Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 37 Attraction and Control

CA SSANDRA

By the time I had Asher’s condition stable and under control, I was utterly
exhausted. The clock on the wall read 4:00 AM, and I was certainly feeling the
effects of being up so late.

It took a lot of effort and plenty of medicine, but Asher finally looked better than
he had before. His breath was steady, no longer labored, the blueness of his lips
had faded, and the swelling of his bite went down. Yet, he still hadn't regained
consciousness, so I needed to stay with him and make sure he was truly alright.
I pulled a chair up over to Asher’s bedside and then slumped into it with a long,
heavy exhale. This felt like the longest night I'd ever experienced, longer than the
night Finnick and I had spent in the woods.

I rested my head in my hands for a moment and closed my eyes. My adrenaline
was finally wearing down and sleepiness was starting to take hold.

As I sat there, Kane's earlier words played like a repetitive song in my mind.
There was a chance Asher’s stepbrother was right- Asher had been suspicious of
my identity from the start. I was starting to run out of luck very quickly. The longer
I stayed here in Anemond, the more difficult it would be to keep my past a secret.
My only way out of here was to discover the cause of the mysterious disease that
plagued the Alpha King. But how could I discover the source when I had no clue
of its origins?

My head swam with dizziness and I slumped in my seat a little. This was
becoming a major disaster very fast. I needed to do anything in my power to
keep -my identity hidden from those who would use it to destroy me and my son.
I leaned back in my seat and settled in. I struggled to keep my eyes open and
every so often, my entire body twitched from the effort. I was exhausted.

Nearly two hours later, I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep and awoke to a soft
touch against my cheek. I blinked my eyes open sleepily, and then Asher’s face.
came into focus.

Panic set in for a moment, and then my eyebrows creased together.

“Asher?” I whispered, forgetting all formality.

The Alpha King nodded and stared deeply into my eyes. His expression was full
of affection and his finger brushed against my lips. I shivered. What was
happening?

My heart raced in my chest and the distance between us narrowed until I could
feel his breath against my face. Part of me thought I was dreaming, but the other
part wasn’t quite sure. This all felt so real.

Asher’s lips pressed against mine, and for a moment, I hesitated, until I went
against my own instincts and kissed him back. I knew it was a bad idea, but I did
it

anyway.

Heat spread up from my core.

Asher and I were kissing.

He pressed up against me further and then swiftly lifted me up from the chair. I
wasn’t sure where this was going but I wasn’t about to question it. He was warm
and inviting, and the scent of his wonderful cologne invaded my nostrils. He was
enticing in every way, and my body was going numb from pleasure. I wrapped my
legs around his torso for stability.

Asher held mé against him gently and ran his hand and then we collapsed onto
the bed. He arranged himself on top of me and then leaned down and kissed me
again. We continued on like this for a while until I carefully sat up and began to
unbutton my nightgown. Asher took over by the third button and then eased me
out. of the dress, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.

Asher laid me back down on the pillow and stared at me. His expression was
intimate like he was looking at the sun for the first time, and I couldn't help but be
in awe of this reverence.

He pulled me against him then, and as I lifted up from the bed, my hair flared out
around me. The Alpha King’s hands got lost in the coppery strands, and when he
tugged slightly, a soft sigh escaped me. I didn’t like to admit it to myself very
often, but I enjoyed a little roughness when it came to intimacy.

Asher’s lips curled into a grin at this discovery, and then he pulled again, a little
harder, before he brought his lips down against mine. We kissed for a while and
then he pulled away and kissed my neck. His breath was hot against me, and I
moaned with delight as he cupped my breast and ran his thumb over my nipple. I
hadn't been touched like this in years, and my body yearned for it.

Asher ran his fingertips along my bare skin and I shivered in anticipation. This
moment was unlike any other. I wasn't sure how far this was going to go, but if I
had it my way, we'd never leave this bed.

I

Eventually, before our intimacy could reach the next logical step, I caught his
hand and held it in place. Asher froze and his eyebrows creased together in
confusion.

We caught our breath and then there was a long, drawn-out silence between us
that spanned for what felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes. I stared
deeply into his beautiful gray eyes and searched my mind for the right words to
say.

What could be said?

Should I apologize? Explain myself?

“I... I'm sorry, Ca ssandra,” Asher breached the silence, and he offered me an
apologetic expression. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It's okay,” whispered, and then I broke my gaze to look for my discarded
nightgown. “Are you feeling better now?”

The Alpha King nodded. “Yes, I'm feeling much better. Thank you, Ca ssandra,
for taking care of me.”

“Of course,” I replied, and I carefully rose from the bed and began to dress
myself. Asher helpfully held my hair back as I pulled my dress on, and once I had
it

securely buttoned, he dropped the strands and let them fall down my back.

I studied him again, wondering what else to say until I finally managed to speak.
“I should leave. The hour is late and Finnick is probably wondering where I am.”
“Yes, of course,” Asher whispered. I wondered for a moment if he would stop me,
but I was relieved when he made no move. “Ca ssandra, is there anything you
want?”

I frowned. “What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

Asher ran his hands through his hair. “I want to repay you for saving my life. Is ou
for saving my life. Is there anything you require, anything at all that would make
you happier here in the palace?”

I considered

I considered the idea briefly, but nothing came to mind. I wouldn't be able to find
happiness here in Anemond, no matter what favor he could grant me, so it was
probably best to turn him down.

But when I opened my mouth to speak, a thought crossed my mind..

Maybe there was something after all.

“Perhaps,” I said, and I raised my chin slightly. “I want your maid, Erika, to be
appointed as Finnick’s babysitter.”