Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 34 King’s brother

CA SSANDRA

Though it'd been a long time since I'd heard it, I recognized the voice almost
immediately. I stiffened a little at the sound and turned around to see the
commotion. Moments later, in walked Kane Collins.

Asher’s elder stepbrother.

I'd only met Kane a handful of times when we were younger, Back then, he was
playful, with an air about him that made him easy to talk to and be around. But
ever since my return to Merliscire Palace, I'd heard se rvants and guards alike
whisper about the Alpha King's brother. It was said that he’d become something
of at womanizer, someone who cared more about his sexual desire more than his
power.

I'd heard rumors of his conquests all throughout the palace and I couldn't help
but feel bad for his victims. It was a shame that Kane was no longer the person
he had been years ago, but then again, none of us were. We'd all endured our
own traumas and experiences that made us completely different people, myself
especially.

“Lord Kane-" the guard at the door tried to stop him, but it was no use.

Kane looked exactly as he had before. He was incredibly tall and lean, with a
tanned complexion and golden hair that glinted even in the dark chamber.. He
was handsome, but his beauty was cold. His eyes were a bright blue, but his
furrowed brow took away from their loveliness.

“I wish to see my brother,” Kane demanded, and as he moved closer, I realized
there was someone behind him. I peeked around the Alpha King's stepbrother,
and when I caught sight of who had followed him into the chamber. I froze in
place.

Another face I'd know anywhere, only this one less beautiful and more sullen. It
belonged to Margaret Collins. Asher’s wicked stepmother and the former Luna of
the Crescent Pack.

Margaret had come from a commoner family and had been under the
employment of Asher’s mother up until her untimely death. Asher’s father, the
former Alpha King, wasted no time and married Margaret right away. Back then,
rumors and gossip had spread all around Anemond that she had seduced the
Alpha King long before the Luna's death.

Asher’s mother had been revered and loved by everyone, but this new woman...
no one found her trustworthy. But it didn’t matter. She became the new Luna of
the Crescent Pack, and everyone who despised her had to kneel at her feet.

At first, Margaret was cold but cordial. She treated everyone with an air of
superiority, but she was mostly agreeable. However, her true intentions were
revealed with time. She made it her sole priority in life to ruin things for Asher.
Margaret did everything she could to try to pull Asher from the line of succession.
She tried to insert her own son-Kane- as the next in line, but luckily, her efforts
were in vain.

Not only did she hate Asher’s family, but she hated mine as well. In her eyes, the
Felix family- known for being the leader of the royal warriors- were always on the
side of Asher Collins, which made us enemies.

To this day, I had a strong feeling that Margaret had been involved in the tragedy
that ended my family. All those years ago, Asher’s stepmother alone had the
opportunity to delude the old Alpha King and convince him of my father’s guilt. I'd
always known that she was one of the ones responsible for his downfall. Back.
then, I'd tried to find evidence, but my efforts were never fruitful.

I hated Margaret Collins just as much, if not more, as Asher did. For a moment, I
didn’t even realize I'd been glaring at her until the older woman glared right back
at me. Despite her wickedness and evil demeanor, she was still just as beautiful
as she'd been back then. Her chestnut brown hair fell in perfect waves down past
her shoulders, and her almond-shaped eyes, the same shade of blue as Kane's
were perfectly shaded with makeup. Her full lips were pulled taught in a straight
line as she stared at me suspiciously.

I averted my eyes quickly. Margaret was dangerous, even more so than Adalyn.
She was a manipulative and power-hungry woman who would do anything to
give

herself and her son an edge in this world. I couldn't trust her even now.

“How is he?” Kane demanded when he reached Asher’s bedside, and before I
could stop him, he touched the Alpha King’s forehead. “He’s so warm. How long
has

he been this feverish?”

“He’s been this way for nearly an hour,” I answered him calmly. “For now, he's
stable, and I'm doing everything in my power to bring his temperature down.”
“Oh,” Kane remarked simply, and he nodded his head. His dark eyebrows
creased together further and worry painted his expression. “He... he was bitten
by a viper?”

I nodded. “Yes. Out in the gardens. It all happened so suddenly, but as I said, I'm
doing all in my power to treat his bite. I have a salve here made of herbs and
medicine that should do the trick.”

“Good,” Kane replied, and he continued to nod his head slowly. I was a little
surprised by his reaction to this news. Back when I'd known him, I didn’t think he
was particularly close to Asher. Even beyond not sharing the same bloodline, the
two had completely opposite personalities and demeanors.

Without another word, I continued to apply the salve to Asher’s wrist, and as the
minutes passed by, I realized Kane was studying me. I could sense his gaze
immediately and heat rose to my cheeks.

“Have we met, healer?” he asked finally. “You look familiar.”

nearly jumped out of my skin in surprise.

“No, I don’t believe we've had the pleasure, my Lord,” I replied politely despite
the rapidness of my heartbeat. “My name is Ca ssandra Keller. I just arrived
recently from the Wild Crawler Pack.”

“The Wild Crawlers?” Kane repeated back, and his frown deepened. “Hmm. I
see. I don’t believe we've had the pleasure. I just... I could have sworn I'd
remember a face as lovely as yours.”

Part of me was panicked at Kane's questions, but the other part knew that it
could all be explained away easily. The Alpha King’s stepbrother was a known
womanizer. For all the rest of the palace knew, I was just another on his list of
attempted conquests.

“Oh please, Kane,” Adalyn spoke up for the first time, and she rolled her amber
eyes in disdain. “That line is old and tired.”

“Whatever,” he remarked, and then he chuckled.

I did my best to ignore them. I needed to focus on treating Asher. Once I was
certain the herbs were all in place, I dunked a clean rag into a bowl of cold water.
After I wrung it out, I carefully applied it to Asher’s forehead. Though he was
unconscious still, he let out a soft sigh of contentment in his sleep.

As I finished administering his treatment, worry rose up from deep in my chest.
I'd managed to push aside Kane’s questions, but had my answers been enough?
Did the Alpha King’s stepbrother suspect me?