Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Merliscire Palace

CA SSANDRA

I peered up at the clock at the front of the car. The display read noon, and despite the ride being long, it seemed like it should have been much later.

When I peered out the window, a strange feeling formed in the pit of my

stomach.

Merliscire Palace. It was just as magnificent as ever, with tall, pillars

constructed of white marble that glinted with specks of gold, a surplus of long windows, and expansive balconies that gave a beautiful view of the

perfectly-manicured grounds. The gra*s was a lustrous shade of emerald, and the driveways were paved in rich red brick.

At the front of the palace was an enormous gold fountain. It was in the shape of a wolf with its head raised high toward the moon. It had been crafted centuries ago and was meant to pay tribute to the Moon Goddess. The water splashed high into the air and shimmered on its way down.

Anemond may have been the source of my nightmares, but I couldn’t deny. there was something beautiful and magical about the palace.

The car pulled up the drive and stopped right at the marble stairs that led to the entrance hall. The moment I caught sight of the stairs, a memory struck me.

I remembered the first time my father had brought my brother Ector and me to the palace. Even back then, we were both awestruck by the sight of it and its luxuriousness. When we’d first stepped foot inside, Father had told us to not wander or look about, as it would be impolite, but we couldn’t resist. We’d never witnessed a beauty such as the Merliscire Palace before, and we likely never would again.

I was pulled back to reality when Finnick began to stir. His eyes blinked open slowly and then widened when he realized where we were.

“We’re here?” he breathed, and then his lips curled into a grin. His innocence

touched something deep within me, and for a moment, I felt like I was a young girl again. How I wished this place hadn’t tainted my life in the way it had, so I too could feel excited about this place.

“Yes,” I said simply, and then I helped Finnick with his seatbelt. Marco, meanwhile, couldn’t have moved faster. He undid his own seatbelt with ease and then launched himself out the door. Asher got out silently as well, and as Finnick and I climbed out of the car, I watched the young prince embrace his father.

Asher gave him a brief hug and then carefully pulled away from his son and turned to the se rvants who’d just arrived. He flashed them a stern expression, and they immediately went to the trunk and began to unload our luggage. I watched the exchange in awe. It wasn’t impolite exactly, but the scope of Asher’s power was impressive to see.

I looked around at the se rvants to see if I could recognize any of them, and yet, none looked familiar. Perhaps the Alpha King had brought in a whole new crew when he’d been coronated, or perhaps, I just couldn’t remember any of them. After all, I hadn’t visited the palace all that often in the first place, even before my father was framed. Asher had never liked meeting me at the palace, He preferred to come to me instead at Rosepetal, the mansion I’d moved to after we’d discovered we were

mates.

Asher always liked to refer to Rosepetal as “our home”

But in the end, it turned out to be my prison and the place I nearly lost my life.

When Finnick tugged at my sleeve impatiently, I pushed away my thoughts of the mansion and returned to the present.

“This is amazing, Mommy,” he whispered, and I smiled down at him.

“It is,” I agreed in an equally soft voice. “Now, stay close to me, baby. This place is big and I don’t want you to get lost.”