Ch. 91..95: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 91-95
Chapter 91 Imposter’s condition
ASHER
I froze in place and my blood suddenly ran cold.
Five years ago? A weak spot?
Did he… did he mean Cora? Did he know about her, about the inferno?
How?
“What are you talking about?” I demanded as I regained control over myself. Surely he was trying to rattle me, but what did he mean?
“You know what I mean,” the imposter laughed cruelly, and then he shook his head slowly. “Poor, naive boy. There’s no way you believe that it was an accident. Or that the woman was st upid enough to set the fire herself.”
The lightness of his mocking tone was enough to ignite my fury. I wanted to tear him apart for speaking about her like this. For a moment, I thought I was about to give in to my anger, but I managed to stay calm and smother my agitation.
I rolled my shoulders back and narrowed my eyes.
“What do you know about the inferno?” I demanded. “And Cora Felix?”
The imposter grinned at me and tilted his head to the side. His sheer arrogance was enough to make me sick./
“I know more about them than anyone else,” he said calmly.
I considered my options. Brute force would get me nowhere, but at the same time, I wasn’t about to just lie down and take this insolence. I was the Alpha King of Wegalla. I needed to act the part.
“How do I know I can trust any of the words that come out of your mouth?” I
asked him with a raised eyebrow. “I have no idea who you are. You could be making things up.”
The imposter shrugged. “You don’t have to trust me. I can’t make you do anything. Kill me if you want, Asher Collins, but without me, you’ll never know what happened to that poor woman.”
I knew he was goading me. The urge to just do away with this imposter was strong. But at the same time, I needed to know what he had to say about Cora.
As I pondered my next move, the imposter studied me carefully. His lips curled into an impish grin.
“I know you want me dead,” he said. “I can see it in your eyes. But you should know, I’m not the one you should be blaming. I was simply following orders. I’m nothing more than just a pawn.”
“What do you want?” I growled.
His grin intensified.
“You’re clever,” he noted. “What I want, Asher Collins, is simple. I need you to send me away. I swear to you I’ll never return to Wegalla again.”
I was taken aback for a second, but the moment was fleeting. There was no way I was going to let the imposter go.
I remained silent, and the man spoke again.
“I promise you, my information is worth the exchange,” he said, and then he raised an eyebrow and gripped the bars again. “Don’t you want to know who was behind the inferno? Or what your little mate
said before her death? I can tell you all of that and more. Hell, I could even give you the evidence that would allow you to convict the person responsible. My information is nothing less than da mning.”
I clenched my fist as my muscles tensed instinctively.
Suddenly, I knew why the man had insisted on a private talk with me.
The imposter was crafty. As much as I wanted to end it all and kill him, he knew I wanted more information about Cora. He also knew that this negotiation would only work if we were alone because if anyone else were present, I would have to act in the best interest of Wegalla.
And for the best interest of the empire, the man deserved execution.
He’d taken the Alpha King’s wife hostage and wounded her almost lethally. That alone was a punishable offense.
The situation in the lab between Adalyn and Ca ssandra had been far less terrible and Oliver had practically demanded the healer’s head. There was no doubt that he would feel even more strongly about this.
Then again, his behavior in the corridor had been troubling.
Had the Beta tried to kill the man to avenge Adalyn? Was that the reason for his bloodthirstiness? I wouldn’t blame him if that was the case, but then again, he didn’t seem okay with the idea of me speaking with this imposter alone. So, the question
remained.
What was I supposed to do with all of this?
I pushed aside my concerns about Oliver Moses. Right now, he didn’t matter.
I turned away from the imposter. I didn’t need him to bear witness to my turmoil. Vulnerability wasn’t something I felt very often, but recently, all I felt was emotionally raw.
For the past five years, I’d done nothing but obsess over what had happened to Cora. It haunted my every waking minute and plagued my mind. No matter how much I threw myself into my royal duties, I could never shove the memories of my former mate aside, or allow myself to truly live.
I’d never been able to forgive myself for what had happened to her, nor allowed. myself to let anyone else in like I had with her. Adalyn, Marco… As sick and twisted
as it sounded, I could never care for them like I’d cared about Cora.
I released a heavy sigh. I wished I could receive counsel from someone, anyone really, but I knew exactly what they’d say.
free.
Cora Felix was dead.
And countless more lives would be put at risk if I allowed the man to be set
The
imposter said he wanted to leave Wegalla, but how could I trust him? I didn’t know anything about him and I had no reason to take his words to heart. For all knew, I could set him free, and he could sneak back down to his lair and continue to plague my kingdom with poisoned vipers.
Besides, there were too many unanswered questions. Who was the man? Where had he come from? And who was the boss that he worked for?
I didn’t want her to risk her safety to be here, but for the briefest of instances, I wished Ca ssandra was here. She was strong and brave, more so than I was feeling at this moment.
What would she do if she was me?
What choice would she make? The right one, or the selfish one?
The man began to laugh again, and a shiver traveled down my spine.
“What are you laughing at?” I growled as I turned to face him. “I’m getting sick
of this.”
“Oh, nothing” he mused.”Color me shocked. I didn’t expect you to take this much time to mull things over. I was certain that little tidbit of information would be enough, but apparently, it’s not. You don’t seem to believe me. Well, Asher Collins, let me give you something first. An appetizer of information if you will. Hear me out, and you can decide if you want to cooperate or not. The choice will be yours.”
He smiled and stared deeply into my eyes. “So, what will it be?”
Chapter 92 His mate had been pregnant
ASHER
I raised my eyebrow and stared at the man. A tidbit of information? He truly must have believed in what he had to say. Either that or he was a master of deceit. Regardless, I knew I had no choice. I had to take the bait.
I had to know about Cora.
“Fine,” I said, and I crossed my arms. “What do you have to say?”
The imposter cleared his throat. He seemed just as surprised as I was that I’d agreed to hear him out. He took a second and then began.
“Even back then I found the girl to be quite pitiful,” he remarked. “She looked so innocent. But there’s nothing I could do about that. It was a shame, really.”
My stomach turned as I pictured Cora. From his tone, I could tell she had probably been scared.
I wanted to strike him down.
What had they done to her?
“Get to the point,” I demanded.
“I’m getting to the point, young Alpha,” the imposter said with a wave of hist hand. “I’m simply saying that she was pitiful. She seemed so innocent, so precious. Well, innocent enough, seeing as she was the daughter of such a serious criminal. She was likely tied into their business, so I can’t help but wonder how naive to it all she truly was-”
“Get to the point!” I shouted, emphasizing every word.
The man laughed, and before I knew what I was doing, I lunged forward and
reached through the bars. I grabbed his neck and yanked him forward until his chest smacked against the bars.
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll end your life now,” I threatened. “I’m serious.”
I tightened my grip around him to emphasize that point, and the imposter struggled for breath. Despite the danger of my hands around his neck, he maintained eye contact with me and didn’t panic.
After nearly a minute, he began again.
“She was pregnant, young Alpha,” the man revealed. “She was pregnant with your child.”
The world suddenly turned on its axis.
My heart sunk in my chest as the weight of his words crashed down on me. My knees wavered and my eyes started to well up involuntarily.
Cora was pregnant.
She was pregnant with my baby.
I released my hold on the man and took a few steps back from the bars. I searched the room for something to brace myself on as my chest heaved. I’d never felt shock like this before and for a moment, I thought I was going to be sick.
“I didn’t mean to end two lives,” the man spoke again, and he rubbed his neck. His skin had turned bright red from my chokehold, but I didn’t care about that. I couldn’t care less about his well-being, not right now.
“S-s-shut up,” I stammered as a lump formed in my throat.
“I couldn’t just stop because she’d said so,” he continued anyway, his tone. serious for once. “It could have been an excuse after all. I’m sure any person under those circumstances would say anything to survive-”
“Please,” I murmured.
“It was all so very violent,” the man sighed. “Vicious, really. I would be very happy to help you convict the person responsible-”
“Shut the f**k up!” I growled. My inner wolf was going to take control if the man continued to say anything further.
I turned away from him and fought to regain control. My nails had already. sharpened into claws, and I could feel my canines pressing against my lips. My entire body shook as I battled my beast.
There was a long moment of silence. My tone must
to keep the man from running his mouth.
have been intense enough
When I finally had an ounce of control, I took a long, deep breath, and pulled myself together.
“Is she still alive or not?” I asked the man quietly, and when I turned back to his cell, the imposter’s expression was confused.
“It wouldn’t be possible,” he said as he shook his head slowly. “Cora had drank a cup of poison before the fire was set. Even if she’d managed to escape, she wouldn’t have survived. The poison had no cure.”
The moment the man finished speaking, I turned on my heels and ran out of the dungeon. I nearly lost my footing up the stairs, and as I ascended, I heard the man calling my name. But I ignored him. I would deal with the imposter later.
For now, there was only one person I wanted to see.
Ca ssandra Keller.
I had already started to believe that Ca ssandra was really Cora. And the fact that Cora had been pregnant before the inferno only further proved my theory. She had a son, after all, one who was around the proper age.
I sped up my pace until I reached the entrance of the palace. The guards were surprised to see me rush by so quickly, but I couldn’t stop and explain. My mind was racing just as fast as my feet were carrying me. It was a surprise I wasn’t flying.
As I ascended the main staircase, I tried to figure out the rest of the story. The imposter had said that Cora had consumed an incurable poison. Is that why her appearance had changed? Ca ssandra and Cora looked nothing alike. Was that a side effect of the poison? And was that why she was so afraid of revealing her true
identity?
How much did she truly suffer?
My eyes welled up again and I hastened my pace even further.
I had a feeling that I would lose her again if I didn’t go to her now.
Guards and other palace personnel alike ducked out of the way as I rushed down the corridor. I could hear the whispers and remarks around me, but I paid
them no mind.
Let them talk and gossip about the king going mad.
I reached the door of Ca ssandra’s room soon after, and when I flung it open, 1 saw the healer standing there with Lancel and Erika. She seemed surprised to see me, and her emerald eyes trailed over me as I rushed in.
“Your Majesty,” she said, and her eyebrows knitted together. “Is something wrong?”
When I glanced over at Lancel and Erika, she spoke again.
“Lancel came to make sure I was okay,” she explained calmly. “We were just discussing the possibility of me returning back to work today since the imposter was caught-”
“Everyone out,” I demanded. The room fell silent, and when nobody moved, I said it again. “Now.”
The guard and the maid exchanged looks of fear and concern. They complied without question, and the moment they left and closed the door behind them, I stared at Cassandra.
The healer stared back at me in alarm. I could see the fear and panic in her eyes and I hated it.
It was driving me absolutely crazy.
I didn’t want to scare her. I was tired of scaring her. But I couldn’t let things. continue on like this. I had to know the truth, and I had to know it now.
Who was she?
Chapter 93 She is the world to him
CA SSANDRA
As Asher’s eyes locked onto mine, I tried to read his emotions, but I failed at the task miserably. I didn’t know what was wrong. His voice was coa rse and cold, and his expression was intense, to say the least.
Once again, I felt like cornered prey, and the feeling only heightened when he began to walk toward me. With every step he took forward, I took one back, until I accidentally found myself with my back against the far wall.
My heart beat faster in my chest and my stomach twisted in knots. The Alpha King looked angry, but I suspected there was more to it than that. Something had happened down in the dungeon; I just knew it.
But what did it have to do with me?
We stared at one another until finally, Asher spoke.
“Cora?”
My eyes widened before I could stop them and a shiver ran through me at the sound of my true name on his tongue.
Had he discovered the truth?
Did the imposter tell him?
It was the only explanation that made a bit of sense, however, it was impossible, wasn’t it? My appearance had changed in the five years since the inferno. There was no way that man could
recognize me.
Asher waited for me to respond, and I tried to materialize an answer. What could I say? Could I admit to it and finally cast this charade aside?
I then thought of Finnick and knew that option wasn’t possible.
“You don’t look well, Your Majesty,” I uttered. “Maybe it would be a good ideal for you to sit down and take a moment to calm down.”
Asher’s lips turned downward into a frown. His eyes looked pained for a moment and then they darkened and glared at me. His lips parted as if he was about to say something further. He was so close to me that I could feel the
sweetness of his breath.
Yet no words came out.
He turned his head and released a sigh. When he turned back, he leaned into me and rested his chin against my shoulder. I stiffened.
What was happening?
“Stop lying to me,” he whispered.
+
His words weren’t a command. He was practically pleading. He sounded so helpless, so sad. I felt a tug at my heartstrings and nearly welled up with tears.
I didn’t know what to say. Asher had clearly discovered something, some shred of evidence that had finally confirmed my true identity. But no matter what he found, I couldn’t admit he was right.
If I was still the naive, innocent girl I was five years ago, the sight of my true mate like this would have been downright unbearable. But I’d been through too much. The inferno, the pain of my burns, the horrible nightmares of losing Finnick… his sadness couldn’t compare. I couldn’t suffer any more loss.
So, I did what I had to do.
“Cora Felix is dead, Your Majesty,” I said softly, in the calmest tone I could manage. “Let her rest in peace.”
Asher lingered against me for a moment and then rose to his full height. His eyes were wet, and he appeared just as downtrodden as his tone had been. Again, I
felt my heart ache, but I forced myself to hold it together.
That is, until his next words.
“I know Cora was pregnant.”
I remained silent, but my blood ran cold. So that was it, the reason why he’d run to my chamber so swiftly. The imposter soldier had told him this, there was no doubt about it. It was too much of a coincidence.
“It was my fault,” he uttered. “I should never have let her stay in that mansion. It’s one of my life’s greatest regrets.”
He reached down and took my hand in his. I instinctively wanted to yank it away and I inhaled sharply.
“You don’t have to speak the truth if you don’t want to, Ca ssandra,” he said quietly, and then he raised my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “I can’t force you…. But I need you to know this much. I’d do anything for you.”
I stared into his eyes and challenged that idea.
“What if I wanted to leave?” I asked. “What if I wanted to leave Anemond forever?”
He smirked briefly and then grew serious. “Anything go again.”
ut that. I’ll never let you
Before I could say another word, Asher moved in close and kissed me. He was gentle, at first, but then the kiss grew more passionate.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I knew it would only complicate matters further and get me more tangled in this web of drama, but I couldn’t fight it any longer. I couldn’t go against my heart any longer, at least not tonight.
So, I kissed him back.
Asher seemed surprised by this, but he didn’t question it at all. I brought my
hands up and wrapped them around his neck. He went low and gripped my hips on either side, then gently pressed my body against his until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began. As we embraced, our kiss deepened, and I could feel his heartbeat against my chest.
We continued like this for some time until Asher guided me away from the wall. He spun me a little and hoisted me up. I wrapped my legs around him for support, and then he carried us over to my bed.
He set me down gently, and once I was there, he unbuttoned his shirt. The sight of his broad, muscular chest was enough to make my lips tremble, and the feeling only heightened when he undid his trousers.
Every inch of Asher was so beautiful. His skin was perfectly tanned and toned, and the scent of his cologne filled the air as he undressed.
Once he was completely bare, I carefully slipped out of my dress. The air was cool against my skin, and I shivered slightly, but it didn’t bother me. I was a little nervous to be so exposed, but then again, this was Asher, my true mate.
I let the dress fall to the ground, and once it was discarded, I cast aside my undergarments. Asher’s jaw dropped slightly as he took in my naked form, and he inhaled deeply.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes trailed over my body. “So perfect.”
His tone was so earnest that I knew that he meant every word.
After a moment of admiring each other, Asher climbed into bed with me. I smiled at him, and then we started where we left off. His hand cupped my cheek as we kissed, and the sheer tenderness of it all made me feel warm.
This time was different than the last. Before, our encounter had been purely carnal. But tonight… it was more than that. He was softer, kinder. The passion was there, but it was more patient than before. His lips, his touch, all of it was almost
reverent somehow.
After a while, he carefully climbed over me until he was on top. His beautiful gray eyes were gentle, and I admired the way his dark hair fell around his face.
“Do you want this?” he asked.
“Yes,” I breathed, and I nodded for emphasis. “I want you. All of you.”
He smiled. “As do I.”
Then, he leaned down and kissed me. His skin was warm against mine, and I was reminded of how things were before the inferno. This was the Asher I’d loved, not the Alpha King he’d become.
My body craved him just as much as my mind did. When he entered me slowly, I inhaled deeply, and a soft moan escaped me.
“Is this okay?” he whispered as he leaned in, and when I nodded, he continued on. As he moved within me and started to take on a steady rhythm, I wrapped my hands around him and pulled him tighter against me.
This wasn’t just sex. This was making love.
He was considerate of my needs and took the time and effort to make sure I was satisfied. For the first time in forever, I didn’t feel embarrassed or self conscious about my body or the scars that still remained. Asher praised my beauty under his breath repeatedly, and with every utterance, I started to believe him.
We soon reached the height of our pleasure together, and as the euphorial crashed over me, I nearly cried from happiness. I hadn’t felt joy like this in five years, and it was nothing short of pure ecstasy.
We remained wrapped up in one another, and once we settled, Asher gently eased himself out and laid down beside me.
The Alpha King held me close, and my fingers traced the scars on his back. To my surprise, he didn’t pull away or wince at my touch.
“You mean the world to me, Ca ssandra,” he said softly, and he buried his face in
my hair.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, and for the first time in a long time, I was truly happy to be alive.
Chapter 94 Rage
ADALYN
When I awoke, my vision was blurred, and I couldn’t make sense of my surroundings, but I could hear the sound of someone softly crying.
I blinked a few times until finally, the shapes around me came into focus. My mother sat beside me, and the moment she realized I was awake, she grew
overjoyed.
“Oh, Adalyn!” she cried, and she threw her arms around me. “Oh, my sweet. darling girl, you’re awake!”
My voice caught in my throat, and her grip around me made me wince a little. My hand threw to my throat. Why did it ache?
I looked around, and much to my surprise, I realized I was lying in a bed in the medical ward. I’d only ever been here a handful of times in my life, but I recognized the cold, sterile atmosphere right away. All of the furnishings were a mixture of soft white and stark metal, and no matter how many flowers they placed on the bedside. tables, the ward was a far cry from homey.
What was I doing all the way down here?
My mother pulled away, and suddenly, it all began to hit me. My memories surged back in droves and my head began to hurt.
I’d been held hostage by that terrible man. He’d hurt me quite terribly with his sharp claws.
There was no blood on my fingers when I removed it from my throat, so clearly I was no longer in danger. I healed fast, always had.
My mother pulled away, and when she did, I noticed Marco was seated in the chair beside the bed. His face lit up immediately, and he rushed over to hug me.
“Mommy!” he cried as he squeezed my middle section. “Oh, Mommy! I was so worried. Do you feel okay?”
I squeezed him back and nodded.
“Yes,” I managed, and then I turned to Mother. Her expression was joyful as she studied us, and for a moment, I felt like things were going to be alright.
Then, another thought crossed my mind.
Asher. He’d been the one to save me from that malicious man.
I wanted to give Marco more attention, but I needed answers first.
“Where is Asher?” I asked.
Mother seemed surprised by my question, and then she frowned.
“I… I don’t know, Adalyn,” she admitted.
“Well, where did he go after he left here?” I wondered, and for a brief second, Mother looked confused, and then she nodded.
“Uh… well, I’m not sure,” she said, and then she glanced at the door. “He… he didn’t say where he was going… You just missed him, though. He must be interrogating the man that held you hostage, dear.”
I knew immediately that she was lying. Mother always trailed off when she was lying.
I moved Marco aside and then started to climb out of bed.
“I’ll go find him myself,” I decided, but Mother reached out and grabbed my arm gently.
“Adalyn, you need to get some rest,” she said calmly. “It’s been a long day, and you lost quite a bit of blood. It would be best for you to lay back down and relax. Asher will come back soon enough.”
My frustration grew with every passing second. Where was my husband? Why wasn’t he here at my side?
Why was I always so alone?
“What about Father?” I wondered as I searched the room. “Where is he?”
“Your father had to leave, sweetheart,” Mother said calmly. “He was here for a while, waiting for you to awaken, and then he got a call from the border about twenty minutes ago. Silas is going to be returning to Anemond. Your father ist arranging the plans for his arrival.”
My frustration shifted to anger at once.
Silas.
Silas.
It was always my little brother, Silas.
No matter what I was going through, he was always the priority, the apple of my father’s eye. I knew he loved Silas more than he loved me, and I couldn’t understand why. My brother wasn’t the incredible person that everyone thought he was. He was spoiled and arrogant, and his every move was always revered so
highly.
Here I was, recovering from an attack, and my father was off worrying about a visit from Silas!
And Asher… where was he? How could he leave me here? Why did no one care that I’d been injured, that I’d endured such a terrible situation? How could the man who was supposed to be my husband tear himself away from me for even just one. moment? He couldn’t be supportive of me? He couldn’t be here for Marco?
As my hands shook with rage, I thought then of the healer. Ca ssandra Keller. When she’d proposed to take my place as the evil man’s hostage, I’d felt an ounce of relief, but Asher had arrived right away and stopped her.
What had taken him so long to get there? And why had he looked so worried
about her?
I didn’t believe Ca ssandra had offered to take my place out of sincerity. Surely, she was just trying to appear like a good person in front of the audience in the corridor, and furthermore Asher.
And my fool of a husband had clearly fallen for her game.
“Mommy, are you alright?” Marco asked. His cherubic face was clearly worried.
I shoved my anger down for a second and then swept him back into my arms.
“I’m okay, baby,” I whispered as I held him close. Even if everything else was falling to ruin, at least I still had Marco.
Pitiful as it was, my son was useful. Asher would never want to leave his son. Ast long as I was still Marco’s mother, nothing would change.
I needed to exploit that as much as I could. But before then… I needed to teach that wretched healer some discipline.
“Marco, honey, how long has it been since you’ve visited Grandma Margaret?” I asked him in a soft, honeyed voice.
“Hmm, quite a while,” he remarked, and his eyebrows crinkled as he tilted his
head to the side.
“I think we’ll visit her tomorrow,” I decided.
Marco nodded, but he looked confused.”Why?”
“Don’t ask questions,” I said firmly, and I ran my hand through his soft curls. “If you don’t want to keep sharing your daddy with others, you’ll listen to what Mommy says. Okay?”
Marco nodded again, only this time, his expression was serious.
Mother studied me closely,
to explain myself or my plan to her.
At the end of the day, at least I knew I had Margaret on my side. I didn’t have the power to deal with Ca ssandra Keller directly, especially since she was so well-protected these days. But surely, if Margaret and I put our heads together, we could come up with a solution to get around that. We could find a way to destroy those around her and inflict some real damage once and for all.
My lips curled into a smile. I would take great pleasure in taking Ca ssandra
Keller down.
Asher Collins was mine.
I was about to make that abundantly clear.
Chapter 95 Becky’s concern
CA SSANDRA
“You look really nice today, Ca ssy,” Becky remarked as I stepped foot in the lab, and her dark eyes trailed over me. “You’re practically glowing. Did something good
happen to you or something?”
Heat spread to my cheeks and I tucked my hair behind my ear. I’d taken a little extra time to apply some makeup and my wavy hair was cooperating for once, but
there was more to it than that.
Thoughts and images of last night danced in my mind, and I started to smile, but I shoved the memories aside and made up an excuse.
“I think I’m just happy that the imposter was finally caught,” I said. There was some truth to my statement, but it certainly wasn’t the only reason.
“Me too,” Becky agreed, and she set down the stack of papers in her hand. “It’s brilliant news. Hopefully, the man will confess quickly so we can start identifying the venoms. This whole thing has been so awful.”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
As I walked over to my desk and set my backpack down, I thought more about the situation at hand. Once we were able to get the vipers sorted out, I could get back to researching the mysterious disease that plagued Wegalla.
But what would happen after that?
I didn’t have a clue.
Though I hadn’t admitted outright to Asher that I was Cora, nothing would stop the Alpha King from believing it. He could always get proof if he really wanted to. He had all of the resources available to test my hair, my nails, or anything else that could prove once and for all that I was his former mate.
All I could do was put my head down and hope for the best.
As I rested on the desk, I thought again of last night, particularly of one moment. Just after we’d made love, right before we fell asleep in one another’s arms, Asher had told me that if I truly insisted on leaving, he’d give up everything.
and leave with me.
He’d been half asleep when the words had left his mouth, so I wasn’t sure if there was any truth to them, but I couldn’t help but think about it anyway. Did he mean it? Would Asher Collins give up his throne, his very birthright, and his Pack just to leave with me?
It was highly unlikely for that to happen. I knew that. But what he wasn’t kidding?
Could we really leave Anemond behind?
“Ca ssandra?” Becky’s voice pulled me back into reality. I turned my attention back to her.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I got a little lost in thought.”
“It’s okay,” she said, and after a brief pause, she started to mess with one of her bracelets. “So, there’s been something I wanted to ask you. I don’t know if it would be possible. But when we get this situation with the vipers under control… could I take a few days off?”
Distress suddenly painted her features, and I granted her my full attention.
“Is something wrong, Becky?” I asked.
She seemed hesitant to answer, but then she took a deep breath and nodded.
“It’s my mother,” she began, and her eyes fell to the ground. “She hasn’t been feeling too well these days. I’d like to take some time off to look after her.”
“Of course,” I said gently, and I gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s no problem at all. Family is so important. Take the time you need to care for her, and be sure to
take some time to look after yourself. This viper thing has been taking over everything. I’m sure you’re super burnt out. You deserve some good rest.”
Becky shook her head and then crossed her arms.
“Truthfully, I’m not feeling burnt out,” she admitted. “In fact the lab is the only place where I can find some peace.”
My assistant sat down in the nearest chair and then wheeled it closer to me.
“I really love my mother,” she continued, and she began to mess with her bracelet again. “But sometimes she can be… unreasonable, you know? She wants me to marry a man from a wealthier family, someone who can ‘take care of me. But I don’t want that.”
“What do you want?” I asked gently.
She paused for a moment and then smiled.
“I want to wait for my mate,” she said, and her cheeks started to flush bright pink. “I know that sounds silly. My mother says I’m foolish because a true, fated mate is so rare. She says such a thing never
happens to common girls like me.”
Becky took a deep breath.
“I don’t blame her for being like this,” she sighed. “My mother had a hard time raising me. My dad died when I was very young.”
“I’m so sorry,” I offered.
“Thank you,” she replied, and then she pushed her glasses further up her nose.”It hasn’t been the same since he passed. I have two older sisters and they ended up choosing their mates. Once they got married, my mother was pretty obsessed with the idea of me doing the same. But I didn’t want that.’
“Which is totally understandable,” I interjected. “Finding a mate isn’t something you should take lightly.””
“I know,” she agreed. “My mother tried setting me up with a man, but honestly, it’s wasn’t a good match. He was unpleasant, to say the least, and he wanted me to give up my dream of being a royal healer. He wanted a woman who would just stay in the house and be an obedient wife, which sounded like an absolute nightmare. So, I turned him down.”
She shook her head again. “I don’t know. Maybe it was dumb to reject him, but I know what I want, and I’m not about to give up my dreams just to make my mother happy. It’s probably silly, but I want to find my fated mate. Besides, I just passed my eighteenth birthday. I’m in no rush.”
My heart ached as I studied Becky’s face. I felt sorry for her. As much as I wanted to tell her it could happen for her, the truth of the matter was that fated mates were rare. Every werewolf in Wegalla knew that. Fated mates were considered a blessing from the moon.
Rumor and legend said that the blessing would only be granted to werewolves who were gifted and strong. I knew this to be true because Asher and I had been fated mates. It was the only reason I
hadn’t been sentenced to death immediately after my father had been imprisoned, but it was also the reason the soldiers had come to Rosepetal.
The king couldn’t marry another woman unless his mate was dead.
I shoved my feelings aside and reached out and took Becky’s hands in mine.
“You’re incredibly gifted Becky,” I assured her. “Not to mention, you’re one of the kindest and most wonderful people I’ve ever known. I know it seems impossible, but don’t let go of your dreams. Your true mate is out there, and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll find him.”
1.
My assistant’s eyes spilled over with tears and she leaned forward and hugged
“Thank you, Ca ssy,” she whispered. “Thank you.”