Chapter 14


    Chapter 14 Alpha’s mark


    CA SSANDRA


    I felt like a rabbit cornered by a fearsome predatory. My entire body broke into goosebumps, and as I


    stared back at the Alpha King, I couldn’t believe what was happening. Was this truly the Asher Collins


    I’d known since childhood?


    I’d always known the Alpha King was ruthless. I’d heard countless tales from others in the Wild Crawler


    Pack about his heartlessness and his cruelty. It’d been said on many asions that he was much like


    his father, the old Alpha King, a man who’d centralized his power and oppressed the members of his


    own empire.


    At the time, I hadn’t believed the stories. I’d thought there had to be some sort of disconnect, a


    misunderstanding of some sort that kept people from seeing the real Asher. He might not have been a


    loyal mate, but I’d always trusted that he would be a great Alpha.


    Past memories flooded through my mind.


    Asher had never been a cold and dominant man all those years ago. We’d grown up together and


    spent most of our childhoods with one another. Even as a young boy, he’d been loving, caring and


    compassionate, and that’d only continued into his teenage years.


    I remembered all of the times we’d sat together, discussing the future. He always told me that he


    wanted to be a kind Alpha. He wanted to be nothing like his cruel father who’d never shown him an


    ounce of affection.


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    Asher had sworn he wanted to release this corrupted empire from its old ways and usher in a time of


    peace and kindness. He valued all lives, poor and rich, and wanted to make sure the people of the


    empire knew that their well-being mattered


    to him.


    His father used to scold him for being a coward, but Asher had never wavered from his beliefs.


    And yet, as he stared at me now, he looked just as cold as his father, the former


    King.


    As much as my heart pleaded and hoped that Asher still had good in him, I knew I needed to ept


    that what others had said about his cruelty was true. The idea brought me a deep-rooted sadness, but I


    had to release those feelings if I was going to survive this ordeal.


    What could I do? Rayden, for whatever reason, had pleaded his case, but it had made no difference


    other than embarrassing the young prince in front of the Alpha King of Wega.


    From Luna Sofia’s saddened expression, I could tell she didn’t want me to go either, and though Alpha


    Gareth’s gaze was somewhere else, I knew deep down that he surely felt the same. I was valued in


    this Pack, but their words and pleading


    didn’t matter.


    I was a


    to Anemond.


    I couldn’t risk harming to the Wild Crawler Pack. They had been too good to me to risk any lives.


    Asher finally turned away from me and fixed his gaze on Gareth.


    “Will you, your wife, and the young prince please excuse us?” he requested in a regal tone, and he


    lifted his chin. “Ca ssandra and I need to have a private talk.”


    “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” Gareth said, and he nodded generously. He rose to his feet, and Sofia


    followed suit. She reached out and took Rayden’s hand. Her son didn’t seem like he wanted to leave


    the chamber, but soon, his face softened and he gave his mother a small nod. The Alpha King’s orders


    couldn’t be ignored, not when the lives of their Pack mates were in danger.


    “Your Majesty, will you please escort Ca ssandra to the door once she is finished?” Sofia requested in a


    soft voice. “Her assistant remains outside and will help her the rest of the way home, but-”


    “Yes,” Asher replied coldly, but he offered the Luna a nod. “I will see to it that


    your healer is assisted. Now please, leave us to speak alone.”


    Sofia nodded again, and without another word, the Wild Crawler’s royal family left the chamber. Once


    the door had closed behind them, my heart rate


    skyrocketed.


    What did he want to talk to me about? And why was it necessary to conduct the conversation in


    private? Was I in trouble?


    Asher Collins stared at me for a moment and then spoke.


    “Alpha Gareth has informed me about the illness prevailing in your Pack, Cas sandra,” he began in an


    even tone. “One of the symptoms is ck marks on the body, is that correct?”


    I was taken aback by the question. I hadn’t expected him to ask about the sickness, especially at a time


    like this, when my loyalty to the empire was being questioned.


    But I nodded anyway.


    “Yes, Your Majesty,” I said.


    Asher nodded back slowly. “What do you think it is?”


    “The marks?” I asked, and after a brief pause, I continued. “It’s a strange symptom I’m not certain of.


    Buttely I’ve been wondering if it’s some kind of poison.”


    “A poison?” Asher repeated back in surprise.


    “Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied, and I leaned in closer, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. “There’s a book


    my husband left me, all about the poisons he’s dealt with -in the past decade. I’vebed through the


    book like mad, and each time, have.


    noted a section that talks about something simr to this.”


    “Interesting,” the Alpha King remarked. “Please continue on, Ca ssandra..”


    I nodded. “Well, it says when werewolves were exposed to certain poisons, their blood would darken


    and continue to do so day by day. Blood marks would appear throughout their bodies. But that isn’t the


    same as the disease that now prevails.”


    “Really?” he replied, and somehow, he looked disappointed by this. “How so?”


    “This one is more peculiar,” I said. “Simr marks are there in my patients, but they don’t grow like the


    ones written about in the book, They don’t resemble the shape of veins. In fact… they’re more like


    tattoos. It’s bizarre, Your Majesty. I’ve never seen anything like this illness.”


    When I finished exining, Asher fell silent and sat back in his seat. I could see him considering


    something, and after a minute or two, he leaned back forward and began to unbutton his white shirt


    from his cor.


    Heat spread through my body. What was happening?


    My entire face felt as if it were burning, and my hands shook at my sides.


    When he got three buttons down, he pulled the cor from his neck and exposed the skin beneath. My


    heart dropped.


    Arge ck mark spread from the area below his corbone and appeared to


    continue downward.


    Shock set in and my jaw dropped.


    “Yes, you’re guessing correctly,” he said inly. “It seems I have caught the very same disease that


    gues your Pack.”


    My throat tightened as dread set in. This was unbelievable.


    “My trusted healer in Anemond couldn’t figure out the source of my affliction,” the Alpha King revealed.


    “He did all that he could, and yet he couldn’te even close to an answer. So, healer, I will need you


    toe with me to Anemond so you can find out the reason. Do you understand?”