Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Third–person POV

The drive back home was quiet.

Orion kept both hands on the steering wheel as the car moved through the empty road leading away from campus. The night had grown darker, and the streetlights passed by one after another outside the window as he stared straight at the road, with a serious look on his face. Normally he liked quiet drives like this because they helped him think, but tonight his thoughts were anything but calm.

The image of the security footage kept replaying in his head. The image of Katie walking out of the locker room hallway with Luna’s bag.

It had been clear as day on the camera, and there was no mistaking it. The blonde hair, the track jacket, and the way she moved like she owned the place. She hadn’t even looked nervous in the footage. If anything, she had looked confident, like she knew no one would question her, but Orion didn’t believe she had acted alone.

Katie had always been loud, jealous, and desperate for attention, but she had never struck him as someone who would plan something that cruel on her own. Locking Luna in the locker room while stealing her things felt too calculated for a dumb coward like Katie.

Which meant someone had probably pushed her to do it, and Orion already had a good guess who that someone might be.

He pulled into the long driveway of the house and parked the car near the front entrance. The place was quiet, with only a few lights coming from the upstairs windows. The house itself was large and modern, the kind of place built for comfort and privacy, and it was where the five of them had been living during the school year.

Orion stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him, and not once did he think of heading to his room first. Instead, he walked straight toward the staircase and headed upstairs. His footsteps were quick as he moved down the hallway, and when he reached the door he wanted, he didn’t bother knocking.

He pushed it open.

Theo’s room was barely lit with only a bit of light coming from his bedside lamp, and he was stretched out on his bed with his headphones on and his phone in his hand, clearly watching something. His curly blonde hair was messy, and one leg hung lazily off the side of the mattress.

The moment the door swung open, he looked up, and his expression instantly changed from relaxed to annoyed.

He pulled one headphone off his ear and stared at Orion with a mixture of anger and confusion.

“The hell?” he said sharply, sitting up slightly. “How dare you just barge into my room like you own the place?”

Orion stepped fully inside and shut the door behind him. The sound of the door clicking shut seemed louder than usual. and Theo’s eyes narrowed.

He and Orion had never been particularly close, especially in recent years. Back when they were younger, they had gotten along well enough, but things had changed over time. Theo hated the way Orion always seemed to question everything he did. To Theo, Orion acted like he was morally and mentally superior, always judging his choices and pointing out his

mistakes.

Orion didn’t seem to care about Theo’s anger right now. His face was tight, and there was a clear look of fury in his eyes,

“When was the last time you spoke to your little booty call, Katie?” Orion asked coldly.

Theo blinked in surprise. “What?”

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Chapter 28

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Orion took a step farther into the room. His voice remained calm, but there was an edge to it. “You heard me.” he said! “When was the last time you talked to Katie?”

Theo stared at him for a moment like he was trying to decide whether this was some kind of joke.

Then he scoffed. “Why the hell are you asking me that?”

Orion’s jaw tightened slightly. “You’d better tell the truth,” he continued. “Because I have a feeling you might have had something to do with the stupid stunt that happened today, and if you don’t want me involving Jace in this conversation, you’d better start being honest very quickly.”

Theo’s eyebrows shot up, and for a moment, genuine confusion crossed his face. Then his expression hardened.

“The fuck are you talking about?” he said, throwing his phone to the bed beside him. “If you can’t be clear about what you’re accusing me of, then get the hell out of my room.”

He stood up from the bed now, clearly irritated. “Seriously, Orion,” he added sharply. “Either explain what nonsense you’re rambling about, or leave before I decide to bash your face in.”

Orion let out a short, humorless scoff. His arms were folded across his chest as he looked at Theo.

“Did you have something to do with Katie stealing Luna’s bag today?” Orion asked bluntly.

The words hung in the air, and Theo just stared at him. For a brief second, his expression went completely blank, and then he laughed.

“What?” Theo said, shaking his head in disbelief. “What kind of insane drama are you talking about now?”

Orion didn’t react. “I saw the security footage,” he continued calmly. “Katie walked into the girls‘ locker room while Luna was in the shower, and then she came out carrying Luna’s bag. As if that wasn’t already crazy enough, she locked the door from the outside. Isn’t that just crazy?”

Theo crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “And what exactly does that have to do with me?” he asked with a shrug.

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You know exactly what it has to do with you.” he replied. “Everyone knows how obsessed Katie is with you, and she’d do anything you asked.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve slept with her a few times,” he said casually. “That doesn’t mean I order her around like some kind of servant. Just because I hook up with someone doesn’t mean I’m responsible for every stupid thing they do.”

Orion studied his face carefully. Theo’s tone sounded casual, almost bored, but Orion wasn’t convinced.

He scoffed again. “You really expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this?” he asked.

Theo shrugged. “Believe whatever you want,” he replied.

Orion stepped closer now, his voice lowering slightly. “You know,” he said slowly, “all I’d have to do is report Katie to the school authorities for theft, harassment, and locking someone inside a locker room. They’d label her a bully so fast it would ruin her reputation on campus and her chances of continuing as an athlete.”

Theo’s expression shifted slightly.

Orion continued speaking. “And once she realizes she’s about to get dragged into a public investigation, I’m pretty sure she’d start telling the truth very quickly, especially if she was doing someone else’s dirty work.”

Theo’s jaw tightened. “So I’ll give you one more chance,” Orion said. “Tell me the truth, or I involve Jace.”

The name seemed to hit its mark, and Theo’s confident expression faltered just a little. Everyone in the house knew Jace

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