Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 19. Virginity

Chapter 19: 19. Virginity

Maria woke up in her room, feeling drained and disoriented. Her body felt heavy, and her mind was clouded with confusion.

She blinked several times, trying to piece together what had happened.

Almost instinctively, she checked around her. To her relief and surprise, the electronic key was lying neatly under her pillow. She stared at it in disbelief.

The entire room looked untouched—spotless, like she had never left. The bed was perfectly made, and everything was in place.

’Was it all just a dream? Did I even leave the room at all?’ she asked herself silently, frowning as she sat up.

"No... It can’t be a dream," she muttered under her breath. "I’m very sure of everything that happened. I was in that secret room. Someone grabbed me from behind. Why wasn’t I hurt? And why is the key still with me?"

Her mind raced with questions.

’Someone is definitely watching every move in this house... Could it be Bernard? Or Beta Gilbert? No, it couldn’t be any of the maids... The grip I felt was definitely a man’s touch.’

Maria was deep in thought, her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of everything.

"I have to be more careful from now on. Whoever that was... they don’t want me finding anything," she whispered, her eyes sharp with determination.

She carefully hid the electronic key, ensuring it was in a new, safer spot. Then she stood up and stepped out of her room to see if anyone else was around.

As she walked down to the living room, she was surprised to see Bernard and his parents... Beta Gilbert and Victoria, chatting and laughing together like nothing had happened.

One glance at the clock told her everything—it was already 6 p.m. She had been asleep the entire day.

Maria lingered at a distance, watching them closely. No one mentioned anything suspicious. No strange glances. No confrontations.

Eventually, she walked over to them. They welcomed her warmly, smiling and making jokes. Bernard was unusually friendly, and his parents looked completely relaxed.

’I can’t afford to be the odd one out,’ she thought. ’I’ll just play along... like nothing happened.’

***

Later That Night...

James stumbled into the house late, his steps unstable from the alcohol he had consumed. His clothes were slightly disheveled, and he reeked of liquor.

To his surprise, his mother, Mrs. Roseline, was already sitting in the living room, waiting for him. Her face was drawn with worry.

"James, where are you coming from?" she asked immediately, rising from her seat.

James hesitated, trying to keep his distance so she wouldn’t smell the alcohol on him.

"I just went out to relax a bit, Mom. Nothing serious," he replied, struggling to keep his balance.

Mrs. Roseline narrowed her eyes.

"James, you’re drunk. You’re the future Alpha of our pack, and this is how you carry yourself? Walking in drunk at this hour? What if something happened to you—how would you protect yourself in this state?"

James sighed, slumping into a couch. "You don’t have to worry about me, Mom. I’ll be fine. Just let me live my life."

"This is not just about you!" His mother’s voice rose with frustration. "Your behavior reflects on all of us—on the pack, on this family. You’re tarnishing our name!"

James sat up, his tone sharp and loud. "You people should stop trying to control me! I have my plans. Just... let me be!"

The room went silent.

Mrs. Roseline was stunned. Her son had never raised his voice at her before, never spoken with so much hostility.

Without another word, James stood up and staggered toward his room, leaving his mother staring after him, her heart heavy with concern.

---

The Next Day, Bernard stood alone in the garden, facing the artificial waterfall in the center. His gaze was distant, his thoughts clearly somewhere else.

There was a deep worry etched into his face.

From the window upstairs, Maria watched him silently. A sudden idea sparked in her mind.

’I still don’t know who grabbed me that day... but I need to get closer to him. Maybe he knows something.’

She quickly descended the stairs, grabbing a bottle of alcoholic wine and two glasses from the dining shelf. Her plan was already forming.

Bernard didn’t hear her approach. He only turned around when she tapped him gently on the back.

"Oh—hey," he said quickly, forcing a smile onto his face. Maria noted the flicker of unease behind his smile, but she pretended not to notice.

"Here," she said cheerfully, offering him a glass. "Thought you could use some wine to relax."

He hesitated as she poured the wine.

"What? You think I came to poison you?" she teased with a laugh and then raised her glass, downing it confidently in one go.

Seeing her drink first, Bernard slowly lifted his own glass and took a sip, still watching her with cautious eyes.

"Come on, would I really poison myself too?" she added playfully.

That broke the tension. Bernard chuckled, and they both laughed together, the atmosphere slowly easing up.

They continued to drink, talking and joking. With each glass, their guards dropped further. The wine started to take effect... both of them growing tipsy, their words slurring just slightly.

Laughter filled the garden as the conversation grew more personal, more comfortable.

At one point, Maria leaned in, and so did Bernard. Their faces were inches apart, then closer still, until their lips met.

The kiss was deep and slow, filled with unspoken feelings and confusion. Bernard’s hand moved instinctively, sliding under her blouse, his fingers caressing her breast gently.

Everything else faded. The only thing Maria could clearly remember after that moment... was the kiss, and the touch that followed.

Later that same night, around 10 p.m., Maria slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the dim light in the room.

It didn’t take long for her to realize she was lying naked on Bernard’s bed.

Her heart dropped as her gaze shifted to her side, Bernard was also there, sound asleep, and completely unclothed.

A wave of panic swept over her. ’What have I done?’ she thought, her hands trembling as she looked down at her bare body.

She couldn’t believe it, she had just had sex with Bernard, and it clearly wasn’t just a dream. The physical evidence was there, surrounding her, and it stung hard.

She had been in Bernard’s room, in his bed, and had given herself to him completely.

Frustration and shame wrapped around her like a heavy blanket. The only thing she could think of was to get dressed and leave the room quietly, hoping to avoid any awkward confrontation.

’No one else should be home,’ she remembered. ’Only me, Bernard, and the maids... and they’d be in their quarters by now.’

As she picked up her scattered clothes, folded her underwear discreetly, and slipped on her shoes as quietly as possible, her thoughts screamed at her.

’You’re so cheap, Maria. You’ve got no value left...’ she scolded herself silently, her chest tightening with self-hatred.

The shame deepened when she remembered something else, she had just lost her virginity to Bernard. A man she didn’t even love.

A man she never intended to be with romantically.

Her steps were slow and deliberate, doing her best not to wake Bernard. She didn’t want him to see her like that... vulnerable, broken, and ashamed.

And she certainly didn’t think she could ever look him in the eye again after what had happened. She managed to gather all her things and quietly slipped out of the room, locking the door behind her.

But just as she turned around to tiptoe back to her room, her heart nearly stopped.

Right in front of her stood Victoria, dressed in a flowing nightgown. Maria froze, eyes wide in shock. The hallway was too narrow and quiet, there was no room to hide, no place to turn.

Their eyes locked. Victoria’s gaze was steady, calm... almost too calm.

’She saw me. Oh no... she knows.’

Maria could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as shame swallowed her whole.

Her hair was messy, her clothes still disheveled from her rushed dressing. She forced out a shaky greeting, barely meeting Victoria’s eyes.

"G-Good evening, ma’am," she mumbled before hurrying away, her legs nearly buckling beneath her.

To her utter shock, Victoria smiled in return. A soft, knowing smile.

Maria didn’t stop to process it. She ran straight to her room and shut the door behind her.

Inside, she headed straight to the bathroom. The water from the shower washed over her, but it couldn’t cleanse the regret she felt. She leaned against the wall, letting the tears mix with the water as guilt sank deeper.

’How did I let this happen?’ she cried internally. ’I waited my whole life—for love, for marriage... not for this.’

Back in her room, wrapped in her towel, Maria sat on the edge of her bed, unable to sleep. Her thoughts refused to rest.

’Bernard must think I’m just another girl. A stupid, easy girl. Oh Maria... what have you done to yourself?’

---

The Next Morning, Bernard stirred awake slowly, the morning light pouring into his room. He sat up and noticed something that made his chest tighten, tiny bloodstains on the bedsheet.

’She was a virgin...?’ His eyes widened slightly.

The realization struck him deeply. He ran a hand through his hair, guilt sinking in. He never meant for things to go this far, especially not with Maria.

They didn’t even have feelings for each other.

He sighed heavily and sat still for a while, trying to retrace the events of the previous night. But everything was a blur. They had both been drunk, laughing, playing around... and then things spiraled into something he couldn’t quite remember in detail.

’Was it mutual? Did she want it? Or did she just go along because we were drunk?’ he thought, confused and uneasy.

’Does she like me? Or has she always had feelings she never voiced out?’ He sighed again, frustration growing in his chest.

Still deep in thought, Bernard remained seated on the bed wearing just a pair of shorts. That was when a knock came at the door.

"Yes?" he called out, startled from his thoughts.

"It’s me," came his mother’s voice.

"You can come in, Mom," Bernard said, sitting up straighter and trying to act normal.

Victoria entered the room with a pleasant smile. "Good morning, son," she greeted warmly.

"Good morning, Mother. How was your night?" Bernard replied politely.

Luna smiled, her eyes lingering on her son for a moment. Then, her tone shifted. "Bernard, what happened in this room last night?"

Bernard’s throat tightened, his heart rate picking up. "M-Mom, nothing happened," he said, looking away.

"That’s not true," she replied calmly, her gaze piercing into him. "I know exactly what happened, and I’m proud of you."

"Wait, what?" His eyes shot to her, stunned.

"I saw Maria last night," she continued. "There were bloodstains on the back of her dress as she walked away from this room."

Bernard froze. His mouth opened slightly but no words came out. He was in complete shock.

His mother knew. She had seen it all... and yet, she wasn’t angry. She was smiling. And Bernard could only sit there, utterly speechless...