Ch. 96..100: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 96-100

Chapter 96 Finnick’s complaints

CA SSANDRA

After a long, hard day of working in the lab, Becky and I parted ways and I made my way back to my room. I was tired after sorting through so much research, but I started to grow more and more excited with every step.

Finnick was returning today, and every ounce of me was thrilled to see my son again.

Though it’d only been a couple of days since I’d seen him, I missed him greatly. I didn’t like to be separated from Finnick for long periods of time, and he didn’t like it either, especially now that we lived here in Anemond.

Back in Wild Crawler, he had sleepovers at Dominic’s quite frequently. He was always a welcome guest in Alpha Gareth and Luna Sofia’s home. But here in Merliscire, I didn’t like Finnick being so far away from me. Things were too dangerous and there were too many shady characters.

Lancel followed behind me, and I did my best to ignore him. I’d tried telling him. earlier in the day that I didn’t need his assistance any longer since the imposter had. been apprehended, but Lancel insisted that he was following the orders of his Alpha, and his Alpha had yet to formally dismiss him.

I tried saying that the Alpha King probably forgot, but Lancel was firm.

“My Alpha doesn’t forget anything,” he said gravely.

I wanted to laugh and roll my eyes, but I decided not to argue the point any further. Besides, I felt awkward speaking with Lancel in any capacity, especially after what Asher and I had done.

The guard could likely imagine what had transpired in my room last night. Asher had remained there until he left this morning for work, after all.

As heat spread to my cheeks at the me ntal image of the Alpha King and I tangled up in my sheets, Lancel was called by another guard in the hallway.

“Your attention is required by the king,” the guard announced. Lancel nodded and then gave me a look.

“Will you be remaineing in your room?” the older man asked me.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Good,” he remarked. “I’ll return later.”

Just as he was about to leave, he let out a sigh. “Try not to get into any more

trouble, Healer Ca ssandra.”

I stifled a laugh, and Lancel rushed over to join the other guard. As they disappeared down the hall, I continued walking to my room and giggled to myself.

I hurried my pace, and when I finally reached my room, I threw open the door and was greeted by Finnick. His gray eyes widened and he rushed toward me.

“Mommy!” he shouted, and he barrelled right into my legs. I almost fell over from the sudden impact, but I was too happy to mind.

Erika stood on the other side of the room, and she gave me a knowing smile.

“Oh, Finnick,” I cried happily, and I picked him up and held him close. I kissed the top of his head and nearly cried at the sight of him.

“I miss you so much, Mommy,” Finnick whispered into my shoulder.

“I missed you too, baby,” I said.

We clung to each other for a moment, and then I carefully set him down on the ground. I walked over and closed the door, and then Finnick and I sat down at the table.

“I don’t ever wanna be separated like that again,” my son lamented as he

studied me carefully. “No matter how many toys you promise me. Okay?”

I smiled and nodded. “I don’t wanna be separated again either.”

“Good,” he declared, and I reached across the table and tousled his dark hair. Finnick giggled and tried to fight me off, but it was no use.

“So, tell me all about your past couple of days,” I said, and I rested my elbows. on the table. “I want to hear everything.”

He shrugged but didn’t look upset. “They were alright. I missed you very much. But my new aunties treated me very nicely.”

“Your new aunties?” I repeated back, and Finnick lit up.

“The maids!” he announced as if it were obvious. “They were very nice to me. They told me stories and brought me some new toys. But… I have a secret, Mommy.”

ear.

“A secret?” I asked. “What is it?”

Finnick gestured for me to scoot in closer, and when I did, he whispered in my

“I like Aunt Erika better.”

I dissolved into laughter, and just as I looked up, Erika approached the table and took a seat next to Finnick. Finnick threw his arms around her and gave the maid a big hug.

Once everyone settled, I touched Finnick’s arm gently.

“So, I believe I made you a promise,” I began. “I think toys may have been involved? What would you like, darling? You can have any toy you want since you were so brave.”

Finnick pondered the question for a while before he began to speak.

“I don’t want any toys,” he admitted reluctantly, and then his eyes fell to the ground. “I think I want something else, Mommy.”

“Something else,” I repeated back gently, and I glanced at Erika. When the maid shrugged, I turned back to Finnick. “What do you want, baby?”

“Well…” he trailed off. “I would like to call Dominic. I miss him very much,

Mommy.”

Erika and I locked eyes again, and we both shared similar expressions of sadness. I understood Finnick’s feelings completely. But it wasn’t my place to agree to a request like that. I didn’t know if we could call Wild Crawler or not, and besides, I didn’t have a personal telephone line here. All forms of communication went through the Alpha King.

ask.”

“Let me ask the king,” I said slowly. “I can’t make any promises, honey, but I can

Finnick nodded vigorously. “Thank you.”

“In the meantime, is there anything else you want?” I asked. “I can go into the market and find you a new toy.”

Finnick thought again, and then his gray eyes grew serious.

“Mommy, I don’t know if it’s possible,” he said. “But I don’t want to go back to class with Marco.”

I was a little taken aback by his request.

“Why not?” I asked.

Finnick’s cheeks turned red and he bit his lip.

“You wouldn’t be happy if I told you,” he said quietly. “You always tell me it isn’t nice to talk about someone badly behind their back.”

This time, it was my turn to bite my lip. I leaned in close.

“Was the prince laughing at you again?” I asked him and he shook his head.

“No, Mommy,” he replied. “It’s not that. It’s just… the class is really boring. Marco doesn’t understand what the teacher tells us, so the teacher has to say it again and again. It’s boring, Mommy. Even Dominic could learn how to read and write the words quickly. They aren’t difficult at all.”

As the weight of my son’s statement crashed over me, my entire body grew hot, and Erika and I glanced at one another. We managed to restrain ourselves for a moment, and then we dissolved into laughter.

Chapter 97 Report about the imposter

I stared down at the report that had just been hand-delivered to my office, and as my eyes trailed over it, my eyebrows creased together.

The report had been drafted by my guards after their full investigation of the imposter we’d apprehended yesterday. Unfortunately all they’d uncovered was his name, and a small crest they’d found on his person.

I held the small medallion in my hands and studied it carefully. I knew all of the Packs crests by heart, and none of them matched the one on the charm. This crest didn’t belong to any group in Wegalla, I was sure of it.

I

Apparently, the man’s name was Spi ke Nox, though it sounded more like an alias than his given name. According to the register list of all the guards in Merliscire, he’d been recruited as a five years ago, and had served as a private guard of Margaret’s ever since.

Apart from these details, nothing else had been recorded. His origin, his background, his qualifications… none of that could be found anywhere. Apparently, the man hadn’t been recruited form the official channels. Someone had arranged this position for him, but who?

Was it my wicked stepmother?

As I considered the idea, I heard a knock at my door. I sighed.

“Come in,” I called out. The door opened and in walked Lancel. The guard’s expression was as serious as ever, and when his eyes fell to the papers in my hands, his mouth set into a thin line.

“Is everything alright with Ca ssandra?” asked him first.

Lancel nodded politely. “Yes, Alpha. The healer is perfectly fine. She’s with her

son right now.”

“Good,” I remarked, and then I getsured at him with the report. “Have you heard about this yet? It’s a report about the imposter.”

When he shook his head, I nodded, and then told him everything. As I read every detail written down, Lancel grew more and more surprised. His eyebrows raised until they were nearly at his hairline, and then he frowned.

“Do you think Margaret hired him?” I asked directly. “Do you think she’s behind all of this?”

My most trusted guard considered the idea and fell silent for a minute. He approached my desk and took a seat in front of me.

“I don’t think so, Alpha,” he said finally. “She’s a smart woman. If Margaret were entangled in this, she wouldn’t have arranged for this man to be so close to her. She’d maintain her distance to keep from getting exposed.”

“That’s a good point,” I agreed. Lancel was right. Margaret may have been wicked, but she wasn’t st upid.

If my stepmother hadn’t hired the man, who did? And why had he been. assigned to her? Was he there to spy on her on someone else’s behalf?

What was going on?

“Lancel, is there anyone else you’re suspicious of?” I wondered as I leaned back in my chair. “Anyone at all. Please, don’t spare my feelings here. I want your honest. insight.”

He nodded at once and sighed as he stared into the distance. He began to nod his head in consideration, and then met my eyes agaon.

“Alpha, I find Beta Oliver to be quite strange,” he remarked, and then he paused.

“Go on,” I urged as I sat forward.

Lancel took a deep breath and then continued.

“His behavior in the corridor the other day struck me as odd,” he stated calmly. “I think when he lunged forward to attack the man holding Lady Adalyn hostage, he intended to kill him. This surprised me, Alpha, as Adalyn could have easily been killed in the struggle. He didn’t seem all tha worried about her at all. It was… strange.”

I nodded. “I thought the same thing.”

“We’re living in troubled times, Alpha,” Lancel said seriously as his expression grew concerned. “I think we need to be wary of Oliver Moses.”

He was right. I’d never trusted Oliver, and now that I knew Lancel found him just as suspicious as I did, my feelings toward him were even stronger. We needed to keep a close eye on him. I didn’t care if he was my father-in-law. We had to be

cautious.

“Lancel, I want you to arrange a team of trusted guards to check Spi ke Nox’s room,” I decided. “As well as his closet. I want every last inch from the floorboards to under the furniture to be examined. I would also like a couple to keep an eye on

Oliver Moses. I need to know if he’s involved in all of this.”

“Do you need me to keep guarding Ca ssandra Keller?” Lancel wondered.

I considered it for a moment and then nodded. “Yes. Things haven’t been sorted out completely, and I have a bad feeling that something isn’t right. I need your to guard her for a little while longer. She’s too tied up in this to leave alone.”

Lancel nodded dutifully. “Of course.”

A thought crossed my mind, and for a second, I was too nervous to say it aloud. But Lancel was one of the few people that I trusted more than anyone else. He would understand me completely.

“I don’t want anyone to know I went to see Ca ssandra last night,” I said softly. “No one needs to know. Not Marco, especially not Adalyn. Is that understood?”

The last thing I needed was for anyone to find out I’d slept over in the healer’s room, especially Adalyn. She was already quick to temper, but if she found out

about this, she’d do more than go after Ca ssandra with a vial of chemicals. She would try to hurt her.

And the healer meant too much to me to lose.

The older man seemed taken aback by my statement. His lips parted as if he were going to say something, but he changed his mind.

“Yes, Alpha,” he said formally, and he offered me a solemn bow. “I won’t speak a word of it. I’ll carry out your orders at once.”

“Thank you,” I replied, and then I raised the medallion in the air. “One more thing. Lancel, do you recognize this crest?”

I handed the small token to him, and he accepted it carefully. He examined it

closely, and his frown deepened. He shook his head.

“I don’t believe so, Alpha,” he said, and he handed the medallion back to me.

“But I can look into it further if you’d like.”

“That would be great,” I said. “Thank you.”

Suddenly, another knock rang out. I stifled a sigh. I wasn’t looking forward to another guest.

“Who is it?” I called out.

“Your favorite brother.”

Kane. I smirked and then shook my head. “Enter.”

The door opened, and Kane entered the study. As he approached my desk, I dismissed Lancel.

“Keep me updated on the situation,” I whispered just low enough for him to hear. He nodded and then glanced at Kane.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Lancel?” my stepbrother greeted the guard with

a smile. “How are you these days?”

“Quite well, thank you,” Lancel replied politely, and then he offered us a bow

and left the room.

Chapter 98 Dark Abyss

ASHER

Kane studied me with an amused smile. His appearance was as immaculate as ever, and he looked well-rested. I envied him. Up until last night, I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. My mind had been too vexed by the viper situation to truly let myself relax, and my body ached too much from my escalating illness.

My head began to pound as if to remind me of the disease. Luckily, Kane didn’t seem to notice my turmoil.

“You seem to be growingly busy these days, dear brother,” he remarked with a sly grin, and then he pouted for emphasis. “I miss playing chess with you.”

“I have been busy,” I agreed, and I let out a small sigh. “How can I help you, Kane?”

“Wow,” he said as his eyes trailed over me. “This definitely isn’t the welcome | expected. You seem to have lost your sense of humor.”

“Too much on my mind these days,” I murmured.

Kane pulled up a chair and sat opposite of me. His lithe frame was lion-like, and his violet eyes danced with amusement. He was like some kind of wild cat, set to pounce at any moment, and just as sneaky.

I knew this wasn’t a friendly visit.

He wanted something.

“My mother is quite freaked out,” Kane noted as he leaned back in his seat and examined his nails. “She heard that you caught and imprisoned one of her private guards yesterday.”

Margaret was freaked out?

The idea of my stepmother in panic was hilarious. She’d always been calm and collected, even when my father had died. She hadn’t shed a single tear, at least not in the anywhere where she could be seen.

Kane chuckled. “So, who was this guard exactly? And why was he apprehended?”

“The man was an imposter,” I explained. “He isn’t truly a guard, from what intel has been gathered. His presence has something to do with the vipers that were found days ago.”

I half-expected some sort of reaction from Kane, but he didn’t look surprised in the least, which told me already knew everything.

“What brings you here, Kane?” I asked again, only this time, my tone was far more serious. Something was off and I needed to get to the bottom of it right away.

“Asher, my mother isn’t behind this,” he said.

“And how do you know that?” I asked without missing a beat.

“Because she isn’t a fool,” he replied.

“No, she isn’t,” I agreed. “But that doesn’t clear her of suspicion. You know that, right?”

Kane fell silent, probably for the first time in his life. He nodded his head lightly and glanced at the other side of the room.

He knew his mother better than I did. Margaret wasn’t necessarily the one behind this, but she was still suspicious.

“Why would she accept a guard with an ambiguous background?” I asked aloud before I could stop myself. “Did she know who could have arranged the man for this position?”

The room remained silent until Kane looked back at me.

“She wouldn’t tell me,” he admitted. “I already tried. You know her, Asher. She never tells me anything like that.”

This time, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Of course, she wouldn’t admit it,” I muttered under my breath. “I’m completely unsurprised.”

“She’s a proud woman,” Kane said. “And a private one. She speaks with me often but holds her personal information at a distance. She’s always been like that. Always worried about her appearance to others.”

“True,” I replied. I was moments away from dismissing my brother when he shifted his chair closer to the desk.

“I’m not a spy, Asher,” he said. “And I won’t pretend to be. But I’m not against you. You know that. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that my mother isn’t planning some kind of conspiracy. I promise you, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Thank you,” I remarked, though I wasn’t sure how much he could really accomplish. I trusted my brother, but I didn’t trust my stepmother.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. This was a troubled situation.

I didn’t know what Margaret was up to, but I had this feeling in my gut that she was up to something. She’d always been conniving and wicked, and I didn’t trust her even a little. She was always gone at opportune moments and all too present for others.

The banquet for the diplomats of Yurene, for example. My stepmother had made herself scarce and the night had ended in disaster. I found it odd that Margaret, a woman who normally thrived at events in high society, had been absent, and then just hours later, there was a viper attack.

Where had my stepmother been?

The imposter was one of her personal guards. Had she dismissed him for the

night? Why wasn’t he guarding her?

And then there was the situation in Ca ssandra’s room. Margaret had brought her guards to try to arrest the healer on Adalyn’s behalf. Had the imposter been one of the men who had laid his hands on her? Why had she decided to take justice into her own hands? Sure, she and Adalyn had a close relationship, but what game was she playing at?

What was going on behind the scenes?

“You seem tired, brother,” Kane announced, and I opened my eyes. “I don’t want to keep you any longer. I think it would be a good idea for you to get some rest. I know everything has been overwhelming, especially considering that the imposter held Adalyn hostage. I’m sure you’re shaken up by the whole matter.”

I nodded, though the last part wasn’t exactly true. It felt wrong to admit, but I knew that Adalyn was in good hands, so I wasn’t all that worried about her.

Truth be told, the only person in all of Merliscire that I cared about was Ca ssandra Keller. My biggest priority was her safety.

Suddenly, Kane spotted the medallion on my desk and picked it up. He brought it closer to his face to examine it and then he frowned.

“Asher, is this the crest of the Dark Abyss Pack?” he asked. “Why do you have

this?”

I sat there in shock for a second and then leaned forward.

“What?” I breathed. “What are you talking about, Kane?”

“This crest,” Kane continued, and he held it up closer to the light. “I once saw an image of a similar pattern in a book. I can’t recall all of the information exactly, but from what I remember, I think this is a sign of the Dark Abyss Pack.”

“Dark Abyss?” I repeated back, and my eyebrows knitted together as I searched my mind. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Kane replied, and he passed the medallion back over to me. “They were a small Pack, brother. So small, in fact, that no one ever paid much attention to them. And after a war with Yurene, they were nearly wiped out.”

My heart dropped in my chest and my eyes widened at my brother.

“Yurene?” I asked.

Kane nodded gravely. “Yes, brother. Yurene.”

Chapter 99 Recreation of ancient sorcery

ASHER

The moment Kane left my study, I ran to the dungeon at once. I wasted no time, and the moment I reached the man’s cell, I held the small crest in front of the bars.

me-”

“What is this?” I demanded, my voice surging with power.

The imposter’s face paled, but he shook his head swiftly.

“That… that isn’t mine,” he insisted. “I don’t know why you think it belongs to

“It was found on your person, was it not?” I retorted, and then I took a step forward. “Dark Abyss, right?”

own.

When the man remained silent, I continued on.

“Is your name really Spi ke Nox?” I asked him directly.

The imposter refused to answer the question but followed up with one of his

“Have you considered my offer, young Alpha?” he wondered. “The one I gave you yesterday? Information about your beloved Cora Felix in exchange for my freedom?”

“You aren’t in any sort of position to bargain,” I seethed as I shook my head. “Besides, that’ll never happen. You were involved in her death. I’d never grant you freedom. You can rot in that cell for the

rest of your life for all I care.”

The man frowned. “I meant what I said yesterday. I will help you find the true murderer-”

“There’s no need,” I interrupted him. Because I would find it out eventually. Now

that I’d found my mate, everything else didn’t seem as important. If she wanted revenge, I would deliver it for her. If she didn’t want to bring up the past, I would

remain silent.

When it came to Ca ssandra, I’d do whatever she asked.

The man suddenly looked panicked. He was probably baffled by my sudden shift in attitude.

“I have other things I can tell you,” he insisted as he gripped the iron bars of his cell.

“Nothing you have to offer is worth your freedom,” I replied.

“Then I don’t need it,” the man said. “But I need you to keep me alive, young Alpha.”

His light brown eyes darted around suspiciously, as if he were being watched.

“Someone will attempt to take my life,” he said in a hushed tone. “I need you to ensure my safety. In exchange, I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I need a safer place to stay. This cell isn’t safe.”

I frowned. “This dungeon is one of the safest places in Anemond. No one is going to get to you down here, not without my express permission.”

For the first time since his imprisonment, the man looked scared. He didn’t seem to be lying.

Something was troubling him.

What did he fear? An idea came to my mind.

“Are you afraid of Oliver Moses?” I asked, and when he frowned, I spoke again. “The man who wanted to kill you in the corridor?”

“I don’t know who the one is,” the man said. “I was always masked when I saw him. But I know that he would try to kill me if I confessed everything I knew to the

Alpha King. It’s him I’m afraid of.”

Masked?

My confusion grew stronger and I tried to read the imposter’s face. What in the world was he talking about? Half of the sentences and phrases that poured from his mouth made little to no sense.

Was he insane?

I took a moment to consider how to proceed. I could always walk away and regroup, but I had too many questions.

“Spi ke,” I addressed him. “Can I call you Spi ke?”

The man nodded.

“Spi ke, let’s see what you can tell me,” I decided, and I crossed my arms against my chest. “But before you get to that, I need you to tell me about Dark Abyss first.”

Spi ke glanced around. His eyes searched every corner of the dungeon, as if he were afraid of someone eavesdropping. Nearly a minute later, he nodded and took a deep breath.

“Dark Abyss is where I come from,” he explained. “It’s a small Pack, one that few know about, with a group of talented individuals who worship sorcery.”

He leaned in closer. “Your Majesty, have you heard of Ewonmiams, the most famous academy of sorcery in history.”

I nodded. “Yes, I’m familiar.”

“Well, those within my Pack wanted to duplicate its success,” Spi ke continued.

in my pack wanted to duplicate “There were whispers and tales that some of my Pack members were actually descendants of the old sorcerers themselves, but without a record of the spells and magics practiced by the ancient spellcasters, it was hard for them to learn or recreate those rituals with any sort of success.”

“Interesting,” I remarked. Ca ssandra had been correct after all. This man had ties to the Ewonmiams, or at least his people did. I thought sorcery was long dead. and buried, but there were still practitioners trying to continue the legacy.

“My Pack found ourselves in a tough situation,” Spi ke said, and a sad expression settled over his features. “We were attacked by an army led by the former King of Yurene. I had run, you see, to evade the war, and I was saved by the masked man. That same masked man brought me here and used me as a pawn for his own selfish agenda.”

I tried to make sense of his tale. Spi ke’s explanations made sense, but there were still so many holes in his story. I wanted more information about Dark Abyss, the sorcerers, and the former king of Yurene. I didn’t know him that well, so any sort of information I could get was vital.

I didn’t trust the Northerners, and now that I knew they had something to do with this strange, diminished Pack, I needed to know more.

“Were you the one who stole the book in the library?” I asked. “The one about the Ewonmiams? I assume you were the one who trashed the place and left it in ruins.”

Spi ke nodded without pause. “Yes, it was me.”

“What was in the sealed box?” I asked. “And where are those materials now?”

“The box contained a few more books,” he replied. “But I’m not sure where they are now. The masked man told me to place them in a specific location so he could pick them up. It used to be the basement, but after the basement was discovered and exposed, I just dropped them off in a random place. As far as I know, they’re still in a trash bin out on the street.

My head began to pound as I considered his answers. I took a step away from the bars and turned toward the opposite wall.

This masked man seemed to be coming up a lot. Who was he? And did he have something to do with Cora?

One thing was certain, he was an important player in all of this, and we needed to uncover his identity if we were going to make sense of things.

Pain shot through me. I needed to lie down for a bit as Kane suggested, but before I left, I had one more question.

“Were you the one in the basement that day?” I asked as I turned around. “When we went to catch the vipers?”

Spi ke shook his head. “No. I was in the palace that day.”

Chapter 100 Pray for Erika

CA SSANDRA

When I got to work that day, Becky was already hard at work. She was surrounded by a stack of books, along with a long line of vials and bottles. Her eyes were so focused on her work that she hadn’t even noticed my arrival.

“Becky?” I prompted her when she didn’t say anything. “Becky, is everything alright?”

My assistant finally looked up at the sound of her name, and her dark eyes grew wide.

“Sorry, Ca ssy,” she said. “I didn’t even hear you.”

“It’s okay,” I assured her, and I approached her desk. “What’s going on?”

“I found something strange about the venoms,” she explained, and she gestured at a few of the vials. “The ones that we couldn’t identify? I’ve been running tests all morning. Even though they’re all very different, their chemical structures are similar. If my hypothesis is correct, it seems like they were all produced. according to the chemical structures of Udosyn.”

“Does that mean that the other kinds of poisons were recreated using the base of Udosyn?” I wondered.

Becky nodded. “It seems like it.”

I stood there for a moment and considered what this meant. Did this mean that we could find the cure to the poisons if we studied further in this direction and recreated the cure to Udosyn?

The moment the thought crossed my mind, I asked Becky, and she gave a thoughtful nod.

“That’s theoretically possible,” she agreed.

It took a second for the idea to set in, and once it did, my assistant and I exchanged excited smiles. This was the first win we’d had in a while. I didn’t want to get too thrilled, but I couldn’t help it.

“Compared to Udosyn, these other poisons don’t have such a rigorous structure,” Becky continued as she smiled. “So what you’re thinking might actually be possible! We can study further and see if we can recreate the cures.”

We wasted no time and got to work right away.

As we threw ourselves into the research, I couldn’t help but smile. This new information brought light to our studies. We were in such great moods that Becky didn’t even complain about Lancel’s presence.

in seem a

Usually, she said that Lancel made the but she didn’t quip at the Alpha King’s guard for once. In fact, she said just the opposite.

“Maybe Lancel brought us back some luck,” she joked, and the two of us shared a laugh. I glanced over at Lance, who remained as serious and stoic as always. He didn’t have much for a sense of humor. He was always so focused and disciplined that I wondered if he ever laughed at all.

As we continued working, I thought of Asher. The Alpha King was the first person that I wanted to share this development with. We’d been working so long and hard to solve this mystery, and we were finally inching closer to some answers.

I hoped he would be proud of us, especially Becky. Making such an important discovery and working on a case like this would surely be enough to promote her to the position of a full-time royal healer. Sure, my assistant was young, but she was incredibly intelligent and hard-working. Her scientific mind

would be a valuable asset to the palace, and I would make sure to tell Asher that the next time I saw him.

Suddenly, I found myself missing him. Our night of passion had meant more to me than I’d expected, and even though I knew the logistics would be nearly impossible, I wanted to be with him again.

No one had ever made me feel the same bliss that Asher had.

I had no idea what to do about Adalyn. As much as I wanted to pretend that Asher wasn’t married, I couldn’t deny her existence. I wasn’t sure what kind of future was in store for any of us, but I knew no matter what, things would get.

messy.

I forced myself to return to my studies. I could think about all of this later. For now, I needed to focus on the venoms.

Just as I threw myself back into my research, the laboratory doors flew open and Finnick ran in.

Thankfully, Lancel stopped the boy before he could run head-first into the tables full of dangerous chemicals and concoctions. I cast my protective eyewear aside and ran over to my son.

Lancel released his grip and stepped aside so we could speak.

“Thank you,” I said, and then I turned to Finnick. “Finnick? What’s going on? What are you doing here?”

Much to my surprise, Finnick’s lovely gray eyes were full of tears. I was taken aback. Finnick didn’t cry all that often. He was always so serious, like his father, but as he stood before me, he collapsed into s obs. I swept him into my arms at once and held him close.

“Finnick, what’s wrong?” I asked as Finnick’s body shook beneath my touch.

He began to speak, but he was crying so hard that the words didn’t come out right.

“Honey, you need to breathe,” I said softly as I stroked his hair. “Come on, take a deep breath with me.”

Finnick nodded and then I demonstrated a deep inhale. He copied me, and after a few rounds of deep breathing, he managed to calm down.

“Mommy,” he whispered. “Oh, Mommy. They caught Aunt Erika. And they took her away.”

My heart dropped in my chest and my lips parted in surprise.

“Who?” I asked as I began to panic. “Finnick, who took Erika away?”

He sniffled and his lower lip trembled. “Prince Marco’s mother and his grandmother. They came to the room and caught Aunt Erika. They said she was guilty.”

1.

My eyes widened in shock and my heart began to race. Anger swelled within

Margaret and Adalyn.

They’d come after Erika, and they’d conveniently done it when I was away at work. Their cowardice knew no bounds.

Though I was enraged, I managed to present a calm front to Finnick. I carefully sat him down on the ground and continued to soothe him until he stopped crying. Once he was more relaxed, I turned to Lancel.

“Could you look after Finnick?” I asked, and much to my surprise, he didn’t object. He nodded his head and then glanced at the door. Though he didn’t say a word, I knew what he was trying to say, and I was

grateful that he cared.

Becky ran over to us and gently touched my arm.

“Go, Ca ssandra,” she urged me. “We’ll handle everything here. Don’t worry about us. I’ll help look after Finnick.”

“Thank you,” I said, and then I looked down at my son. “Finnick, stay here, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Finnick nodded and wiped his eyes. “Okay, Mommy.”

I kissed the top of his head and then turned and rushed out of the laboratory,

and toward my chamber. As I thought of Margaret and her wickedness, my anger returned to me. She wouldn’t get away with this.

For the first time in a long time, I said a small prayer under my breath to the

Moon Goddess.

“Please let Erika be alright.”