Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Third-person POV

When Ryder and Knox stepped into Jace’s office, the atmosphere inside the room immediately felt different from the rest of the house. It was quiet in a way that made it clear something serious was about to be discussed, and the moment the door shut behind them, all eyes turned in their direction.

Jace was already standing near his desk with his arins crossed, looking calm but focused, while Orion stood a little off to the side near the window, his posture straight, his expression unreadable as usual. Theo, on the other hand, was leaning back in one of the chairs, but the second he saw Ryder, he sat up slightly, his face tightening with clear annoyance

“Where the hell have you been?” he asked without wasting a second, his voice filled with irritation. “I’ve been calling you for a while now, and you didn’t pick up. I even went to your room, and guess what? Empty. Your phone was literally sitting there like you just vanished into thin air.”

Ryder paused for a brief moment as Theo spoke, but he didn’t let anything show on his face. Inside, though, he immediately understood what that meant. Theo had gone to his room after he left with Ivy and Knox, and somehow, he hadn’t found anything that would raise suspicion. That alone made Ryder feel a sense of relief, even though he kept his expression neutral. He didn’t want to give Theo any reason to question him further.

“I was with Knox.” Ryder replied simply, gesturing lightly toward him as if that explained everything.

Knox didn’t say anything to add to it, but he didn’t deny it either, and that was enough. Theo narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not fully convinced, but before he could push further, Ryder shifted his attention away from him completely. He wasn’t about to stand there and answer questions he didn’t need to answer, especially not now.

Instead, he looked at Jace, his tone more direct this time. “What’s this about?” he asked. “You called all of us here for something.”

Jace let out a small breath, like he had been thinking about how to say this for a while and still hadn’t fully settled on the right words. He glanced briefly at Orion, who gave him a slight nod, almost like silent support, before turning his attention back to the group.

“I spoke to Orion last night,” Jace began slowly, his voice calm but serious enough to make it clear that this wasn’t a casual conversation. “We talked about something, and we both agreed that it’s something we need to discuss with all of you.”

Theo let out a low groan, leaning back again in his chair as he dragged a hand over his face in frustration. “Why do you sound like that?” he complained. “Seriously, I’m not in the mood for anything heavy right now. I already have enough going

1. on.

Orion’s head turned toward him immediately, and the look he gave Theo was enough to shut him up without a single word being spoken. It was a warning glare that made it very clear that this wasn’t the time for complaints or jokes. Theo noticed it right away, and for a moment, his expression tightened like he wanted to say something back, but then he stopped himself He let out a frustrated sigh instead, looking away as he leaned back in his chair again. The last thing he needed was Orion bringing up what he had done to Luna, and they both knew it. So instead of pushing his luck, he stayed quiet.

Once the room settled again. Jace continued speaking.

“I know I told all of you to stay away from Luna,” he said, his tone steady but thoughtful. “I said we shouldn’t get involved because she clearly didn’t want anything to do with us, and forcing ourselves into her life would only make things worse.

Ryder shifted slightly at that but didn’t interrupt. Knox remained still, his attention fully on face now, while Orion stood quietly, already knowing where this was going

“But after talking to Orion,” are went ou. “I started to think about is differently, just because she isn’t ready to hear the truth doesn’t mean we should just walk away and leave her to deal with everything on her own.”

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12:43 Sat, May 30 MMM.

Chapter 19

There was a brief silence after that, and both Ryder and Knox exchanged a quick glance, silently acknowledging the shit in Jace’s thinking

Knox was the first to speak. “So what exactly are you trying to say?” he asked, his voice calm but direct

Jace didn’t hesitate this time. “Today is a full moon,” he said.

The words alone were enough to make the air in the room feel heavier. None of them needed an explanation/for what that meant. They had all lived through enough full moons to know exactly how difficult it could be to stay in control, even for them.

Jace’s gaze moved across each of them before he continued. “You all know how hard it is to keep control during a full moon.” he added. “Even with everything we’ve learned and practiced over the years.

Ryder’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Knox remained quiet, though his expression showed that he understood exactly where this was going.

“And if it’s hard for us,” Jace continued, “then imagine what it’s going to be like for her.”

That was when the point truly settled in.

Luna didn’t even know what she was. She didn’t understand what was happening to her body, and she had no control over it Everything she had been feeling so far was just the beginning, and none of it had happened during a full moon yet.

Orion stepped in at that point, his voice calm but firm as he added to Jace’s words. “She has no idea what’s happening to her.” he said. “No control, no understanding, nothing. If she loses control tonight, it won’t just affect her. It could expose all

of us.

That made Knox’s expression harden slightly, and Ryder looked down for a brief second, clearly thinking.

12:43 Sat, May 30 MMM.

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