Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 75

Chapter 75-

Chapter 75

Third–person POV

The door clicked shut behind Ryder, and the sound hit Luna like a slap.

She was alone.

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The room felt too small, too hot, and too empty. The second he left, the fire that had been building inside her flared up worse than before. It wasn’t just the ache between her legs anymore, it was everywhere. Her skin burned like someone had poured boiling water over her. Every nerve ending screamed, and even the soft sheets under her felt like sandpaper scraping against her.

Luna slid off the bed and tried to stand, but her legs wouldn’t hold her. She dropped to her knees on the froor, curling into a tight ball. Her arms wrapped around her middle as another wave crashed through her. This one was deeper. It felt like cramps twisting her insides but mixed with something hotter, something that made her hips twitch without her control.

A low whine slipped from her throat, then another. Her wolf paced restlessly inside her mind, pushing hard, demanding they go after their mate, demanding relief, but Luna’s human side had gone quiet again, buried under the heat. She could barely think straight. All she knew was pain and need and the terrible feeling that she was burning alive from the inside.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and trickled down her back. Her clothes stuck to her skin, making everything worse. The abric rubbed in all the wrong ways, sending sparks of unwanted sensation shooting through her body. She clawed at her shirt, but her fingers shook too much to do anything useful.

Another cramp hit, harder this time. It started low in her belly and spread out like fire through her veins. Her breath came in hort, desperate gasps, her heart pounded so loud she could hear it in her ears, and every sound in the house felt too much, even her own ragged breathing.

It hurt. God, it hurt so much.

Luna pressed her forehead to the cool floor, but even that didn’t help for long. The heat kept rising, and her body felt wollen and sensitive. Between her legs, she was slick and aching, a deep, empty throb that made her want to cry. She rocked back and forth on the floor, trying to find any kind of relief, but nothing worked. The need only grew stronger, mixing with he pain until she couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

Her wolf howled inside her head. ‘Mate. Need mate. Now.’

Luna squeezed her eyes shut, and a sob broke free, then another. The pressure built and built until she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She screamed.

r

It tore out of her raw and broken, loud enough to echo through the whole house. The sound was full of pain and frustration and that terrible, burning hunger. She screamed again, curling tighter on the floor, nails digging into her own arms as another wave ripped through her.

Downstairs, all five of them froze.

Ryder had just reached the bottom step when the first scream hit. His head snapped up, his face going pale. Ty surged forward so fast Ryder had to grab the railing to stay steady. Jace was already moving. Theo pushed off the wall, his eyes wid Knox stood up fast from the chair, and Orion’s gaze locked on the stairs.

They all rushed up at the same time. “Wait,” Jace barked. He threw out an arm, stopping them right at the bottom. “We can’t all go in there at once, it’ll make it worse.”

The others stopped, breathing hard. Ryder looked wrecked, guilt still plain on his face from what had happened upstairs

earlier.

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Chapter 75

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Pre rubised a hand–over his face. The scream came again, fainter this time but still full of pain. It tore at all of them. “Orion, youge. If it’s too much and you can’t handle it alone, traind link us, bro! no one else goes up unless he calls.”

Orion nodded once, and without another word, he turned and took the stairs two at a time. He pushed the door open slowly, not wanting to scare her more, and the sight that met him roade his chest tighten

Luna was curled on the floor beside the bed, knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around herself. Her hair stuck to her sweaty face, and her skin looked flushed red, like she had a dangerous fever. She rocked slightly, soft whimpers mixing with shaky breaths. The room smelled heavy with her scent, sweet and thick and desperate, and it hit Orion like a wall, making his wolf, Shadow, snap to attention.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click. “Luna,” he said quietly, keeping his voice low. “It’s me,

Orion.”

She didn’t look up at first. Another cramp must have hit because she gasped sharply and pressed her face farder into her knees A fresh wave of heat rolled off her, stronger now that he was closer. Orion’s hands curled into fists at his sides. He could feel his own body reacting, blood running hot, muscles tensing, and the urge to go to her and fix everything rising

fast.

But he stayed where he was for a moment, breathing through his mouth to try and clear his head. “Hey… I’m here. You’re not

alone.”

Slowly, Luna lifted her head. Her eyes were glassy and bright, glowing faintly. Tears streaked her cheeks, and she looked lost and in so much pain that it made Orion’s stomach twist.

“Hot,” she whispered, her voice cracked. “It hurts… everywhere.”

Orion moved closer, careful and slow. He knelt a few feet away, not crowding her yet. “I know.”

She whimpered again and uncurled a little, reaching one shaky hand toward him. The simple movement made her shirt ride up, exposing a strip of flushed skin on her stomach, and Orion swallowed hard.

He took her hand gently, and the second their skin touched, something shifted. Luna let out a long, shaky breath. Her shoulders dropped just a fraction, and the pained lines on her face eased a tiny bit.

“Orion…” she breathed. “You smell safe.”

His presence helped. Just having one of her mates close calmed the worst of the storm inside her, and the screaming stopped. The cramps didn’t vanish, but they dulled to a deep, throbbing ache, and her breathing slowed a little. She squeezed his hand like it was a lifeline.

Orion scooted closer, still on his knees. He brushed damp hair back from her forehead with his fiee and. Her skin was burning hot under his palm. “That’s it, just breathe. I’m right here.”

For a minute, it worked. Luna leaned into his touch, her eyes half–closed, and a soft, relieved sound escaped her. The heat still raged, but his scent and his presence wrapped around her, pushing back the panic

Then the need came back stronger. She shifted restlessly and sat up a little, still holding his hand. Her free hand moved to the collar of her sweater, tugging at it. “Too hot… clothes hurt.”

Orion’s eyes widened. “Luna, wait…”

But she didn’t wait. Her fingers fumbled with the hem, pulling the sweater up. The fabric dragged over her skin, and she moaned softly at the friction, half in relief, half in something darker. Orion reached out to stop her, catching her wrists lightly.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, his voice rough. “We can get you a cold cloth or…”

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Chapter 75

why shouk her head, her eyes pleading. Please, it burns. Everything touches, and it burns”

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Her wolf was driving her now, and the heat made her bold. She twisted her hands free and yanked the sweater over her head in one clumsy motion. Underseatly, she wore a din crop top that clung to her sweaty skin, outlining every curve. Her chest rose and fell fast, nipples visible through the fabric because she wasift wearing anything underneath.

Orion’s breath caught. Shadow surged forward, flooding his mind with raw images and institress He wanted to touch her. He wanted to pull her close and case every ache, bo he fought it, jaw clenched tight.

“Luna,” he tried again, firmer this time. “This isn’t a good idea.”

She wasn’t listening. The relief from removing the sweater only made her want fore. She tugged at the crop top next. peeling it off slowly. The cool air of the room hit her bare skin, and she sighed deeply, her back arching a little. Her breasts were full and flushed, nipples tight from the sudden change in temperature and the constant arousa, humming through her.

Orion couldn’t look away. His hands itched to cover her, to touch, but he forced them to stay at his sides. “Stop, please.”

But she didn’t. Luna kicked off her sweatpants next, shoving them down her legs along with her underwear in one frantic push. She was completely naked now, kneeling on the floor in front of him. Her skin glistened with a light sheen of sweat. and her body trembled, not just from fever, but from the deep, empty need that made her thighs press together and then part again.

She was beautiful, and she was suffering.

Luna crawled closer to him on her knees. Her hands reached for his chest, sliding up under his shirt without asking. Her palms were hot against his skin, and she pressed herself against him, bare breasts brushing his chest through the thin naterial of his shirt. A soft, needy sound left her throat.

Touch me,” she whispered. “It helps when you touch.”

Orion groaned low, his control fraying fast. His hands came up automatically, settling on her waist to hold her steady. Her kin felt like silk under his fingers, burning silk. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse, the way her body shivered at even hat light contact.

Luna… I shouldn’t,” he muttered, but his thumbs brushed small circles on her sides anyway. It was like his body moved on

ts own.

She didn’t care about shoulds or shouldn’ts. She pressed closer, straddling one of his thighs as she knelt in front of him. Her lick heat rubbed against his leg through his pants, and they both gasped. Luna rocked slowly, chasing the friction, Her hands explored his chest, fingers tracing every ridge of muscle like she was memorizing him.

“You feel so good,” she breathed against his neck. Her lips brushed his skin, sending a jolt straight through him. “Warm. Strong. Mate.”

Orion’s grip on her waist tightened. He could smell how aroused she was, thick and sweet and overwhelming. His own body responded hard, blood rushing south until he was painfully tight against his zipper.

He tried to pull back a little. “We can’t go further.”

But Luna followed him, not letting any space grow between them. She kissed his neck, soft and open–mouthed, then highe until her lips found his jaw. One of her hands slid down his stomach, stopping just above his belt. She nuzzled into him, hips still moving in that slow, desperate grind against his thigh.

Every touch from her was electric. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly. She pressed her bare chest fully to his, her nipples dragging against the fabric of his shirt and making her whimper. Her other hand traced his arm, then back to his chest, nails scraping lightly.

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