Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 291 CASSANDRA 055% 11:04 FD Outside of the scientific research I'd conducted with Becky back in Anemond, | had known nothing about wielding magic before the fire in the main building at Vlokwell. When | cast the spell to put out the blaze and control and deflect the bullets from Kaleb’s soldiers, | acted completely on instinct. There had been no incantations, no rituals, just pure adrenaline.

| didn’t know what to expect when | ordered Raven to showhow to use these new powers, but | hadn't realized it would be so difficult.

As she taught me, using sorcery required willpower, physical energy, strong belief, and determination. To practice certain forms, one needed to believe in what would happen next and be determined to make it happen.

It was all bizarre and for someone like me, who had always thought magic powers were merely a fabricated story, practicing sorcery was a challenge.

After half a day of attempting different spells and techniques to no avail, | was ready to give up entirely. Still, Ravenworked insisted that since Emmett’s soul contained both strong willpower and energy, | could use magic properly regardless.

The dark-haired sorceress hadn't askedwhy | needed to practice magic so urgently, but | assumed she already knew by the way she hinted around it. Raven made it a point to mention that she wasn’t an expert in using magic for fighting, but Roxy was. She said if | wanted to get better at fighting, I'd better look for her sister instead.

At the mere mention of Roxy, Raven looked a bit BRNrefused to say outright that she missed her twin. In any other circumstance, I'd have felt bad for her, but ti orceress twins had been a thorn in all of our sides for so long.

During one of our lessons, | muttered something to myself quietly in frustration, and Raven's face went pale.

“So, what are you going to do to me?” she wondered, her face uncharacteristically serious. “Burnalive until I'm nothing more than ashes? Like what I did to you?” “You will be imprisoned in Wegalla,” | answered without missing a beat. “I don’t believe in sentencing a person to death, but you will be detained for your crimes, Raven.” 1/4 Emergency calls only F Chapter 291 | expected her to react as solemnly as she did before but instead, she giggled and shook her head.

055% 11.05 FD “That's a fate even worse than death,” she said, and the glint in her bluish-green eyes was unnerving. On anyone else, it would have seemed like her humor and tendency to ramble as a coping mechanism, but | was fully convinced that Raven was utterly insane. There was no other explanation for her weirdness, and | longed for the day when | got to see her get put away in a Wegallan jail cell.

Until then, | had to endure her and learn all I could about sorcery.

For all of her faults, | had to admit that Raven was a good teacher. Strangely, she was enthusiastic about inspiring my potential.

The more | worked with her, the more | began to understand what kind of a person she was.

| had once thought that Raven was just evil and cun ning but that wasn’t the whole truth. It was true that she had a horrible personality. She saw others as her gu inea pigs and had no respect for life. But on the other hand, she was very pure.

She cared nothing about power or politics. She was only passionate about magical research. She didn’t care if Kaleb died or if Yurene was crushed. She was willing to work with anyone and stay anywhere as long as she had a chance to discover new things about magic. | supposed that was why she was so cooperative.

Weirdly enough, | began to believe her more and more.

So, one day, | decided to ask her about the method to remove poison from Asher’s body. | mentioned what Emmett had told me, that mating would be the ultimate cure. | asked her if that was true.

Raven waited forto finish and then raised an eyebrow and giggled.

“I don’t see any reason why he would lie to you,” she remarked. “After all, if you and your king are in love with each other, what would be lost if you mated?” Though she was blunt with her words, she was right. What could be lost? Asher was married but that was a long-forgotten fact. He'd never mated with Adalyn and he made it clear that he had no intention to do so. She was a ghost, nothing to worry about given our current situation.

| had already made up my mind long ago. Whatever the consequence was, Asher would be my only mate and lover.

2/4 Emergency calls onlyDO Chapter 291 055% 11:05 FD That night, when Asher kissedand said goodnight, | took his arm and pulled him in closer. He seemed surprised but didn’t resist.

“Finnick is going to sleep with Erika tonight,” | whispered. “I want you to stay.” | wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his. Asher studiedfor a moment, blinking his gray eyes atin confusion. To his credit, we hadn't been intimate since Lila and Finnick had seen us in the bedroom.

# “Are you sure?” he asked. “Did something happen?” | took a moment to gather my courage and then gazed deeply into his eyes.

“I want you to claim me,” | said softly but definitively.

He didn’t say anything, but | could see an array of emotions flash in his eyes and his breath grew heavy. | had no idea what it meant to a male wolf when his mate asked him to claim her, but | could sense he was having a hard tcontrolling himself.

He suddenly grabbed my shoulder tightly.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his tone harsh.

I nodded. “Yes.” Asher hesitated. “Why? | don’t want you to make a hasty decision. We can wait-" “I don’t want to wait,” | interrupted him. “I think it’s the only way to control the poison in your body, Asher.” Disappointment flashed in his eyes and he smiled bitterly. “Is that why you wantto claim you? So you can save my life?” “That's not what | mean,” | insisted. “I love you, Asher. You're the only man I've ever loved and the only man | want to love. That's why | want you to claim me. | want to be yours forever- body, mind, and soul.” Silence hung in the air for a moment, and he raised his hand to cup my cheek. His skin was cold against mine but I didn’t mind. His scent was consumingand all | wanted was to bridge the distance between us.

3/4 Emergency calls only Chapter 291 055% 11:05 “Do you know what mate means?” Asher askedgently as he gazed into my eyes. “There would be no way back. This is a permanent connection-" FD “I know what it means,” | insisted as | leaned into his touch. “I don’t make this decision lightly, Asher Collins.

Being mates means nothing can pull us apart, not even death. | would be yours, forever. And that's what | want.

To be yours, forever.”