Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 233: The Date

Chapter 233: The Date

Mai’s P.O.V.

Eldur was an idiot. A powerful, ruthless idiot who thought stalking a girl was the best way to show interest.

I know, classic case of pot calling kettle black but, in my case, I had no choice, whereas Eldur has many choices.

Liam and I sat across from each other in our apartment’s living room, watching Eldur pace. He had been brooding for the past hour, his eyes flickering with something dangerously close to longing every time Nova’s name was mentioned. He wouldn’t call her, wouldn’t approach her, just stared at her like she was the moon and he was a wolf that had no right to howl.

Eldur cursed under his breath and then stomped into his room closing the door with a bang.

It was pathetic.

I turned to Liam, raising an eyebrow. "We have to fix this."

Liam, who had been absentmindedly twisting a lock of his blond hair, looked up. "Fix what?"

I gave him a pointed look.

He blinked. "Oh. That." Then he smirked. "You have a plan, don’t you?"

I grinned. "Of course I do."

Twenty minutes later, Ollie walked in with a bag of chips in his hand and narrowed his eyes at us. "Why do you two look like you’re about to commit war crimes?"

Liam snorted. "We’re setting Eldur up on a date. We have been strategizing for twenty minutes straight while Eldur is probably having a melt down in his room as we speak."

Ollie perked up. "Oh, this is serious." He plopped down onto the couch, crumbs falling onto his lap. "What’s the plan?"

I leaned in, lowering my voice. "We’re taking Eldur to the movies. We’ll invite Nova and make sure they end up sitting together. Somewhere private. Cozy. We’ll make it so they have no choice but to talk."

Liam’s lips twitched. "So... forced proximity?"

I nodded.

Ollie smirked. "I like it. A classic setup."

Liam tilted his head. "Won’t Eldur kill us when he finds out?"

I shrugged. "Probably. But that’s future Mai’s problem."

Liam chuckled. "I love how reckless you are."

Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. I swallowed, pushing the feeling aside.

Focus.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Nova’s number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nova. It’s me Mai. How are you doing?"

"I’m great, thanks." She replied, and I went in for the kill.

"That’s great to hear. We’re going to see a movie tonight at seven. Ophelia theater. You should come. Bring a friend if you want."

Nova hesitated. "Oh, um... okay. That actually sounds fun."

I smirked. "Great. See you there." I wasn’t much of a people’s person but I think I nailed that.

The moment I hung up, Eldur shuffled out of his room, hair messy from constantly running a hand through it. His sharp eyes immediately narrowed at us.

"What are you three whispering about?"

I plastered on my most innocent smile. "Nothing. Just, you know, making plans."

Eldur crossed his arms. "What kind of plans?"

"I want to go to the movies tonight," I said casually. "And since we are all stuck together, I was thinking you could take us."

Eldur’s expression darkened. "No."

I expected that.

I pouted. "Come on, Eldur. It’s just a movie. It’s been a while since I last saw one."

"I don’t care."

Liam sighed dramatically. "Wow. It’s almost like you don’t want us to be happy."

Ollie added, "I thought we were friends, man."

Eldur groaned, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But don’t think your cheap blackmails worked on me, I’m only accepting to go because I want you all to shut up "

Victory.

Liam and I exchanged a triumphant glance.

Now came the fun part.

By the time seven rolled around, we were all dressed and ready. Liam looked effortlessly good in a dark hoodie and jeans, his blond hair slightly tousled. I, of course, looked amazing in my leather jacket and ripped jeans.

Ollie just looked like he had rolled out of bed.

Eldur, on the other hand, had pulled his hood up, trying to act like he wasn’t about to be thrown into an awkward social situation.

We locked our apartment door from the inside—because, let’s be honest, my parents would probably try to break in again—and Eldur opened a shimmering silver portal.

Stepping through, we arrived right outside the Ophelia theater.

Nova was already there, standing near the entrance with her friend—a tall, gorgeous girl with auburn curls.

Liam nudged Ollie. "Dibs?"

Ollie grinned. "Dibs."

Nova’s eyes flickered to Eldur, and for a second, they both froze.

Gods, they were so obvious.

"Hey," Nova said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Eldur cleared his throat. "Hi."

Then there was silence.

Painful silence.

Liam muttered under his breath, "This is physically painful to watch."

I shot him a look before clapping my hands together. "Alright! Let’s get our tickets."

The movie playing was Whisper in the Dark, some psychological horror that I had no intention of actually paying attention to.

We bought our tickets, grabbed snacks, and headed inside.

I made sure Eldur and Nova ended up with the most private seats. I could already see Eldur sweating.

Liam and I took seats three rolls behind them, and Ollie happily dragged Nova’s friend—Emily—somewhere else.

As the lights dimmed and the movie started, I stole a glance at Liam. He was leaning back in his seat, his blue eyes focused on the screen.

Something about the soft glow of the theater lights on his face made my heart stutter.

This was bad.

I quickly turned my attention to Eldur and Nova.

They were sitting close.

Like, really close.

Nova shifted, her knee accidentally brushing against Eldur’s.

Eldur went completely rigid.

Liam nudged me. "He looks like he’s about to self-destruct."

I smirked. "Perfect."

Nova leaned in slightly. "So... do you actually like horror movies?"

Eldur hesitated before mumbling, "They’re fine."

Nova smiled. "You don’t talk much, do you?"

Eldur glanced at her. "No."

Nova giggled. "That’s okay. I like quiet people."

Eldur blinked.

Liam whispered, "I think he’s malfunctioning."

I bit back a laugh.

The movie played on, and every so often, I saw Nova whisper something to Eldur, and he’d mumble a response.

Progress.

Liam shifted beside me, stretching an arm behind my seat. His fingers lightly brushed my shoulder.

I stiffened.

Did he mean to do that?

Liam didn’t say anything, just kept watching the movie like nothing had happened.

But suddenly, I wasn’t focused on Eldur and Nova anymore.

I was focused on the way Liam’s presence felt so there. So warm

Liam’s profile was illuminated in flashes of the eerie horror movie light.

Goddess, he was beautiful.

I shifted slightly, my knee brushing against his. Liam tensed but didn’t move away. His fingers curled around the armrest, his body taut like he was bracing for something.

I smirked. Perfect.

Eldur and Nova’s heads were leaning slightly toward each other as if gravity itself was pulling them closer. I should have been spying on them, enjoying Eldur’s inevitable awkwardness, but my attention was elsewhere—on Liam, on the way his hands twitched in his lap, on the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed.

I leaned in, close enough that my lips brushed the shell of his ear. "You’re so tense, Liam."

His breath hitched. "Mai..." He cleared his throat, voice hushed but sharp. "This is a public place."

I grinned. "So?"

He turned slightly, his blue eyes glinting in the dim light. "So... there are people."

I rolled my eyes. "No one’s paying attention to us."

To prove my point, I let my fingers drift over his thigh, just lightly at first. Just teasing.

Liam sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed my wrist, his grip firm but trembling. "Mai." His voice was a whisper.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "Yes?"

His lips parted, but no words came. He looked at me like he wanted to say something—like he wanted to stop me but also wanted me to keep going.

Oh, Liam. You are so easy to break.

I leaned in, lips brushing against his jawline. "Relax," I whispered against his skin, trailing slow, feather-light kisses along his neck.

His grip on my wrist tightened, but he didn’t push me away. His breathing was ragged now, uneven.

"Someone will see," he hissed.

"No one will see," I murmured, my hand slipping further up his thigh.

Liam’s whole body went rigid.

His jaw clenched, his eyes fluttering shut for half a second before snapping open again. "Mai."

His voice was tight with warning, but there was something else beneath it—something raw, something needy.

I smiled against his skin, pressing a lingering kiss to his neck, just beneath his ear. "Do you want me to stop?"

His fingers twitched against my wrist. He could stop me if he wanted to. He could push me away.

But he didn’t.

I kissed him again, this time on the corner of his jaw, just barely brushing against the corner of his lips.

Liam turned his head slightly—just enough that our lips finally met.

The second it happened, he groaned quietly against my mouth, his other hand coming up to cup the back of my neck. The hesitation was gone now, melted into the heat of the moment.

I deepened the kiss, nipping at his bottom lip, tasting the slight saltiness of the popcorn he’d been eating earlier.

Liam exhaled sharply, breaking away just enough to whisper, "Mai, this is insane."

"Then stop me," I challenged.

His grip on me tightened.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

I kissed him again, my fingers tangling in the front of his hoodie. Liam let out a quiet, frustrated sigh, his head falling back against the seat as I moved down, pressing my lips to his throat.

"I swear to the goddess," he muttered, voice hoarse, "if we get caught—"

"We won’t." My lips brushed over the sensitive spot just below his jaw.

His hand slid to my waist, fingers digging in, not to push me away—but to hold me there.

The heat between us was unbearable now. Every stolen touch, every whispered breath, every tiny movement—it was all too much.

I bit my lip, drawing back just enough to meet his eyes. They were dark, heavy-lidded, burning with something I hadn’t seen in them before.

Something dangerous.

Something I wanted.

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