Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Third–person POV

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One by one, the rest of the guys began to arrive in the living room, and with each person that stepped into the space, the tension in the air seemed to grow thicker. Knox was the next to come in after Theo, his footsteps quiet as he walked in with his usual calm expression, though his eyes were serious as they moved around the room before settling on Jade.

his gaze

He did not say anything at first, choosing instead to lean casually against the wall, but it was obvious from the way lingered that he already sensed something was off. Not long after Knox, Ryder walked in, his movements quicker, more restless, like he had been expecting this call and had already guessed that it had something to do with Luna.

His

eyes immediately found Jace, searching for answers even before a word was spoken. Orion was the last to arrive, and when he finally stepped into the room, it felt like everything had come to a standstill. The group was complete, and whatever Jace had called them for was now impossible to avoid.

Theo, who had been visibly impatient from the start, let out a breath the moment Orion joined them, like he had been waiting for that exact moment. He straightened slightly where he stood and turned his full attention to Jace, his expression showing clear irritation.

“Alright,” he said, his voice cutting through the silent room without hesitation, “we’re all here now, so can you finally tell us why you called this meeting? What exactly is going on?”

His tone made it clear that he was not in the mood for any games or delays, and even though the others did not speak, their attention on Jace showed that they were just as eager to hear what he had to say.

Jace stood in the center of the room, his posture straight, but there was nothing relaxed about him. His shoulders were slightly tense, and his jaw was tight, like he had been thinking too much before they arrived. He looked at each of them slowly, taking a second longer than necessary before speaking, as though he were choosing his words carefully.

Finally, he let out a low sigh, the kind that carried both frustration and acceptance, before he answered. “I called you all here to talk about Luna,” he said, his voice steady but firm, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “And whether you like it or not, she’s going to be our main concern for now. She’s our responsibility”

The moment those words left his mouth, Theo’s reaction was immediate. He rolled his eyes openly, not even trying to hide his annoyance, and let out a small scoff under his breath before responding. “I understand that we’re trying to help her today,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned slightly to one side, “but you can’t seriously expect us to take responsibility for her forever. At some point, she’s going to have to figure things out on her own. We can’t keep following her around and babysitting her like she’s a child.”

His words were blunt, but there was no hesitation in them, and it was clear that he meant every part of what he was saying.

That earned him a reaction almost instantly. Both Ryder and Jace turned to look at him at the same time, their expressions hard and filled with disapproval, and even Knox’s gaze sharpened slightly, though he remained silent.

Theo noticed the looks, of course, but instead of backing down, he shrugged lightly, like he had expected them to react that way. “What?” he added defensively, lifting one hand slightly. “You don’t want to hear it, but it’s still the truth.” His tone softened just a little, but not enough to take back what he had already said.

He continued before anyone else could interrupt him, his voice gaining a bit more seriousness now. “And let’s think about this for a second.” he said, his eyes moving from one person to another. “Shouldn’t she have at least called her mother by now? Or tried to find out something about her father? She just found out she’s not human, and instead of trying to get answers from the people who actually raised her, she’s relying on us to give her answers. Doesn’t that seem a little off to you? There’s only so much we can explain to her

Before the silence could stretch to long, Orion spoke up, his voice calm. “What Luna chooses to do about her family is not our concern,” he said, his gaze steady as it rested on Theo. “That’s her personal matter Right now, what matters is that she’s here, under our roof, and she’s our mate. That alone makes it our duty to help her, whether it’s convenient or not

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Chapter 67

Theo let out a small breath and shook his head slightly, like he was trying to keep himself from getting more irritated than he already was. “You’re all misunderstanding me,” he replied, his tone shifting just a little, though the edge in it was still there. “I’m not saying helping her is a problem. I’m just saying that we shouldn’t make it seem like we’re responsible for every single thing in her life. There has to be a limit.”

Ryder frowned at that, stepping forward slightly as he fixed Theo with a questioning look. “Aren’t you basically saying that we should not prioritize helping her?” he asked, his voice carrying clear confusion and a hint of frustration.

Theo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get another word out, Jace stepped in, his voice firm and stern enough to cut off any further argument before it could start. “That’s enough,” he said, his tone leaving no room for debate. He looked at all of them in turn, making sure he had their attention before continuing. “I didn’t call you here to argue about opinions. There’s something you all need to know.”

The room fell silent immediately, the tension shifting into something more focused as all eyes returned to Jace. He took a brief moment, almost like he was organizing his thoughts, before speaking again. “Luna is currently in my office,” he said, his voice steady. “And I locked her in there.”

The reaction was instant and unanimous.

All four of them looked at him with clear confusion, their expressions shifting at the same time as they tried to process what he had just said. Knox was the first to speak, pushing himself off the wall slightly as he stepped forward, his brows drawn together. “You locked her in your office?” he repeated, his tone filled with disbelief. “Why would you do that?”

Before Jace could answer, Theo let out a short scoff, like he had already figured it out without needing an explanation. “Let me guess,” he said, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Jace, “she tried to jump you too, right?”

Jace did not react immediately to the comment, though his expression did not change either. Instead, he let out a slow breath, like this was something he had already expected, before finally responding “Something like that,” he said calmly, his voice lacking any real surprise.

The room went quiet again, but this time, the silence carried a different kind of understanding. They all knew what that meant, even without him saying more.

Jace continued, his voice turning more serious as he explained further. “Right now, Luna is going through moments where her wolf is taking full control of her,” he said. “Not just influencing her decisions, but completely taking over. Her actions, her words, everything.”

The shift in the room was subtle but clear as they all processed what he was saying.

“She doesn’t know how to control it yet,” Jace added, his gaze steady as he looked at each of them. “And her wolf recognizes us as her mates. So what we’re going to get from her is pure instinct and no hesitation or second thoughts. Just instinct.”

Orion’s expression tightened slightly as he listened, and after a moment, he asked the question that was on all their minds. “Did anything happen between you and her by any chance?”

Jace shook his head immediately, his answer coming without hesitation. “No,” he said firmly. Then his eyes shifted toward Theo, and there was a clear edge to his voice as he added, “Unlike someone else, I have no intention of taking advantage of her just because she wants it.

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