Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Luna’s POV

About thirty minutes after Orion left and I embarrassed myself in a way I never wanted to remember again, I finally started to feel a little more like myself, not completely normal, because I wasn’t sure Leven knew what normal was anymore, but at least I wasn’t standing in a doorway staring at someone like I had lost my mind.

Ivy had gone into the bathroom not too long after that, probably to give me some space, or maybe just to avoid teasing me again, and I stayed on the bed for a while, trying to calm down and ignore the strange warmth that still sat in my chest like had made itself at home there.

I had already taken a shower before Ivy went in, and I was now dressed in something that felt way more comfortable than what I had on earlier. I had on a cropped top with a sweater over it and a pair of sweatpants that were clearly not mine. The pants were a little loose on me, but not too much, and I couldn’t for the life of me imagine who they belonged to.

The thought of it bothered me more than it should have, because it reminded me again that I was in a house that didn’t belong to me, surrounded by people I didn’t understand, wearing clothes that probably belonged to one of their many

Women.

I sat there. pulling slightly at the sleeve of the sweater as I stared at nothing in particular, but the silence didn’t last long. My stomach made a low, uncomfortable sound, and I let out a small groan as I leaned back against the headboard. I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was until that moment, and it wasn’t just normal hunger either. It felt deeper than that, like my body was demanding something instead of just asking for it. It made me feel restless again, and I didn’t like that at all.

Just as I was thinking about how badly I needed food, I heard a knock on the door. My head snapped toward it immediately. Ivy was still in the bathroom, and I could hear the faint sound of water running, which meant it was up to me to answer it. I let out a small sigh as I pushed myself off the bed, my movements a little slower than usual because of how hungry I was.

“I swear, this better be food,” I muttered under my breath as I made my way toward the door.

I wasn’t even trying to hide it at this point. I was hungry, tired, confused, and honestly just done with everything. The only thing I was looking forward to right now was eating something, anything, as long as it didn’t make me feel worse.

When I reached the door, I hesitated for just a second before opening it, and to my surprise, it was exactly who I had hoped it would be.

Jace stood outside the door, and for a brief moment, I felt a strange sense of relief wash over me. I wasn’t sure why, but I did. Maybe it was because I had been expecting food, or maybe it was because I didn’t have to deal with another awkward moment like the one I had with Orion.

What I wasn’t expecting, though, was what he was holding.

I had imagined something simple. Maybe two plates of eggs, something basic that had taken him way longer than it should have, because I honestly couldn’t picture someone like him standing in a kitchen for long, but what he was holding in his hands made me pause completely.

It was a tray, and not just any tray.

It was filled with food, a lot of food. Plates with things I didn’t even expect to see, things that looked way too good to have been made casually in the morning. Everything looked… proper, like something you’d get from a really good restaurant, not from someone who I assumed had better things to do than cook.

There were brown pancakes stacked neatly with a small bowl of syrup on the side. There were slices of fresh fruit. strawberries, grapes, and pieces of melon arranged carefully, like someone actually cared about how it looked. There were small sandwiches, the kind that looked toasted just right, with melted cheese and what looked like grilled chicken inside.

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OOGT

12:44 Sat, May 30 MMM.

Chapter 54

There was also something that looked like pasta, light and creamy, with herbs sprinkled on top, which I definitely did not expect to see at breakfast, and two glasses of juice, one orange and one something lighter, maybe apple or pineapple, placed neatly beside everything.

I just stood there, staring at it for a few seconds, completely caught off guard.

“You made all this?” I asked before I could stop myself.

My voice came out more surprised than I intended, but I didn’t even try to hide it.

Jace looked at me like I had just asked him the most normal question in the world. “Yeah,” he said simply, his tone completely calmn, like what he had done wasn’t a big deal at all.

I blinked at him. There was no hesitation in his voice and no pride. He just said it like it was obvious. That somehow made it even more shocking.

“Can I come in?” he asked after a second, lifting the

tray slightly. “To drop this?”

I quickly nodded, stepping aside to let him in. “Yeah, of course,” I said, still trying to process what I was looking at.

As he walked into the room, I found myself watching him without meaning to. He moved easily, like he was completely comfortable in the space, like he had done this a hundred times before. He walked straight to the table in the room and placed the tray down carefully, setting everything in place without making a mess or dropping anything.

I stayed near the door for a moment before closing it and walking further into the room, my eyes still fixed on the food.

Jace turned back to face me after setting everything down, his expression still calm, still unreadable. “I didn’t know what you or Ivy liked,” he said. “So if there’s something you don’t eat, tell me. I don’t want to make the wrong thing for lunch.”

I stared at him for a second, completely thrown off by that. “Lunch?” I repeated. “We haven’t even had breakfast yet.”

He didn’t look bothered at all. “I like to be prepared,” he said simply. “So if there’s something you don’t like, let me know. Same for Ivy.”

I let out a small scoff, shaking my head slightly as I walked closer to the table. “I’m not a picky eater,” I said. “And I don’t think Ivy is either.”

That was the truth. At this point, I would probably eat anything as long as it filled my stomach and stopped this annoying hunger that kept building inside me.

I glanced back at him after a moment, still not fully convinced. “Did you actually make all this?” I asked again. “Or did you order it and just… pretend?”

He didn’t even blink at the question. “Believe whatever you’re more comfortable with,” he said.

That answer made me pause. It wasn’t a yes, and it wasn’t a no. It was just… an answer, one that didn’t really give me anything but, at the same time, said enough.

I opened my mouth slightly like I wanted to say something else, but I stopped myself. I didn’t want to start another conversation that I wasn’t ready to have.

He didn’t wait for me to say anything else either. He turned slightly, already starting to walk toward the door like he was done here, and for some reason, that made something in my chest tighten just a little.

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