Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 230: Grounded

Chapter 230: Grounded

Liam’s P.O.V.

The nightmares started that same night.

It wasn’t just the witches anymore. It wasn’t just the cold, dark place where their laughter echoed through my skull like a ghostly hymn. No, the fire nightmares were back. Roaring, twisting flames that swallowed me whole. And Jamie’s voice—his sneer, his taunts. Then the pain. The unbearable, searing agony of flames licking my skin, crawling up my body like a living, breathing monster.

I woke up gasping.

The room was dark, save for the light of the moon slipping through the curtains. My chest heaved, my skin slick with sweat. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. My hands clutched the sheets, my fingers trembling. But then—

Soft arms wrapped around me.

Mai.

She was already awake, sitting on my bed like she had been waiting for this to happen. And maybe she had. She didn’t say anything at first, just pulled me into her embrace, her warmth immediately chasing away the last remnants of my nightmare.

"Shh," she murmured, her lips brushing against my temple. "It’s okay, Liam. It’s just a dream."

Just a dream.

I exhaled shakily, trying to steady myself, but my heart still pounded. The fire had felt so real. I could still feel the phantom pain of it clawing up my skin.

Mai must have sensed it because she pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting mine. "You’re safe," she whispered. "No one is ever going to hurt you again."

Her fingers traced lightly over my cheek, then down to the scars on my forehead. I flinched, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

I turned bright red. I was never going to get used to Mai’s affections for me.

Mai had always been... intense with me. Clingy. Possessive. But lately, her touch felt different, more alive like we shared something beyond our love for each other. Or maybe I was just imagining it. Either way, the warmth in my chest spread, making me feel giddy and ridiculous all at once.

"I—I’m fine," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Really."

Mai arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Liam, you just woke up looking like you ran a marathon through hell."

"I mean, technically, I did."

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the small smile tugging at her lips. "You’re impossible."

I let out a breathless laugh, still dazed from the dream but grateful for the distraction. Mai, however, wasn’t done. She shifted closer, her arms tightening around me again.

"I mean it, Liam," she murmured against my hair. "I won’t let anyone hurt you."

My heart skipped a beat.

The way she said it—it wasn’t just a promise. It was a vow.

*********

Ever since the Jamie incident yesterday, Eldur had been acting weird.

Not bad weird. Just... weird.

He wasn’t going out of his way to scare me anymore. He still had his usual smug, arrogant attitude, but he wasn’t cruel. In fact, there were moments—brief, fleeting moments—where he actually seemed like he cared.

It freaked me out.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me or say something?" Eldur drawled, his eyes flicking toward me as we walked to our next class.

I startled, nearly tripping over my own feet. "I—I wasn’t staring!"

Eldur smirked. "Sure, kid."

I scowled. "We’re the same age."

He patted my head like I was some lost puppy. "Whatever you say, little guy."

I shoved his hand away, scowling harder. But instead of laughing at me or throwing some cruel insult, Eldur just shook his head, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

And that was what I meant.

He was different now.

I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

What I did know was that Eldur still looked at Mai the same way he always had. Like he wanted her. Like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. But today—today, he was hiding it.

Because Mai was all about me.

And I...I liked that.

A lot.

Three days after the incident at school, Mai, Ollie Eldur and I walked into the mansion to find the Alpha, Luna, and Elizabeth waiting for us.

I didn’t like the looks on their faces.

Alpha Lucian was seated in his usual chair, arms crossed, his sharp green eyes studying each of us carefully. Luna Teresa stood beside him, her expression softer but just as serious. And Elizabeth... well, she looked about two seconds away from reading our minds.

Mai stiffened beside me. Eldur just sighed, while Ollie said hi to his parents.

"You’re back late," Alpha Lucian said, his voice calm but firm.

Mai shrugged, her tone casual. "We had training."

The Alpha’s gaze flicked between us. Then, he leaned forward slightly, his stare pinning us in place.

"Do any of you know anything about five boys going missing?"

We were all quiet.

My stomach twisted. I didn’t have to guess who he was talking about.

"Their parents have been looking for them," the Alpha continued. "They haven’t been found anywhere." He leaned back, his fingers tapping against the armrest. "And it’s very suspicious that on the exact day you three returned to school, five students mysteriously disappeared."

Mai was good at lying. I, on the other hand, was not.

And Eldur?

Eldur was too damn arrogant to care.

He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Look, if you must know, they were beating up Liam."

The Luna’s expression immediately changed. "What?"

The Alpha frowned, his gaze snapping to me. "Is this true?"

I froze.

I didn’t know what to do with the sudden concern in their eyes. The attention. The worry.

My face burned. "I—I mean, it’s not that big of a deal—"

"Not that big of a deal?" Luna Teresa’s voice was sharp with concern. She stepped closer, eyes scanning me as if looking for injuries. "Liam, are you hurt?"

I swallowed.

No one outside my family and Mai had ever looked at me like that. Like they actually cared.

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. "I’m fine. Really."

The Alpha didn’t look convinced, but he turned his attention back to Eldur.

"And?" he prompted.

Eldur smirked. "And they also tried to burn his face. Again."

Silence fell on us.

Pure and tense.

I wasn’t sure who moved first—the Alpha or the Luna—but before I knew it, they were both in front of me, checking my face, my arms, my hands.

I went bright red.

"I—I said I’m fine!" I stammered, waving them off.

"You should have told us immediately," the Alpha said, his voice a little softer now. "This isn’t something you should have gone through alone."

Mai suddenly grabbed my hand.

"He wasn’t alone," she said fiercely. "He had me."

My face somehow got even hotter.

And Eldur—Eldur was watching.

His eyes flicked between us, I couldn’t catch his expression.

For a second, I thought he might say something. But then, he simply scoffed and looked away.

The Alpha exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I’ll deal with this." His eyes settled on Eldur. "You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you?"

Eldur’s smirk widened. "Oh, don’t worry. I made sure they learned their lesson."

I resisted the urge to groan.

Mai just smirked.

The Alpha sighed. "Eldur—"

"Two days in the desert isn’t that bad," Eldur cut in. "They’ll live."

Luna Teresa sighed deeply, shaking her head.

I wasn’t sure what was funnier—the fact that Eldur really thought that was a good excuse, or the fact that he actually seemed proud of himself.

Alpha Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don’t want to hear another word from you; bring them back now."

Eldur sighed and replied sarcastically, "Loud and clear, Alpha."

I bit my lip, trying so hard not to laugh.

Mai squeezed my hand.

And Eldur opened the desert portal, pulling out Jamie and his friends and landing them unceremoniously on the marble floor.

Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly as she looked at the bruised and sunburnt boys lying unconscious on the floor. "I swear, my work is already cut out for me," she muttered.

The Alpha’s eyes scanned Jamie and his friends, who looked like they had barely survived their two-day trip to hell. Then, he turned his sharp gaze toward us—Mai, Eldur, Ollie, and me. His expression was passive, but the weight of it settled like a stone in my gut.

"You four. To your rooms. Now," Alpha Lucian commanded, his voice controlled but edged with steel. "This matter is far from over. For now, these boys need medical attention, but believe me when I say this isn’t the end of this discussion."

Eldur let out an exaggerated sigh before strolling away without a care in the world. His white hair shimmered under the lights of the mansion as he lazily shoved his hands into his pockets, already bored.

Mai, however, grabbed my hand before I could react. Her fingers were cold, her grip tight. "Come on," she murmured, tugging me forward.

Ollie, who still looked completely lost in the whirlwind of events, trailed behind us hesitantly.

We walked in silence to our shared wing of the mansion. Mai’s grip on my hand didn’t loosen even as we reached our rooms, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to.

The next morning, we were called back to the Alpha’s office. I knew it wasn’t going to be good news, but I still wasn’t prepared for how bad it would be.

Alpha Lucian stood behind his massive desk, arms crossed. Luna Teresa sat beside him, her expression calm.

"You’re all grounded," the Alpha announced without preamble.

There was a beat of silence. Then—

"What?" Mai’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and disbelieving.

Eldur merely arched a brow, his lips curving into a smirk like this was all a joke. I, on the other hand, just stood there, completely frozen.

"You’re not allowed to leave the mansion. Anywhere in the pack is off-limits until Liam’s birthday." The Alpha’s tone left no room for argument.

Mai scoffed. "You can’t be serious."

"Oh, I’m serious." The Alpha leaned forward slightly. "This pack is already exhausted from the mess you two create. The council is tired of Mai and Eldur using their powers with impunity. The people are furious. If I let you continue as if nothing happened, there will be consequences."

"Consequences?" Mai’s eyes burned with barely contained rage.

"Yes. If any of you are seen anywhere in the pack except for this mansion, you will be banished."

The room fell into a dead silence.

I barely registered my own breathing.

Banished.

I swallowed thickly.

For the first time, even Eldur’s smirk faltered. He tilted his head, his silver eyes dimming slightly. "You wouldn’t actually let that happen," he said, his voice disturbingly soft.

Alpha Lucian’s jaw tightened. "I won’t be able to stop it, Eldur. The pack is done being patient. If you step out of line, I won’t have the power to save you this time."

Mai clenched her fists, her entire body trembling. "That’s not fair," she hissed. "Jamie and his friends started it. They attacked Liam first. They tried to burn his face—again!" Her voice cracked slightly on the last word, but she quickly masked it with anger.

"Liam is the victim here, and you’re punishing him too!"

I blinked, caught off guard.

I had been expecting Mai to argue against the punishment for herself, but... for me?

Alpha Lucian sighed, rubbing his temple. "I know it’s unfair. But the pack won’t see it that way. You all need to lay low until this blows over."

Mai’s nostrils flared. "I hate this."

"You don’t have to like it," the Alpha said simply. "You just have to obey."

Eldur chuckled darkly. "You know we can teleport, right?"

Lucian’s gaze sharpened. "I know. But if you teleport anywhere and someone sees you outside this mansion, there will be consequences." His eyes held Eldur’s in a silent challenge. "Stay inside. No exceptions."

With that, the Alpha stood, effectively ending the conversation.

We were dismissed.

But the anger burning in Mai’s eyes said this wasn’t over.

Back in our shared wing of the mansion, Mai was pacing, her movements sharp and furious. "This is bullshit!" she snapped, running a hand through her hair. "Punishing us for protecting you? And now we’re stuck in this stupid house like prisoners?"

I sighed, leaning against the wall. "It’s not that bad, Mai. It’s only until my birthday."

"That’s three weeks away!" she shot back, eyes blazing.

Eldur, who had been watching Mai’s outburst with mild amusement, suddenly grinned. "You know... technically, we’re only banned from going anywhere in the pack."

Mai froze mid-step, her brows furrowing. "Yeah... so?"

Eldur’s grin widened. "That just means we can’t be seen in the pack." He tilted his head, his eyes glinting with mischief. "But what if we left the pack entirely?"

I straightened immediately. "What?"

Mai’s frown slowly twisted into a smirk.

"Oh," she mused, eyes gleaming. "That’s... interesting."

My stomach dropped. "Oh, no. No, no, no." I shook my head quickly. "I just got grounded, I do not need to add ’banishment’ to the list of things ruining my life."

Eldur waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, Liam. The rule says we can’t leave the mansion if it means we’ll be seen in the pack. But if we teleport outside the pack’s borders..." He spread his arms dramatically. "Technically, we’re not breaking any rules."

I gaped at him. "Technically?"

Mai laughed, the sound sharp and wicked. "I love the way you think, Eldur."

"Thank you, darling." Eldur smirked, clearly enjoying himself.

I stared at them in pure horror. "This is insane."

"Correction," Eldur said, placing a hand over his chest. "This is brilliant."

Mai nudged me playfully. "Come on, Liam. Where’s your sense of adventure?"

"Locked up in the same prison cell as my common sense," I muttered.

Mai grinned, stepping closer, her eyes catching the light in the most dangerous way. "Don’t tell me you’re scared."

I swallowed.

Mai had this way of looking at me that made it impossible to say no. Like she dared me to refuse her.

I was completely and utterly screwed.

I sighed, dragging a hand down my face. "I hate you both."

Eldur chuckled. "You’ll love us once we show you a good time."

Mai squeezed my hand, her touch burning and grounding all at once. "It’ll be fun," she whispered, voice softer now.

Her smirk remained, but there was something else behind her eyes. Something warm.

Something dangerous.

And despite every rational bone in my body screaming at me to back out...

I knew I wasn’t going to.

Because Mai had already decided.

And if Mai was going—

Then so was I.