Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 189 What a devil want

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CASSANDRA

When my brother Ector and I were children, we would often get ourselves into a
great deal of mischief.

At the end of the day, it was mostly just us having fun and messing about, but
sometimes, when we were particularly naughty kids, Erika would sit us down and
tell us stories. Once I reached adulthood, I realized these stories were meant to
get us to settle down and listen to her, but at the time, I took every word as a
warning.

Erika told us tales about ghosts and devils alike. While the ghosts were there to
frighten us, the devils had different intentions in mind. As the fire in the fireplace
blazed behind her, the maid would gesture for us to sit closer, and she'd tell us all
about the devils.

The devils, she said, would drag naughty children down the ground. They were
horribly ruthless, terrible creatures, and if a kid was snatched and taken by a
devil, they would never be able to return to their homes and families.

The solemnity of Erika’s tone coupled with the chilling tales would scare me to
the core. I would swear repeatedly that I would behave myself and be a good girl
out of fear that a devil would seize me and take me away to some unknown
abyss.

But Ector was another story. My golden-haired, brave brother would argue with
the maid and insist that since Father could protect us, how would the devils even
get to us?

Erika always found a way to explain it away. Devils were good at disguising
themselves, she told us. They would appear to be kind and gentle, but deep
down, they were extremely evil, vile monsters, with hearts made of pitch—black
onyx.

While my brother would insist that he didn't believe in such stories, he would
always discipline himself for a couple of days after they were told.

If Ector were here now, I could prove to him that what Erika had told us so long
ago was virtually the truth. A devil could be smiling and well-mannered. He could
be a literal wolf in sheep's clothing, but that didn’t change the rotten, inner core
within.

But I also recalled that I had once gone to my father because I'd been so
frightened of the devil's story. I'd asked him what to do if I was captivated by a
well-disguised devil, and I remembered him saying with light laugh that I should
remain calm and simply ask what he wanted.

Back then, I didn’t think Father was serious about my question, but as I thought
about it more and more, standing on this bridge with Kaleb, I realized he was
right.

What did the devil want?

I studied the king of Yurene for a moment and then asked the question that had
been lingering in the back of my mind.

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Chapter 189 What a devil want

“Was Emmett a sorcerer?” I asked him.

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Though he didn’t answer at once, his expression seemed to prove my
speculation to be true. His forehead. crinkled slightly and he gave a small frown,
but recovered quickly and resumed his usual, mocking smile.

“Is that why you want me to go to the North with you?” I spoke again. “Because
you think I might have gotten something from Emmett? I can assure you that I
know nothing about any of that. I didn’t even know Emmett was involved in
sorcery until very recently”

The foreign king tilted his head slightly and when he still didn’t speak, I continued
on.

“Whatever the problem between you and Emmett was, I had nothing to do with it,
and there's nothing I can do,” I stated in an attempt to emphasize my lack of
involvement. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn't apply any of the sorceries to save
your father... that is, if your father is even truly ill. Spike might have been able to
contribute, but now that’s no longer an option.

Kaleb’s brow arched at the mention of his father, and then his mouth twitched
ever so slightly.

“It wasn't a lie,” he murmured. “My father’s illness. But unfortunately, even if that
fool, Spike, was alive, he wouldn't be able to help. My father already passed
away.”

He looked away

for a moment and when he turned back to me, his face was desolate. His gaze
lingered, and then he took a step away and leaned against the other side of the
railing. He stared out at the lake and then shook his head.

“I now understand why you resisted so badly against the idea of you coming with
me North to Yurene,” he mused. “You seem to consider me a villain. But I don’t
think I am, not truly. Once you see the other side of the story, once you get the
bigger picture, you might find that what I'm doing is justified, Cassandra.”
“Really,” I uttered, and I clenched my jaw in frustration. “And what kind of story
will it be exactly?”

Kaleb turned around and lifted his chin to look at the sun. Despite the shadows
cast by the trees beyond us, the sun blazed golden in the sky and shimmered off
of the lake’s water. The king studied it for a moment and then smiled.

“It would be a story that you will definitely take an interest in,” he remarked
vaguely. “A story about Wegalla, the country you're so devoted to. Since we still
have some time before our departure, I see no reason not to elaborate more.
Perhaps, you might change your mind after hearing it.”

Tm failing to see any reason why I should believe any story you tell me,” I fired
back, and this time, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Everything about yourself...
your nature, your kindness, your motivations... all have been lies. You're not the
person you led me to believe you were back when we first met in the market. So,
why should I believe you now?”

The king of Yurene smirked and then shrugged his broad shoulders. “You don’t
have to, Cassandra. You could choose to believe whatever you wanted because
that's what most people in your position would do.”

He stood up straighter and used his long—fingered hand to shield his eyes. “The
sun is starting to grow piercing. So, why don't you and I return to the palace and
find a cozy room to have some tea? Then, I can tell you my story.”

Chapter 189 What a devil want

I stared back at him momentarily and didn’t know how to react. Part of me
wanted to rebuff this entire Idea and run away. Perhaps I could find one of
Asher’s more trusted guards and explain the situation, grant myself some
protection along with Erika, Becky, and Finnick.

But deep down, I knew what I had to do. It was clear that this villainous, foreign
king, wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted. I could be putting
everyone, myself included, in even more danger if I didn’t cooperate and do as
he asked.

So, I took a long, deep breath, thought again about my father and his advice on
how to deal with devils, and simply nodded at Kaleb. Whatever he had to tell me,
I knew it was going to be interesting.

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Chapter 190 History