Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Third–person POV

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Ryder paced back and forth in the small study on the second floor. The party noise from downstairs–music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses–came through the closed door like a distant hum, and after a few long seconds of pacing back and forth, he stopped suddenly and turned to Jace.

Jace sat on the edge of the big wooden desk with his arms crossed. His face showed nothing, no frown, no worry, just that calm, unreadable look he always wore when things got serious.

“I don’t think we should tell her anything yet,” Ryder said, his voice coming out rough. “We were about to bring her up here and tell her everything, but she fainted right there in the yard before we even got a chance to explain things to her. She clearly can’t handle it, especially not right now.”

Theo, Knox, and Orion stood around the table, and at Ryder’s suggestion, they all let out a tired sigh at the same time.

Knox’s jaw tightened. He uncrossed his arms and slapped one hand down on the table. “This wasn’t what I signed up for, guys. I did not sign up to babysit anyone’s emotions,” he said, his anger clear in every word.

Ryder spun toward him, and his eyes flashed with his own frustration. “None of us signed up for this. Knox,” he shot back. “But right now all five of us are drawn to Luna and her scent, and whether we like it or not, that isn’t going to change.”

Orion leaned forward in his chair, and his silver glasses caught the light from the desk lamp. His voice stayed quiet but firm. “That’s exactly the problem,” he said. “Luna still believes she is fully human, and she has no idea at all that she is an omega. She might find it hard to believe, but we still need to tell her what she is, and we need to explain what our connection to her means.”

Ryder shook his head quickly. He walked to the window and stared out at the dark backyard, not understanding why none of them could understand why he was suggesting that they tell her nothing yet.

“We can’t do that,” he said, his voice dropping low “She won’t even believe us, guys. I mean, imagine having to tell her one of her parents had to be a werewolf? She’ll lose her mind from the shock. She already thinks we’re crazy for following her around, so this would push her over the edge.”

The room fell quiet again, but Jace still had not moved from the desk. He watched Ryder with those steady gray eyes, thinking.

Theo pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. His usual easy smile was gone. “She fainted because all our scents hit her at once,” he said. “And that was our fault. We crowded her too fast and overwhelined her, but that doesnt change the fact that we can’t keep hiding this forever. The longer we wait, the worse it will get when her heat really hits. It’s going to get worse once there’s a full moon.”

Knox made a low sound in his throat. It was almost a growl. “She is stronger than we’re giving her credit for guys I mean we all saw that on the field the first day, and she even beat you in a race, Ryder. It’s obvious she’s not some weakling, and she’s probably not used to feeling so helpless and weak. She has no idea what is happening to her body, and it we don’t tell her soon, she is going to think she is losing her mind.”

Orion adjusted his glasses and spoke again. “She needs to know why she heals so fast, why her senses are sharper, and why she feels that pull toward us. If we keep it from her, she might end up doing something crazy, and we can’t let that happen

Ryder turned back from the window. His shoulders stayed tense. “You think I don’t know that? I hate this as much as you cr Every time I get close to her, I feel it too. That need to protect her and to claim her. We all feel it, but she is luneteen, and she grew up thinking she was normal and human. Whoever birthed her hud everything from her and dropping all of this out her tonight–werewolves, packs, omegas, tates–after she just passed our? That will end up doing more harm than good

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2:42 pm Pppp.

Chapter 13

E 10 vouchers

Jace finally stood up, finally deciding to join in the conversation, and he spoke in his usual calm way, but the words cut through the room.

“We don’t have to tell her everything at once,” he said. “We can start small by just telling her she is different without being specific. We can also let her know that her body is changing because of us and see how she reacts.”

Ryder shook his head again. “And when she asks why? When she wants to know about how she’s different? And why her body is changing because of us? What do we say then? We both know that once we open that door, we can’t close it.”

The ran a hand through his curly blond hair. “She is already suspicious, she feels the heat at a minimum, and she’s self- aware of the pull she feels towards us. The door is already halfway open if you ask me, and we could either open it all the way up and risk driving her mad, or we keep it closed and risk driving her mad down the line. Whichever way, she’s going to go mad if it turns out to be too much for her to handle.”

Knox crossed his arms again. “So we lie? Keep pretending we are just a bunch of obsessed jocks who can’t leave her alone because she’s attractive? I mean, we could do that, but that is not going to work forever.”

Orion looked at each of them in turn. “She fainted tonight because her body could not handle all five of us at once. Her omega instincts are waking up fast, and if we don’t guide her through this, the next heat could be worse, much worse. We still need to be close to her no matter what because it’s the only way we can help, and I doubt she’d let her be anywhere near her if we don’t tell her the truth.”

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