Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Chapter 79

Third-person POV

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Jace stood a few feet away with his back turned to Luna, his shoulders stiff and his hands loosely clenched at his sides as he tried to keep himself grounded. The cool might air brushed against his skin, but it did nothing to settle the restless tension running through him. He had already picked up his pants and pulled them on, but he had given Luna his shirt, the same one he had discarded earlier without a second thought. Now, he found himself very aware of every second that passed while he waited for her to get dressed, his mind refusing to stay still no matter how much he tried to focus.

He didn’t turn around, not even a little. The last thing he needed right now was to look at her while she was still in that state, because he already knew it would not end well for him. Just the memory of earlier, the way the bond between them had felt so strong and overwhelming, was enough to make his chest tighten again.

He had barely managed to pull himself together after everything that had happened, and the thought of losing control again, even for a second, made his jaw clench.

“Are you done?” he asked after a moment, his voice steady but careful, like he was holding himself back from something.

There was a short pause behind him, and then Luna’s voice came, quieter than usual but clear enough. “Yeah… I’m done.”

Jace let out a slow breath he didn’t realize he had been holding before finally turning around. He moved carefully, like he was bracing himself for something, but the moment his eyes landed on her, something in him shifted in a way he did not

expect.

Luna stood there wearing his shirt, the fabric hanging loosely on her frame, much bigger on her than it had ever been on him. The sleeves fell past her wrists, and the hem reached far down her thighs, almost like it swallowed her whole. It was simple, just his shirt, but on her, it looked different.

He felt it immediately, a small, sharp tug in his chest that caught him off guard.

It wasn’t the overwhelming pull from before, but it was there like something had changed between them in a way he couldn’t ignore anymore. His gaze lingered for a second longer than it should have before he quickly looked away, his expression tightening slightly as he tried to push the feeling down.

Luna cleared her throat softly, breaking the silence between them. “So… do I really need to go back to my room?” she asked, her tone uncertain as she shifted her weight slightly from one foot to the other.

Jace frowned a little, confused by her question as he looked back at her. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated for a second before explaining, “Orion might still be in my room, and like you said… the others are going to smell you on me.” She paused briefly, her expression tightening just a little. “And right now, I really don’t feel like dealing with that by myself.”

Jace’s face hardened slightly at her words, not in anger but in something closer to frustration directed at himself. “You don’t have to deal with any of that,” he said firmly. “I’m the one who crossed the lure, not you.” His veio was calm, but there was a clear edge to it. “You should just go and rest. You’ve been through enough already. I’ll handle the aftermath

Luna didn’t respond immediately. She looked at him for a monent, her brows pulling together slightly the she was trang. to read him, trying to understand something deeper than what he was saying out loud. There was houtation in ber

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16:44 Sat, 30 May

expression, something unsettled that she couldn’t quite hide

“Be honest with me, she said after a moment, her voice quieter now but more serious “How bad is it going to be when they find out ***

Jace let out a small breath, his gaze dropping Intefly before he looked back at her. He didn’t try to sugarcoat it “Bad,” he said simply “All five of us are your mates. We all feel the same pull toward you, and I made it very clear that no one ware supposed to cross any limes” His jaw tightened slightly. “So yeah they’re going to be furious, and they’re not wrong to be.”

He paused for a second before adding, “They’ll call me out for it. For being a hypocrite, and honestly they should.”

Luna stayed quiet as she listened, her eyes softening just a little as sho watched him. There was something in his voice, something heavy that she couldn’t ignore, and because of the bond between them, because of what had happened earlier, she didn’t just hear it. She felt it. The guilt, the frustration, and the way he was holding himself responsible for everything without even trying to share any of the responsibility.

She let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing just slightly before she spoke again. “Then we’ll talk to them together,” she

said.

Jace blinked, clearly not expecting that. “What?”

“We’ll talk to them together,” she repeated, more firmly this time. “And I’ll explain what happened. I’ll tell them that it was… consensual.”

Jace’s brows furrowed deeply, confusion clear on his face as he looked at her like she had just said something that didn’t make any sense. “Why would you say that?” he asked. “We both know that’s not true. You weren’t in control of yourself.”

Luna sighed again, this time a little heavier, like she had already expected that reaction from him. “You heard my thoughts earlier, right?” she asked, her gaze steady on his.

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