Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper novel Chapter 81

ASHER

Chapter 81 A taste of jealousy

When Ca ssandra Keller arrived at my study for the health check the next day, was still thinking about Adalyn’s accusatory words. I wasn’t st upid enough to fall for the claim that the healer was somehow entangled with the king of Yurene. There

was no way she had anything to do with him..

I knew Adalyn’s words had come from jealousy.

And yet, I couldn’t help but consider Kaleb. The way the king from the North treated Ca ssandra bothered me greatly. There was something there in the way the tall, foreign man studied her. There was an affection that I didn’t like, one that even now, I couldn’t deny.

But a spy? No. There was no way that the beautiful healer I’d plucked all the way from Wild Crawler was an operative.

“Is everything okay?” she asked me quietly.

“Sure,” I remarked simply.

She spread her supplies out on my desk and then got to work. As she poked. and prodded me, my mind began to wander until I finally slipped back into reality. Ca ssandra was engrossed in her work. I watched her closely as she made notes about my blood pressure and then moved on to the next task with ease.

I wanted to make small talk, but I had the sense she didn’t want to speak with me at all after what had happened between us in my chamber yesterday. What could I say, and what could I do about it all?

A sigh escaped me before I could stop it.

“You can sit closer,” I said-softly.

Ca ssandra looked up from her notes and seemed taken aback by the offer.

“Excuse me?” she asked as her brow furrowed.

“You can sit closer,” I repeated myself, and then I took a breath. “I promise, I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.”

Her cheeks flushed scarlet and then she nodded. She scooted in a little closer, but I could tell from her b*dy language that she was still too nervous to be around

“About yesterday,” I said after I cleared my throat. “About Margaret. I just wanted to apologize for what she did. There was no reason why she should have shown up to your chambers and tried to seize you. Her guards had no reason to lay a single hand on you and I promise it’s being dealt with. I’ve always tried to play nicely with her for my brother’s sake, but clearly, there’s no reason for it.”

I didn’t mean to say the last sentence aloud, though it was true. I’d always wanted to send Margaret away, and now since my father was gone, there was really no reason for her to remain in Anemond. But I resisted the urge to exile her for Kane’s sake. I didn’t want to damage my relationship with him by sending his mother

somewhere else.

But clearly, I’d been too lax with her. I needed to punish her for what she’d attempted to do to Ca ssandra.

“It’s okay,” the healer remarked quietly. “After all, Your Majesty, Adalyn was wounded in my laboratory. I understand why Margaret would be angry that her daughter-in-law was wounded.”

I wanted to say something in response but didn’t know what. I was reminded of

an earlier conversation between us where Ca ssandra had asked me if I cared about

my relationship with Adalyn, and I’d said no.

The unease in my heart grew stronger.

“I heard that Kaleb was the one that stopped Margaret,” I continued.