Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 64

Chapter 61

Chapter 64

Third–person POV

The moment Luna said she was about to lose control, Jace had stared at her with clear confusion written all over his face, his brows slightly pulled together as he tried to understand what she meant. He had expected many things from her since she stepped into his office, anger, denial, even more questions, but not this sudden shift in tone, not the nervous edge in her voice that made it sound like she was bracing herself for something she could not stop.

He leaned forward just slightly, his lips parting as if he were about to ask her to explain herself, but before he could speak, Luna’s expression changed in a way that made his question die before it could even be asked.

At first, it was subtle, so subtle that anyone who did not know what to look for might have missed it, but face did not miss it. Her eyes, which had been filled with confusion and frustration just moments ago, shifted into something else entirely. There was a strange stillness that came over her, like her thoughts had suddenly gone quiet, and when she finally spoke, the word that slipped out of her mouth was soft, almost breathless, but it carried an intensity that immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.

“Mate.”

The word stayed in the air between them, and in that exact moment, Jace understood everything. The confusion that had been on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a knowing look as his body reacted to the change in her before his mind could even fully process it. He could feel it, the shift, not just in her, but in himself as well. It was like something inside him had been nudged awake, something that had been quiet until now, something he had been trying to keep buried ever since he met Luna and realized what she was to them.

His wolf. Ace, reacted immediately.

It was not a gentle reaction either. It was sudden and impossible to ignore, like a force pushing against his control, demanding attention, demanding action. Jace felt it clearly, the way his senses sharpened, the way his body became more aware of Luna’s presence, the way the bond between them seemed to pull tighter without warning. It made his chest feel tight, and for a split second, he hated it more than anything else.

He knew what this was.

He had seen it before and experienced it in his own way, and he knew exactly what it meant when a wolf started to awaken and act on instinct without control. Luna was no longer fully in control of herself, and if he did not handle this carefully, things would go very wrong very quickly.

Without wasting another second, Jace pushed himself up from where he had been seated, his movements quick as he created space between them. Distance was the first thing he needed, distance and control, because if he stayed too close, if he allowed even a moment of weakness, then everything he had been trying to avoid would fall apart, but the moment he stood, Luna stood as well.

Her movements were slower than his, but there was something about them that made it clear that this was not entirely her anymore. There was a difference in the way she moved, something instinctive and almost predatory, and as she looked at him, her gaze held a kind of focus that made it hard to look away.

“I can’t believe there are three of you,” she muttered, her voice softer now but steady in a way that told Jace that it was not her human side speaking anymore.

Jace frowned slightly, even though he already had an idea of what she meant. Still, he needed her to speak, needed her to stay focused enough to listen. “What do you mean?” he asked, his tone even, though his body remained tense, ready to move again if he needed to..

Luna tilted her head slightly, her eyes never leaving him. “Last night,” she said slowly, like she was putting the pieces together out loud. “I met one. Then earlier. I met another, and now you.” She took a small step forward. “That makes three.”

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12:47 Sat, May 30 MM M

Chapter 61

vouchers

Jace’s jaw tightened slightly as he listened to her, and it didn’t take much effort for him to figure out who she was referring to. The first had to be Ryder, that much was obvious. The second… his mind ran through the possibilities quickly, and though he did not say it out loud, he had a strong feeling about who it was.

The thought alone made something in him twist, something he refused to dwell on.

He hated this. He hated everything about this situation, the fact that he and the people he had spent most of his life with were all tied to the same person in this way, the fact that there was nothing he could do to change it, and the fact that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, moments like this would keep happening. It was a constant reminder that he was not as in control as he wanted to be.

That was why he had made a decision from the very beginning.

He would not cross any lines with her, not now, and not ever. He knew himself well enough to understand that the moment he allowed even the smallest thing to happen, the moment he gave in even a little, it would become harder to stop. His wolf would push harder, the bond would grow stronger, and his control would slip. That was not something he was willing to risk.

So he kept his distance, but Luna was closing that distance without hesitation.

She took another step toward him, and this time, when she moved, her scent reached him fully, strong and overwhelming in a way that made his breath hitch for just a second before he could stop it. It was different now, sharper, heavier, and filled with something that made his body react instinctively before his mind could catch up.

He stepped back immediately, putting more space between them.

“Stay back,” he said, his voice coming out firmer than before, edged with a seriousness that he did not try to hide. “Don’t come any closer.”

Luna stopped, her expression shifting as his words seemed to register, but not in the way he had hoped. There was a flicker of something like hurt in her eyes, confusion mixed with it, and it made her look almost vulnerable despite everything else that was happening.

“What did I do wrong?” she asked, her voice softer now, but there was a clear question in it that made something in Jace’s chest tighten. “Don’t you want me?” she added, her gaze still locked on him. “Aren’t you my mate?”

The questions hit harder than he expected because of how they were said. There was no hesitation in her voice, no embarrassment, no doubt. It was pure instinct, pure honesty from the part of her that was not holding anything back, and that made it dangerous.

Jace took another step back, forcing himself to stay focused, to stay grounded despite the way his wolf reacted to her words. He could feel Ace pushing against him, restless and impatient, reacting to her presence, to her scent, to the bond that neither of them had asked for.

“Just stay where you are,” he said again, this time lowering his tone slightly, trying to make it calmer, more controlled. “We can talk, but you have to stay still.”

Luna watched him for a moment, her expression still uncertain, like she did not fully understand why he was keeping his distance, why he was not reacting the way her instincts were telling her he should. She shifted her weight slightly, like she was about to take another step, but then she stopped, her body going still as she tried to follow his words.

Jace let out a slow breath, using the moment to steady himself, to push down the reaction building inside him before it got worse. He kept his eyes on her, making sure she stayed where she was, making sure the distance between them remained.

“Listen to me,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Luna, if you can hear me, I understand that you’re not in control right now, but if you don’t find a way to focus, your wolf is going to keep pushing you to do things you can’t help,”

Luna’s brows pulled together slightly, like she was trying to process what he was saying, but her gaze didn’t leave him. “But you’re my mate, she repeated, her voice quieter now, Lait still certain, like it was the only thing that made sense to her in

that moment.

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