Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper
Chapter 54

Chapter 54 Banquet

CA SSANDRA

I’d been apprehensive at the idea of attending the banquet that evening, but the king of Yurene had been insistent upon me joining them. I’d provided excuse after excuse, but they did me no good. The man was simply not taking no for an

answer.

So, I thanked him for the invitation and immediately headed back to my room to figure out what I would wear to such an occasion.

Back in Wild Crawler, I’d never attended banquets or fine events. Our lifestyle there was much more rugged and simple, so I didn’t have much in the way of fancy clothing.

Erika seemed surprised when I returned to my chambers and explained the situation to her.

“That’s wonderful that you were invited, Ca ssandra,” she said, and then her eyebrows creased together. “Hmm. I wonder what you will wear…”

“That’s my problem,” I replied, and a lump formed in my throat. “I don’t own anything acceptable enough to attend a banquet.“

Suddenly, the maid’s eyes glimmered and she flashed me an excited smile.

“Hold on,” she said mysteriously. “I have an idea.”

Before I could stop her, she’d snuck out of the room and disappeared for a while. When she returned, she had a dress bag in her hands.

“Let’s get you ready,” she announced.

We spent the rest of the evening primping and prepping me. Erika’s hands were steady and she managed to turn my hair from wild to sleek and shiny. She carefully

curled it so it fell in soft waves to my waist and then secured a section of it with a jeweled comb.

Once my hair was sorted, she helped me apply a touch of makeup. I was a little terrified at first, but Erika was very talented. She lined my eyes lightly with eyeliner and applied a rich black mascara that made my lashes long and lustrous. She also added a touch of cre amy blush that brought color back to my cheeks and a touch of pearlescent shimmer to my eyelids.

The maid finished off the look with a soft l*pstick that didn’t make me feel too foolish, and when she held the mirror to my face, a gasp escaped me.

She’d enhanced my natural beauty in a way I hadn’t expected, and for the first. time in a long time, I felt lovely.

After that, she led me over to the dress bag and unzipped it to reveal a dress. that made my heart stop. I recognized it immediately.

“This dress belonged to Cora,” Erika revealed with a small, sad smile. “I held on to a few of her belongings after she died. This was one of them.”

I had to fight back tears.

“I think Cora would be happy if she knew you were wearing it,” she continued on, and she forced back a sniffle. “I think the two of you would have been fine friends.”

“Thank you,” I managed, and I choked back a s ob.

The dress was the same one I’d worn to the ball where I’d found out Asher was my true mate.

It was a beautiful thing, a pale silver with a beaded bodice and a flowing skirt that cascaded to the floor like moonlight. It was completely gorgeous, but seeing it filled me with sadness. It was yet another remnant of the life I’d lost.

But Erika didn’t know that, and she sure wasn’t about to replace out now. So, I thanked her and swept her into a hug.

Soon after, she helped me into the dress, and I found it to be more snug than I remembered. I had to keep in mind that I’d had Finnick between then and now and I wasn’t quite the same shape as before. It was a little uncomfortable, but not too much, so I simply bore it.

“You look great,” Erika gushed once the dress was zipped and I’d spun around. “Now, let’s get you to the banquet hall. I’ll keep an eye on Finnick for you this evening, so don’t worry about being out too late.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Seriously, Erika. This means a lot.”

Erika simply smiled. “Of course, Ca ssandra.”

Without another moment’s hesitation, I left the room and made my way down the bustling hall. I wasn’t sure where the banquet was being held so I decided to follow the crowd of people down the stairs. As we descended, I realized where we were going, and my stomach twisted.

When I stepped foot in the formal hall, I forced myself to take a deep breath. Many years ago, what felt like an eternity ago, I’d come here to attend Asher’s coming-of-age ceremony and found out we were destined to know one another by the Moon. It had been a beautiful night and the memory of it alone should have put me at ease, but this room had also been where Asher had been crowned King and engaged with Adalyn.

Part of me considered turning around, but before I could, I spotted Kaleb. The king of Yurene wore a suit of dark blue, trimmed in white fur, and the color matched his eyes perfectly. His hair shimmered in the light and even I couldn’t help but admit he looked downright handsome.

“Ca ssandra,” he greeted me warmly as his eyes traveled over me. “You look

stunning.”

“Thank you,” I said. “You look very nice yourself.”

It was then I realized his weren’t the only eyes watching me. Around us, groups of people chattered and stared at me. Heat spread to my cheeks. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention.

Kaleb opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter another word, Adalyn and Asher appeared.

Adalyn was dressed in a sleek black dress that hugged every curve of her lithe frame and Asher wore a dark, severe suit to match. His gray eyes were sharper than usual, as if he were agitated, but the rest of his expression was calm.

The sight of him in a suit almost made me gasp. The Alpha King was gloriously handsome. But I had to contain myself.

arm.

Adalyn’s nostrils flared and she raised an eyebrow at me before taking Asher’s

“It’s a pleasure to see you, Alpha Kaleb,” she greeted the king of Yurene formally.

“The pleasure is mine,” Kaleb replied, and while his tone was warm, I could sense he didn’t care for her that much.

Meanwhile, Asher stared at me with intensity, as if he were trying to burn a hole. through me. I could tell he was irritated but I couldn’t sense why

Was he still annoyed with me?

“Would you like to accompany me for the rest of the party, Ca ssandra?” Kaleb interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked up, he flashed a pearly-teethed smile at me. While I didn’t know how to feel about his offer, I knew there was no way I could refuse him.

So, I smiled back and nodded.

Across from us, Asher’s cheeks darkened and I watched his jaw tense. His mouth sét in a thin line and I could see the veins in his hands grow more prominent.

Was he… jealous?

Everyone began to take their seats, and Kaleb escorted me to the table. We were seated opposite Adalyn and Asher. Beside them sat Adalyn’s father and

mother, Oliver and Linda Moses. As we sat down, I had to take a deep breath to keep from shaking.

I

Asher introduced Kaleb to them, and the entire time, I had to avert my eyes and

block out his words.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t forget Oliver Moses, the former Beta who’d claimed my father wanted to kill him and replace him. Even after all of these years, the need for vengeance surged through me and made me want to rush across the table and kill him. I wanted blood for what that wicked man had done to my family.

Their words flew past me and I held back my disgust as Oliver Moses fawned. over the king of Yurene. I stayed out of the exchange until I heard him mention that his son, Silas Moses, the current Beta of the Crescent Pack, was absent because he was running an inspection on the Myriad for the Alpha King.

I was surprised by this. The Myriad should have been reporting to the Alphal King directly. Perhaps things had changed. Back in the day, after my father had been imprisoned and my brother was banished, the Myriad didn’t have a leader.

Did the Beta family get command over them too?

What hadn’t they taken at this point other than the crown?

I was suddenly brought into reality when Oliver Moses addressed me directly.

“Excuse me, my lady. Are you the new royal healer, the one from Wild Crawler?”