Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 11. Secrets of the Blue Moon

Chapter 11: 11. Secrets of the Blue Moon

Few days later...

The school day dragged on, and with no class ahead, Maria decided to take a walk alone to the game center.

It was one of her favorite places in the college, a space where she could think clearly without any disturbances.

Upon arriving, she noticed a few students sitting around, but what truly caught her attention was the college basketball team in the middle of their training session.

She found herself drawn to the intensity of their game... the swift movements, the precise coordination, and the determination on their faces.

Maria had always admired the team, not just for their skills but for their resilience. Their never-give-up attitude fascinated her. It was a trait she hoped to embody in her own life, given the circumstances she had been facing.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed when the coach blew the whistle, signaling a timeout.

The players jogged over to grab their water bottles, sweat glistening on their foreheads. Just as Maria was processing her own struggles, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Turning around, she was surprised to see Laura standing there with a knowing smile.

"Hey, Maria! What are you doing here?" Laura asked, taking a seat beside her.

Maria greeted her friend, and the two started chatting casually. But their conversation was soon interrupted when a basketball rolled toward them.

Looking up, Maria saw James, the team’s captain, jogging toward them. He picked up the ball smoothly, then turned to her with a wink and a charming smile before running back to the court.

Laura’s eyes widened in amusement. She bit her lip to suppress a giggle but ultimately failed, breaking into laughter.

"What’s so funny?" Maria demanded as she furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Don’t tell me you’re here because of James." Laura nudged her playfully.

"What?" Maria blinked.

"Come on, don’t play dumb." Laura raised a brow, smirking. "The guy is obviously into you."

"Huh?" Maria scoffed. "That’s ridiculous. I don’t even know him."

"Well, he seems to know you," Laura teased. "Seriously, when did you guys first meet?"

"We haven’t. I’ve never spoken to him before, and I have no plans to."

"I don’t know, Maria," Laura hummed in doubt. "That guy is interested in you, and it’s obvious."

Maria sighed, shaking her head. "You’re reading too much into it."

Still, as much as she dismissed Laura’s words, a small part of her couldn’t shake the thought.

’Why did he do that? What does he want from me?’

The rest of the school day passed quickly, and soon, Maria made her way to the car that usually took her home. But to her surprise, Bernard was missing.

Just as she was about to ask, the driver spoke up.

"Sir Bernard isn’t coming with us today. He called earlier and said he had something to take care of."

Maria frowned but decided not to dwell on it.

’What could he possibly be doing?’ she wondered.

However, she quickly reminded herself that Bernard’s whereabouts weren’t her concern. What mattered was her plan.

Today was the perfect day. Bernard and his parents wouldn’t be home, which meant she had an opportunity to search for the documents...

***

Meanwhile, Beta Gilbert sat alone in his office, deep in thought. His fingers drummed against the desk as his phone suddenly rang.

He grabbed it immediately.

"Hello, any updates on the investigation?" his voice was sharp with urgency.

"Not much, sir." A deep, husky voice responded. "We followed the tire tracks, and from what we gathered, it initially looked like an accident. But... we don’t believe the crash was what killed them."

"Then what did?" Beta Gilbert’s grip on the phone tightened.

"We found a knife with bloodstains near the scene. When we sent it to forensics, there were no fingerprints on it... just blood. If it was murder, we don’t have enough concrete evidence yet."

A tense silence followed before Beta Gilbert exhaled sharply. His jaw clenched.

"I don’t care what it takes," he said, his voice low but firm. "Find out who did this. I refuse to believe that my friend and his wife’s killer is walking free. Get to work."

He ended the call abruptly, tossing the phone onto his desk. His mind was a storm of thoughts.

Frustrated, he stood and walked over to the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a drink.

As he sipped the wine, his thoughts drifted back to a moment from the past, a memory that still haunted him...

★★FLASHBACK★★

The late Alpha Jackson sat alone in his office, his face dark with worry. His phone buzzed, but when he glanced at the screen, there was no number displayed.

His instincts screamed at him to ignore it, but he was the Alpha of a powerful werewolf pack, fear was not an option.

Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Who is this?"

"Alpha Jackson, your time is up." A cold, commanding voice responded. "Step down as Alpha and confess to the pack that you lied about your daughter. That’s the only way out."

At the mention of that, Alpha Jackson’s blood ran cold.

"Who are you? What nonsense are you talking about?" He questioned.

"Still acting brave?" The voice chuckled darkly. "I know the truth, Alpha. Your daughter—Maria—was born under the cursed Blue Moon. Tell them before it’s too late."

A heavy silence stretched between them.

"You’re a coward," Alpha Jackson spat. "If you have something to say, come face me."

"I admire your confidence," the voice said mockingly. "But you won’t feel so brave when the truth comes out."

Then the line went dead.

Jackson’s hands trembled slightly as he lowered the phone. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing.

"Who the hell was that?" he muttered.

His secret, Maria’s secret, was something he had fought to protect for years. If the truth got out...

He pushed the thought aside and grabbed his keys. There was only one person he could turn to now... Beta Gilbert.

In no time, Beta Gilbert looked up in surprise when the office door swung open abruptly. No one dared enter his office without permission.

But when he saw who it was, he relaxed.

"Jackson," he greeted with a smile. "For a second, I thought someone was trying to rob me."

Jackson didn’t return the humor. His face was tense, his eyes filled with urgency.

"All is not well, Gilbert," he said, his voice low and heavy. "There’s fire on the roof... and if we’re not careful, it will burn everything down."

The expression on Beta Gilbert’s face changed instantly at Alpha Jackson’s words. His eyes narrowed with concern as he leaned forward.

"Jackson, come clear. What exactly is going on?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity and urgency.

Without hesitation, Alpha Jackson recounted everything... the private call, the unknown voice, and the unsettling ultimatum.

The more he spoke, the deeper the frown on Gilbert’s face became.

"You know I can’t let anything happen to my family. My wife and daughter mean everything to me. What do you think I should do, Gilbert?"

For a moment, Beta Gilbert remained silent, lost in deep thought. The room grew heavy with tension as Jackson waited impatiently for a response.

Just as he was about to speak again, Gilbert finally broke the silence.

"I was thinking... Who could this person be? And why would you stepping down as Alpha benefit them?" Gilbert muttered, his brows furrowing.

They exchanged glances, both equally unsettled.

There was no obvious suspect, no one to blame. Yet someone out there knew a dangerous secret... one that was only supposed to be known by Jackson, Gilbert, and Jackson’s wife.

"I refuse to believe any of us would be careless enough to expose such a thing," Gilbert stated firmly.

"I’ll make some calls and have my men investigate this. Meanwhile, you should start preparing for any possible threats from your end."

Alpha Jackson nodded in agreement. With nothing more to say, the two men rose to their feet, and Jackson departed from Gilbert’s office, determination burning in his eyes...

★★END OF FLASHBACK★★

Beta Gilbert sat in his office, slowly swirling the wine in his glass. His thoughts were heavy, tangled in the web of mysteries surrounding him.

"I’ve been on this case for far too long," he muttered to himself. "I need to get to the bottom of this! Who killed Jackson?"