Alpha King’s Lost Luna by Aubrey Pepper

Chapter 302 Memory of the past CASSANDRA b As my heart dropped in my chest, I felt paralyzed from sheer disbelief.

I'wanted to reach out to touch his face or his hands. I wanted to tangibly feel that he was real, lying in this bed before me, but I couldn’t move. For all of these years, I had believed that Ector was dead.

When he had been exiled to the borderlands, I had given up any hope of ever seeing him again. Those exiled from Wegalla were never seen again and after the undoing of our family name, Ector was no exception. A small part of me had wished we would reunite one day, but after the inferno, that part of me went silent. Though my | 11

| heart ached for my dear brother, no one ever returned from the borderlands unless they were soldiers specifically sent on a mission.

But here he was, lying in this bed, breathing.

For a moment, I felt like I was about to collapse. My knees wavered but before I could fall, Asher reached out to stabilize me.

“Silas found him months ago out in the borderlands,” my mate explained as he held me. “But Silas wasn’t sure if he was Ector or not since we all presumed him to be dead after being exiled all those years ago. So, I went out there with him to check.” “That’s why you needed to leave Anemond,” I realized.

He nodded. “I'm sorry I didn’t tell you then, but I didn’t want you to be disappointed if it wasn’t him. I needed to be absolutely certain it was Ector before I said anything. And then things got... complicated after that. So much has happened since that there wasn’t an opportunity to tell you. I'm sorry, Cassandra.” “Don’t be sorry,” I assured him, and I offered him a small smile. “I understand, Asher. Things have been difficult.” After he nodded in agreement, I turned back to Ector.

“He looks so thin,” I remarked as I noted his hollow cheeks, and my heart ached at the sight. Though his hair was as beautiful as ever, he was clearly very malnourished. Given his appearance, 1

| could only imagine what his life had been like out in the borderlands, and the thought of him having to survive out there for all of this time...

The last time I'd seen my brother was after the trial. Our father had been sentenced to the death penalty and Ector was going to be banished.

In all honesty, I should have been banished like him, but back then, I had been the prince’s mate, so things had been different for me.

I was grounded and put on house arrest in Rosepetal, awaiting future trials.

The day Ector was set to leave Anemond, I was inconsolable. I wasn’t allowed to leave so I wouldn't be able to say goodbye.

Thankfully, Asher snuck in and helped

me quietly leave without being seen by the guards. We secretly met with Ector in the gardens. — | Back then, my brother had been strong and confident. He believed our family’s name would be cleared and told me not to worry about him.

But this Ector looked completely different. He looked fragile. Delicate.

As if he could snap in half at any moment.

Before I could stop myself, I began to cry. Tears spilled onto my cheeks and I reached out to touch my brother’s face.

“He might not be emotionally stable, Cassandra,” Asher warned me gently.

“He tends to attack when he feels threatened. Trust me, we’ve learned that from experience.”

[nodded and then a thought crossed my mind. For Ector, I was like a stranger now. My face and voice had changed after the inferno, altered by Emmett’s sorcery. I didn’t look like I had back then, but beneath the dye I had used for so many years, my hair was just as golden as Ector’s. Though my features were no longer the same, I somehow believed that he would recognize me.

We were family.

The moment my hand touched his cheek, Ector’s eyes opened wide, revealing irises the same color as mine.

He suddenly looked alert, like a | frightened animal, and his hands moved as if he intended to attack me.

Behind me, Asher tensed, ready to step

in, but to both of our surprises, Ector didn’t attack. Instead, he moved backward as if he were trying to protect himself, I couldn’t tell how I felt at the sight of this. I couldn’t imagine what Ector had been through after he’d been banished.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something, Ector began to yell and scream. He wasn’t saying any understandable words, just loud noises, and I tried to soothe him before he could hurt himself.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I assured him calmly. “ It’s okay.” Despite his rising emotions, I stared deeply into his eyes. Asher started to step forward, but I shook my head to relay that I was alright and could

handle this myself.

[ took a step backward but continued to maintain eye contact with Ector.

“Do you recognize me?” I asked him softly.

My brother frowned and stared for a second before he started bumping his head against the headboard. His movement was gentle at first, and then stronger, as if he were trying to physically jump-start his brain. Before he could hurt himself, I moved forward and caught his shoulder to stop him.

“It’s me, Ector,” I said gently, and then I summoned all of my bravery.

“It’s Cora.” My brother froze and silence hung in the air. His emerald eyes studied me |

for a moment, trailing over me multiple times as if I were an illusion.

“Cora?” he repeated back and I nodded.

“Yes,” I replied. “I'm your sister, Cora.

My face was changed by an accident, but it’s me, Ector.” He didn’t seem convinced but didn’t push me away either. He continued to study me, as if searching for any trace of my former self.

Suddenly, I remembered something and reached into my pocket. I pulled out my mother’s amulet and held it up so it caught the light. I had been keeping it safe on my person ever since I got it back from Kaleb.

The moonstone glinted and Ector’s

eyes welled up with tears. He began to cry at once, clearly remembering the pendant. Before I could say another word, he took it from me and ran his fingers over the shining stone. He began to tremble and then whispered a single word.

“Mother.” As tears spilled down his cheeks, I couldn’t bear the sorrow any longer.

I threw my arms around Ector and hugged him as tightly as I felt comfortable with. I didn’t want to injure him further, but I needed him to know that although I looked different, I was still his sister, and I loved him dearly.

It was hard to tell if he understood the meaning of my having the amulet or

not, but he didn’t shy from the embrace. He allowed me to hold him and soon relaxed his tensed muscles.

I' wasn’t certain if he truly recognized me or not, but it didn’t matter.

We were reunited and safe.

And that was all that mattered.