CASSANDRA
The next few hours passed by laboriously. As we waited for the guards to return with some sort of news about the viper, Marley and I did all we could to keep the boy comfortable. We took his temperature, monitored his heart rate, and continued to apply cold compresses to keep his fever from rising any higher.
Meanwhile, it took all of my concentration to remain perfectly focused on the boy. My mind was trying to wander to different places, and Asher Collins wasn’t helping. The Alpha King remained close to us as we attended to his son, and it was unclear if he was monitoring our treatment or just studying me.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as chills continuously ran down my spine. I wasn’t the kind of woman who got nervous easily, but the Alpha King’s very presence set every inch of my body on edge.
Of all of the people to be here, he was the last one I’d ever have expected, and my emotions were running wild. I wasn’t sure whether to cry or be relieved to see him after so long. All I knew was that this was unbelievably complicated.
After long, a pair of guards returned. They’d finally tracked down the viper. Luckily, it was one that I’d seen in a medical book. I relayed all of the information I knew to Marley and Asher, and the pair of them seemed relieved to know there was a potential cure.
The Alpha King had assigned guards to accompany Marley back to the clinic to procure the herbs needed to heal the boy. My assistant seemed nervous to be surrounded by such heavily-weaponed men, but she accepted the help.
Half an hour later, she returned with the herbs, and we got to work. We prepared a salve to apply directly to the wound, and then used others to brew a tea that would treat the boy internally. The prince was weak, but we managed to help him get enough of the tea into his system to treat him properly.
Hours passed by, and by dusk, the boy finally became stable. After much fitful moaning and crying, he’d finally fallen into a quiet sleep. The blueness of his lips had disappeared, and color had returned to his cheeks. Beneath the salve, the swollenness of the bite had eased.
Once he was sustained, I sent Marley back home. She put up a bit of a fight and insisted on staying with me, but I pushed back and told her she needed to go back to her boys.
“They’re going to be excited to show you what they hunted in the forest,” I’d reminded her. “They need you more than I do right now.”
After a little more convincing, Marley agreed to go, and once she packed up and left the Pack House, I’d turned to the rest of the people standing around in the chamber and asked for some time alone with my patient. The guards seemed hesitant to leave me alone with the prince, but the Alpha King heeded my request and ordered the others to do the same. They filtered out of the chamber, and once they were gone, I released a sigh.
As much as the quiet was nice, asking everyone to leave us was more of an excuse than anything. My patient was stable, but I needed time to think and process the emotions that swirled around in my mind like a storm.
I hadn’t been prepared to see Asher again, and I was surprised to see just how much he’d changed over the years. He was the Alpha King now, and as such, he was the ruthless leader of the Wegalla Empire. In the past, he’d seemed hesitant to take on the position, but it seemed like he’d embraced his destiny.
Not only that, but he had a son.
I glanced over at the boy. Was he also the son of Adalyn Moses?
A pang of sadness struck me. He had to be. Asher had abandoned me all those years ago and left me to suffer for the sake of marrying Adalyn. It would make sense that he’d have a son with her.
My chest suddenly felt tight, and for a moment, I thought I was about to cry, but I forced those feelings down. Asher Collins was the Alpha King now. What he did was none of my business anymore, and I couldn’t let him affect me like this.
Besides, I had Finnick and my career here in the Wild Crawler Pack, not to mention my dear friend Marley and her family. I was loved and respected here, and that’s all I needed.
I looked back at the prince. He reminded me a little of Finnick, though they didn’t look alike. The prince had a sweet round face and soft curly hair, just like his mother, Adalyn. She’d been the most beautiful she-wolf in the Crescent Pack, so it was unsurprising her son took after her.
My Finnick had a more serious appearance, much like his father. He was cute, but there was something mature and intelligent in his eyes.
Suddenly, a soft whimper interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked over, I watched the prince roll on his side. His sheets were thoroughly soaked from perspiration, and his forehead appeared damp as well.
“Oh, sweetheart,” I murmured, and I hopped to my feet. The poor child was at risk of catching a cold.
I rushed over to the door, and peeked my head out. A pair of guards stood at attention, and they stared at me with expressions of concern.
“I need a servant,” I said. “The prince needs a fresh set of blankets.”
The guards nodded, and one of them disappeared down the hall. I stepped back into the chamber, and a few minutes later, the doors flew open to reveal a pair of servants with piles of fresh linens. But they weren’t alone. Asher Collins walked in with them, and his gray eyes flashed with concern.
“How is he?” he demanded as he rushed over, but when he caught sight of his son, his expression softened.
“Better,” I answered gently. “I just thought he would be more comfortable with fresh sheets.”
“Oh,” Asher said simply, and he nodded. It was clear that he was a caring father, and it was strange to seem him in this light.
I stepped aside as the servants changed the prince’s sheets, and as Asher spoke quietly to his son, I felt a lump form once again in my throat. My stomach turned and for a moment, I thought I was going to throw up. Tears welled in my eyes, and I dug my nails into my palms.
This was too hard.
Once the servants were done, they left the chamber, and I wanted to follow. So, I turned to Asher.
“Your son just needs rest,” I managed to say. “He’s recovering quite well, so I think I should take my leave.”
Before he could say another word, I turned on my heels and headed toward the doors. I’d nearly made it there when Asher’s voice rang through the chamber.
“Stay,” he demanded.
I froze for a moment, and then took a step forward. Then he spoke again, his voice hardened and deadly serious.
“I said stay.”
CASSANDRAI was stunned by the severity of his tone. He wasn’t addressing me as Asher Collins. He was ordering me as the Alpha King.The last thing I wanted was to stay in the chamber alone with him and the sleeping prince, but as much as I wanted to disobey his order, I knew I had no choice. He was the ruler of the realm, and I could face horrible consequences if I didn’t obey.So, I turned back around. I was about to walk back over to the bed when a thought crossed my mind.“My apologies, Your Majesty, but I need to go and take care of my son,” I explained, and it took all of my effort to keep my voice steady.“Your son?” Asher repeated back, and he crossed his arms against his chest.“Yes, my son,” I answered. “He’s waiting for me. I’ve been working all day, so I haven’t had the chance to see him yet.”“Where is he?” the Alpha King pressed. His gray eyes narrowed as if he didn’t wish to let me leave.“He is with the Luna Sofia’s children,” I answered. “Downstairs, I believe. ”“He
CASSANDRAMy lip quivered as I searched for an explanation, and Asher rose from his seat. However, just as the Alpha King took a step toward us, the sleeping prince’s eyes opened.“Daddy?” the young boy managed. “What happened?”Asher seemed to forget about us completely and turned his full attention to his son. He squatted down beside the boy and took his hand.“You’re awake,” he said in relief. “Oh, thank goodness. Do you feel any better now?”His tone was gentle, something I’d never heard from him before. Or perhaps I had, but the memories were buried now.The young prince nodded and smiled at his father. “I feel better now, Daddy...”“Do you remember what happened?” Asher asked quietly and when the boy shook his head, he sighed. “That’s alright. What’s important is that you’re safe and feeling better than before. I’m so relieved.”As he held his son’s hand, I noticed Finnick gazing at them longingly. It tugged at my heartstrings, but there was nothing I could do except get the bot
CASSANDRA“Mommy, what’s going on?” Finnick whispered, and he stared up at me with widened eyes. I froze in place, unsure of how to answer him. Surely, the Alpha King couldn’t be serious.Me, go with him to Anemond?I studied Asher’s expression and wondered if he’d seen past my changed face and voice. Had he discovered it was me after all? No. There was no way.Regardless, why would he bring me there? As the capital city of the Wegalla Empire, there were countless outstanding healers that resided there. While I knew I was good at my job, I didn’t believe for a moment that I was any more talented than any of them.If anything, I could just write down the list of herbs I’d used and have the servants pass it along to the royal healers, and if something was amiss, they knew where to find me.“I-I don’t understand, Your Majesty,” I asked him. “Why bring me all the way to Anemond?”“Must I repeat myself?” the Alpha King sighed and he shook his head in frustration. “I thought you were smart,
CASSANDRAI remained in bed with Finnick for a while and stared lovingly at his adorable face as he dreamt. Part of me could have stayed here forever, holding my sweet baby boy in my arms, but the other part knew there was so much to do.I carefully tucked Finnick deep into the covers, and once I was sure he wasn’t going to wake, I quietly slipped out of his room and headed toward mine down the hall. I gently closed the door behind me, and once it was shut, I released the sigh I’d been holding onto for hours now.This was all such a mess, and there was only one thing I could do.I had to pack- not for Anemond, but somewhere else.I needed to take Finnick and run as far away as we could.I didn’t see any other choice. My son and I couldn’t go to Anemond.So, I started moving around my room and got to packing.I grabbed only the essentials- a few pairs of clothes, some money I’d stashed away, necessary toiletries, and the legal documents I needed to hold onto for Finnick’s sake. We woul
CASSANDRAWhen I entered my son’s room, I half-expected him to be awake, but he was fast asleep.He had his arms wrapped around his favorite teddy bear, Teddy, and for a moment, I didn’t want to wake him up. He seemed so peaceful, and I was about to put him through so much stress.But not as much as I would be if we went to Anemond.So, I leaned down and gently touched his arm.“Finnick,” I whispered, and when he didn’t rouse, I said his name again. After a moment, his nose crinkled and his eyes blinked open.“Mommy?” he said, and he yawned lightly.“Sorry to wake you, baby,” I said, and I gave him my most apologetic smile. “We have to go.”“Go?” he repeated back in a confused voice. “Go where?”“I’ll tell you on the way there,” I explained. “For now, we just need to get ready, okay?”Finnick nodded, though his gray eyes were concerned. I pulled the covers aside and helped him down. We walked over to the closet, and we got him dressed.After I zipped up his jacket, I picked out a coup
CASSANDRA“Finnick!” I cried .“Mommy!” Finnick shouted back through tears. “Mommy, help me!”I shined the flashlight over the rocks and coordinated a small path. I could get a better look at the situation if I shifted a little around them.“Hold on, baby,” I pleaded. “Mommy is going to help. Just keep breathing.”“Okay,” Finnick whimpered, and the sound tugged at my heartstrings.I followed the beams of light and made my way down over the rocks. It was a little difficult to navigate, but I had to save my son.When I reached the bottom, I shined the flashlight around me to get my bearings, and when I did, I realized we were at the entrance of a small cave. Somehow, Finnick had managed to stamp on it and get caught in between rocks.“Keep breathing, Finnick,” I urged him as he wiggled and writhed. “I think I can get you out.”I carefully climbed back up to the top of the rocks and over to Finnick. Even in the dark, I could see his cheeks were soaked from his tears. His lower lip trembl
CASSANDRAWhen I awoke, my vision was blurred, and my head swam with incoherent thoughts. As I fought back the dizziness, my eyes began to adjust, and images of the Moon Goddess and the Holy Moon appeared.For a moment, I stared at them and wondered if this was the afterlife.Had the bear managed to take my life? Was I… dead?Suddenly, the room came into focus, and I recognized the mural I’d painted on my ceiling long ago. I wasn’t dead. I was in my bedroom, tucked tightly into bed.How had I gotten here?Suddenly, I felt the soft touch of a warm hand on my arm. When I glanced over, I caught sight of Marley.“Oh Cassandra,” she gushed in pure relief, and her pale green eyes glittered with tears. “You’re awake!”It took me a moment to register everything. I blinked a few times and then I smiled up at my dear friend. “H-hi, M-Marley.”The effort of speaking hurt my throat, but I was so relieved to see her that it didn’t matter.“I was so worried, Cass,” Marley continued on, and she wipe
CASSANDRAI tried to protest Marley’s proposal, but I knew it was a losing battle. I needed to get some rest so I could be strong enough to see Finnick. Even though he was with Alpha Gareth’s family, my poor boy was probably terrified and worried about me. And I was worried about him.But I couldn’t deny that I needed rest.So, I laid back in bed.Marley told me she’d be downstairs and she’d check on me in a little while, and then she quietly left the room. Once she was gone, I took a long deep breath and tried to process everything she’d told me.Asher Collins had saved my life.I closed my eyes after a while and tried to get some rest. Luckily, the medicine Marley had given me was highly effective, and I drifted off quickly, but my sleep was anything but peaceful.My dreams were plagued with images and nightmares of the inferno, along with scenarios of losing my Finnick all because Asher had exposed my real identity. The dreams were strange and twisted, and when I awoke, I was drenc