CASSANDRAA lump formed in my throat in response to Asher’s words. What did the Alpha King want to talk to me about?I forced down my fear and simply nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”I glanced down at Finnick, and my son nodded as well. He took my hand and then I led him over to the meeting area of the study. Finnick sat first, and then I took a seat to the right of him, closer to Asher. Even though I knew nothing bad would happen, I wanted to put myself in a place of protection just in case.Moments later, a knock was heard at the doors.“Come in,” Asher called out in a regal tone. The doors opened to reveal a pair of servants holding trays. They quickly hustled over to us, set the trays down on the large ebony coffee table, and then bowed respectfully at Asher.“Do you require anything else at the moment, Your Majesty?” one of the servants, an older red-headed woman asked politely.Asher shook his head. “Not at the moment. Leave us, please.”“Yes, Your Majesty,” the pair replied in unis
ASHERWhy did I trust Cassandra Keller?That was a great question. But I was completely surprised when the healer asked it, and even more surprised when I realized her question had a point.I hadn’t told anyone about my ailment apart from Lancel. My most trusted guard had been attempting to investigate the mark for me, but it hadn’t been going well. Besides him, no one else knew I had the disease. Not the royal healers or even Adalyn.So, why was I willing to entrust this secret to a healer from a mostly forgotten Pack on the border?In all honesty, I didn’t know why, but something in my gut told me she could be trusted. When I’d shown her my mark back in Alpha Gareth’s meeting room, I hadn’t thought about it twice. Trusting her felt natural as if she were someone I’d known for years.But in reality, it was unnatural, strange even.Why would I trust a village healer?So, I reached into my mind and crafted an answer for Cassandra Keller that seemed passable. I told her it was nothing,
CASSANDRAI could only blame myself for my own carelessness. Finnick’s eyes. Why hadn’t I found a better excuse for their coloring, and why had I let myself tense up so much when the Alpha King had inquired about them?I should have been more prepared, more calm… but everything about Asher Collins’ presence set every nerve in my body on fire. I was a deer, cornered by his steel-like gaze.I couldn’t even keep my grip on a simple teacup. When it shattered all over the floor of the king’s study, I found myself wishing I’d shattered with it to avoid the embarrassment of facing him.“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty!” I cried, and then I lept to my feet and started collecting the pieces from the floor. All the while, my forehead broke out in sweat, and heat spread through my cheeks. This was beyond mortifying.“It’s okay,” Asher muttered as I cleaned around the room. “It was an accident.”Yet, his tone said otherwise. I’d made a huge mistake. I’d broken palace property and probably burned the A
CASSANDRAThe dream began just like many others before it.I knelt on the floor, begging the intruder to see Asher until my throat was raw. But the soldiers never listened.Their faces were black, undiscernible no matter how much I stared at them. They were like shadows, mocking my every word, my every whimper, my every cry.As my voice caught in my throat, one of the shadow men took a step forward and gripped my arm. He pulled me harshly to my feet, gripped my face, and pried my mouth open. I kicked and kicked, but the effort was useless. The shadow man forced a liquid down my throat, and as it streamed into my mouth, I began to gag. It was cold and harsh and burned every bit of the way down.My mind started to swirl as the room spun around me. I collapsed to the cold ground and froze, unable to move.The shadow men spit and snarled at me. They cursed me, called me an indecent, terrible woman, and swore that I deserved every bit of what came next. And then, they left the room, lockin
CASSANDRA My heart skipped a beat in my chest and every inch of my skin broke out in goosebumps. Was this real? Was that really my tomb? But as I stared on at the marble monument, I knew it to be true. That tomb was indeed for Cora Felix. Had Asher built it himself? And furthermore, did he have Rosepetal reconstructed? There was no other logical reason for the mansion to be intact after the inferno. The blaze had rendered everything damaged and destroyed. I stared at the Alpha King and frowned. His stance, his bowed head… he appeared to be in mourning. As sad as it was, it made little sense to me, and many questions swirled around my mind like a tornado. Why did he do all of this? Was he sorry for me? Why had he left me alone that night and why didn’t he come to my rescue if he was so sad? My instincts told me to run to him and demand answers, but after a moment of deliberation, I managed to get myself under control. What would change if I got the answers anyway? It was too lat
CASSANDRAWhy had there been a viper near the Palace?And why had Asher uttered my true name before he’d lost consciousness in the garden?The questions swirled around in my mind as I stared down at Asher. The Alpha King was fast asleep and tucked tightly into bed. His forehead was still shiny with sweat and his chest heaved as he breathed laboriously.Just after he’d been bitten by the viper, I’d screamed my head off and caught the attention of several guards out on the grounds. They’d rushed over to Rosepetal and helped get the king back to his room in the palace.One of the guards, an older one whose name I couldn’t recall, had asked if I wanted the aid of the other royal healers, but I’d turned down the offer. I didn’t want to risk the others seeing the dark mark on Asher’s skin. Injured or not, I’d made a promise to keep the king’s disease a secret.Since I’d been appointed as Asher’s private healer, the guards had no problem with me treating him personally. They’d even gone out
CASSANDRAThough 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 servants and guards alike whisper about the Alpha King’s brother. It was said that he’d become something of a 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 do
CASSANDRA Luckily the small crowd of people that had gathered in the chamber left after nearly an hour. Adalyn had wanted to stay and keep watch over Asher, but Margaret insisted that the Luna accompany her instead. It took a little pleading on Asher’s stepmother’s part, but Adalyn finally agreed and left along with the rest of the family. Once they were gone, relief flooded through me. This had become quite a messy affair, and I didn’t need the added pressure of a million eyes on me while I tried to get Asher’s condition under control. When I was certain that no one else was going to burst into the room, I carefully lowered the blanket I’d tucked around Asher. Kane had seemed curious about why it was there when Asher was so feverish, but I’d made up some kind of excuse that it was used for treatment. However, keeping him warm was the worst thing I could have done. In all reality, the blanket had been a means to cover up Asher’s dark mark. I hadn’t wanted his family to know about t