took a moment and then nodded.

“Okay,” she said. “But don’t be up too late, Ca ssy. You need to take care of yourself. And besides, you Adalyn might come back-”

“I don’t think so,” I said with a small laugh. “She might not be the brightest, but I think she knows better than to mess with the lab anymore.”

“True,” Becky agreed, and after she smiled, she left the lab. Once she was gone, I took a look at the notes she’d made about the venoms.

From what I gathered in the notes, there were only two types of vipers but many kinds of unknown venoms, as I gathered from the question marks Becky had written beside them. Had the snakes been

tested in any sort of way? Did certain

poisons work better in different snakes? What was the meaning of it all?

This was all still such a mystery.

Who was the man? And how had he managed to clear out every trace of evidence before we’d arrived down in the basement? What had he wanted with me?

He seemed like he was going to take me with him, but what would have happened after that? Was he going to kill me?

Asher said that it would be difficult to track the man since it wasn’t clear where he’d gone. The hidden door had led out to the sewers. Where would he have gone. from there?

Though none of this made any sense right now, I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, a hunch that we were getting closer and closer to the truth.

Hidden passages, mysterious men, poison-carrying vipers… this was like. something out of a twisted fairytale.

As I examined the notes and the data analyses from the snakes, a chill ran through me. Whatever the truth was, it was likely complicated, horrible even. This

situation was dangerous, probably more so than any of us were ready for.

 

Chapter 80 Lie

ASHER

I stared into my son’s eyes with disdain as I fought to refocus my mind. Out of the corner of my vision, I could see Ca ssandra leaving the chamber. Though I needed to concentrate on Marco’s words, I was still a little bothered after my

encounter with the healer.

“Marco, why are you here?” I asked him as my frustration began to rise. When my son began to pout, I decided to soften my tone. The boy was visibly distressed and I didn’t want to usher in another tantrum. “What’s going on?”

Though I didn’t want to admit it, part of me knew that I’d been neglecting the boy quite often these days. I’d been so caught up in all of the drama of the snakes and the market, and the other various goings on in Anemond that I’d barely even seen Marco.

“Daddy, why haven’t you visited Mommy?” Marco whined, and his lip began to quiver. “She was severely hurt and she’s in pain. She needs you right away, Daddy!”

A heavy sigh escaped me before I could stop it.

Adalyn.

Just the thought of her made my head ache again.

“Marco, I don’t have the time right now,” I said gently as I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. “Daddy has a lot that he has to deal with, and besides, it’s late-”

“You could visit Mommy now!” Marco announced. “IE you have time to talk with the healer lady, why can’t you talk with Mommy?”.

The young prince’s theory wasn’t a bad one, and I had to acknowledge the logic in his words. But then again, I knew that this idea wasn’t unprompted.

“Did your mother ask you to come here?” I asked, and I tried to shove down the mounting frustration within me. Marco’s cheeks lost their color and his eyes fell again to the ground.

“Mommy did want you to come see her,” he said quietly as he gave a little kick. “But she didn’t tell me to come here. It was my idea, Daddy. I just want you and Mommy to be happy, that’s all.”

The sentiment hung in the air and I felt a tug at my heart. I couldn’t blame Marco for feeling this way. Adalyn and I hadn’t been model parents lately. He deserved better adults to look up to. How was he ever going to learn what a healthy relationship looked like if we didn’t at least pretend to conduct ourselves like

adults?

“Okay,” I decided, and I reached out and took his hand. “Let’s go see Mommy.”

Marco lit up immediately. “Really?”

I nodded.

The young prince’s lips curled up into a grin and he laughed.

We left the chamber and I took a moment to tell the guards where I was going. One of them decided to remain outside of the room while the other offered to accompany us to the House of Moses. I agreed to the young man’s offer, and then the three of us made our way out of the palace.

The House of Moses was technically part of the palace grounds, but existed just on the outskirts. The walk was a quiet one, but I could tell that Marco was beyond excited. I wanted to remind him to lower his expectations, but at the same time, I didn’t want to ruin his good mood.

Once we reached the grand estate, Marco rushed ahead to the front door and knocked on it happily. Moments later, the door opened, and Linda Moses greeted

1.

“Oh,” she remarked in surprise. “Hello there! Please, come in.”

She ushered us inside, and I said a small prayer to the Moon Goddess. This was likely going to be a terrible idea.

“Is Oliver around?” I asked as we lingered for a moment in the foyer. I peered up

the stairs but didn’t see the Beta up there.

“No, no,” Linda replied politely. “He’s away visiting some friends.”

“At this hour?” I wondered, but I decided not to press any further. Admittedly, I was happy that he wasn’t around. I wasn’t in any mood to speak with him anyway.

joy.

“We’re here to see Mommy!” Marco exclaimed as he practically bounced with

“That’s sweet,” Linda said enthusiastically. “I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you. Come along. She’s in her bedroom.”

Without further ado, Linda led us to Adalyn’s room on the top floor. With every step, I forced myself to breathe. I could do this. I just needed to visit Adalyn to satisfy Marco.

Linda knocked on the door and moments later, there was a loud thud on the

other side.

“Go away!” Adalyn’s mu ffled voice called out. It sounded as if she’d been crying.

Her mother looked embarrassed as she turned back to face me.

“Adalyn had a small… quarrel with her father,” she explained gently and Marco looked worried. I raised my brow. What had the Beta said to make Adalyn so upset?

I approached the door myself, and once Linda stood aside, I knocked.

“It’s me,” I said. “And Marco.”

“Asher?” Adalyn said timidly, and then the door flew open. Adalyn stood there, wearing a simple dark red robe. Her eyes were completely bloodshot, and her cheeks were slightly swollen.

“We came to see you!” Marco said, and he wrapped his arms around Adalyn’s legs. Adalyn’s golden eyes remained fixed on me.

“Thanks, baby,” she said, and then she crouched down until she was at Marco’s level. “Why don’t you go see Grandma for a while while Daddy and I have a grown-up talk?”

Marco nodded happily. “Take your time! I’ll go play with Grandma!”

Linda obediently took Marco’s hand and led him away. Adalyn and I stepped

into her room and closed the door behind us.

The room was silent as I tried to find the right words to say.

“Has your wound improved?” I asked, and Adalyn nodded.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I feel much better. I should be able to return to the palace soon.”

“Don’t rush,” I assured her. “There’s no hurry. Take all of the time you need to rest here.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes and she frowned.

“Oh.”

Silence again, and then I decided to just lay it all out.

“Adalyn, you shouldn’t lie to Marco,” I said. “He came to me crying. I’m worried that lying will only teach him bad habits.”

Her lips parted, but I had to continue anyway.

“If taking proper care of him and teaching him is too difficult, I could hire someone else to do it,” I said. “I don’t want him to grow up to be spoiled or-”

“The healer!” Adalyn seethed, and her hands curled into fists at her sides. “I-| knew it! You want her to take my position!”

“What?” I demanded, and I took a step backward. “What are you talking about?”

“You want to replace me!” Adalyn accused and then she shook her head and pointed at me. “I knew it! Well, you listen here, Asher. That woman is suspicious in every conceivable way.”

“She has nothing to do with this,” I said. “This is between us.”

“Who’s the lying one now?” Adalyn laughed cruelly as tears fell down her cheeks. “Asher, you’re kidding yourself here. Don’t you think it’s strange that the king of Yurene cares so much about her? Or

that the viper attacks started with her? I’m telling you, Asher, that woman is a spy… or something even more vicious. Mark my words. Something is wrong with her, and letting her into your life… it’ll be your undoing.”