Alpha's Hunt For Love

Chapter 5. Luna's mark

Bad habits die hard. I enjoy sleeping. John left a while ago, but I haven't found the strength to get out of bed yet. The warmth makes me want to stay here forever. I almost forgot that I'm not in my own bed, and a certain someone made me feel even more comfortable. Forcing myself to open my eyes, I notice the sun is already up. I move closer to the bedroom window to enjoy the rays on my skin—and I freeze.

The view is magical. The house is built near the mountains, and from here you can see the packhouse and all the other homes. Everything is surrounded by forest. They preserved nature as much as possible, saved all the trees, and only paved what was necessary. The balance between modern life and nature is unbelievable. Last night, in the moonlight, it already looked beautiful, but the sunlight reveals a breathtaking beauty I hadn't noticed.

It's time for coffee. I'll borrow John's clothes until I unpack mine. After finishing my morning routine, I head to the living room and then into the kitchen. The smell of coffee still lingers, and on the counter I find a cup waiting for me—with a note.

"The curiosity won't kill the cat today. Come find me when you wake up!
–J"

I smile. Hopefully, he won't be upset that I've stolen his clothes. My bags and flowers will have to wait.

When I step outside, the first thing I notice is the security cameras—everywhere. Soon, I see the girls from yesterday. They bow their heads slightly, which I'm still not used to.

"Hello, Carmen and Maria."

They look surprised that I know their names.

"Do you know where John is?"

"Hello, Luna," Carmen replies softly. "He should be in his office at the packhouse."

"Thank you, girls." I smile, not wanting to keep them from their work.

The packhouse, usually the largest building in a pack, looks different here. Don't get me wrong—it's big, but not nearly as massive as the one in my old pack or what I've heard in stories. This one has two floors, and nearby is the pack hospital, which looks impressive.

I gather my courage and step inside. The place is silent, almost unnaturally so. You could hear a fly buzzing. Without Luna's instincts guiding me, I would be lost. She gets more excited the closer we are to John.

I knock on a door. Silence. I knock again, louder. This time the door swings open—and suddenly it's like stepping into a jungle. The walls must be soundproof because the noise inside is overwhelming. People are talking, some even shouting. The one who opened the door is Luck.

"Thank you," he says quickly. "You came just in time. Please help John calm down before he kills us all."

Every eye turns to me. I only recognize three faces: John, Luck, and Michael. Smiling nervously, I greet the room.

"Hello, everyone."

Slowly, I walk to John. As soon as I'm close, he pulls me onto his lap and keeps me there. Not romantic—just a need to have me close.

"Alpha, we have to decide," an older man insists. "The danger may be greater than we think."

"I know, Ian," John replies firmly. "But we can handle whatever comes our way."

The power in his voice is intimidating, though I can feel him slowly relaxing with me on his lap.

"We'll take a break," an older woman announces with a warm smile. "We've been at this longer than expected. Let's all have lunch and reconvene in the afternoon."

Everyone obeys her instantly. She turns to me.

"I am Maria," she says kindly. "And I am grateful that you are with us now. You've already met Ian. This is his son, Ian Junior. I'm here with my daughter Diana and my son Mason. The other elder is Constantine, here with his daughter Chloe. I think I speak for everyone when I say we are blessed to have you."