Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Yesterday, during a Pack meeting, Darwin waited until we concluded with business to mention that he had heard

that | was a famous womanizer back in Anemond. It was said in an almost mocking, condescending tone of

voice.

“Nothing but a rumor,” | said evenly, though anger swelled within me. It was indeed a rumor, one | spread

deliberately long ago in an attempt to stop Margaret from meddling with my love life. She had great enthusiasm

when it cto the prospect of couplingwith a high-born lady from a prestigious family, so | fashioned

myself a cad to keep the women at bay.

Kiara seemed stunned by this information. Her hazel eyes glanced away fromand she bit her full lower lip.

Just her horror alone was enough to makewant to reach across the table and place my hands around

Darwin’s throat.

I didn’t know what Kiara was thinking, but | suspected she might be wondering if | had proposed to many women

easily without any sense of responsibility.

It was infuriating. | had made mistakes in the past, but I didn’t think | was making one here. Though we didn’t

know each other well, | didn’t think of Kiara like that.]

Darwin grinned atcoyly, and again | wanted to hit him.

It was ironic that he had made such a specific dig at my character, especially after what I'd heard from a group

of ser vants just the other day. They had been in the far corner of the room, gossiping amongst themselves when

they thought no one could hear them. | wasn’t one to stick my nose where it didn’t belong, but | heard them

mention Darwin, so | couldn't resist.

As it turned out, he was the son of a shameful mistress. According to the se rvants, his mother was a shifty,

calculated woman who manipulated herself into a position of power. It was funny really, since my mother was

the ssort of person.

| considered bringing up Darwin's mother at the meeting but decided it was beneathto administer such a low

blow. | would hold onto that information and potentially use it later.

Darwin's intentions were clear. He wanted to expeland prove | didn’t deserve to be the future ruler of Sky

Pride.

Of course, he couldn't act on his impulses, not when Alpha Arthur was still unconscious.

2/4

X

Emergency calls only MO

Chapter 287

*

092%

12:36

The morning after the meeting, | caught the Alpha’s healer outside of his room in the hallway and ushered him

over.

FD

“Lord Kane,” he greetedpolitely. “How may | help you?”

“I wanted to ask about the condition of the Alpha,” | said quietly as I glanced around to make sure we were

alone. “How is he?”

The healer’s face grew solemn. “His condition has deteriorated swiftly. He... he likely won't survive past a week.”

| nodded, shocked by the news, and | waited until the healer was gone to sigh. A week? That news was far more

grim than I'd hoped.

| knew that if Arthur died, Darwin would get full command of the Pack and would sweepout in no time. | also

knew that Kiara would be condemned to live as Darwin's wife, and | couldn't decide which fact was worse.

| decided to visit the Alpha to see his condition for myself, and when | opened the door, | was surprised to see

Kiara. She was sitting in a chair beside the bed and she was crying so hard she didn’t noticeat first. When

she finally did, she cried even harder.

| rushed to her side and swept her into my arms, pulling her close. Her blackberry perffilled my nostrils with

its pleasant aroma, and | stroked her long hair as she wrapped her arms around me. Her curls were incredibly

soft.

She cried against my shoulder, and the moist, warm feeling against my shirt leftspeechless. Kiara loved her

father dearly and it was clear she wasn’t handling the news well.

“Why would the Moon Goddess take him away?” she whimpered, her voice underscored with hurt and anger.

“He's always been so strong and healthy, Kane. For him to suddenly be so sick... it makes no sense to me. Even

the healer couldn't figure out what happened. I... | don’t know what to do. | can’t lose him.”

She dissolved into sobs and | pulled her in tighter. We stood there for a while, locked in each other's embrace,

and as Kiara continued to cry, | looked over at Alpha Arthur. His face had a strange sheen to it and his lips were

deep purple.

My eyebrows knitted together and | slowly pulled away from Kiara just enough to look into her eyes.

“When did this start?” | wondered. “When did he get sick? And what do the healers know?”

“It started around a year ago,” Kiara lamented. “The healers said they couldn't identify what the cause was, but

every part of my father’s body started deteriorating quickly.”

“Had he been taking any medicine or drugs?” | wondered.

Kiara stared back atin confusion and then nodded. “The healer prescribed smedicine and nutritional

products, but they haven't been useful at all.”

“Do you remember the first symptom of the disease?” | asked as suspicion rose within me. Something about this

seemed familiar.

She nodded again. “It started to appear after a hunting trip he went on with Darwin and a few soldiers. They

were deep in the forest and he passed out all of a sudden. It was all so strange.”

I didn’t want to scare Kiara, but her words stirred up a bold assumption.

| didn’t think the Alpha was ill because of a disease.