Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 22. When Eyes Speak Louder Than Words

Chapter 22: 22. When Eyes Speak Louder Than Words

It was a free period at college, and Maria sat with her close friends Cassandra and Laura, enjoying some light-hearted girl talk.

Laughter flowed as freely as the conversation, and for a while, everything felt easy and carefree.

Out of nowhere, Maria turned to the girls with a curious grin.

"So, who are you both dating?" she asked suddenly.

The question caught both Laura and Cassandra off guard. Their eyes widened slightly, not expecting such a direct topic shift.

"I’m not dating anyone at the moment," Laura replied, her tone calm, her face lit with a soft smile.

"There was this guy I was getting close to in Canada before we moved to Scotland, but it never got serious. And honestly, I’m not a fan of long-distance stuff... so, yeah, no one for now."

Just as Cassandra opened her mouth to respond, Maria cut in with a playful smirk.

"Oh please, I already know you’re not dating. Unless you’ve changed your mind about becoming a nun?" she teased.

The three girls burst into laughter.

"No way, Maria!" Cassandra giggled. "Far from that. I’ll get someone soon, just not rushing anything. I’d prefer to wait until after college to get into something serious."

They carried on chatting, switching topics now and then just to keep the moment light and enjoyable. But as they talked, Maria’s attention suddenly shifted, James was walking toward them.

Her heartbeat sped up, nerves prickling at her skin. Every time she saw him, she couldn’t explain it... her chest tightened, and she became overly conscious of every move.

Quickly, she adjusted her sitting position, fixed her hair slightly, and tried to act composed in front of her friends.

James finally reached them, offering his signature calm, charming smile.

"Hey," he greeted warmly.

Laura and Cassandra responded with friendly smiles, but this time, neither of them stood up to walk away as they might’ve usually done.

James had never been shy. He was the guy everyone knew on campus—confident, popular, and effortlessly smooth. Sitting with three girls? It didn’t faze him one bit.

"Ladies, may I sit with you?" he asked politely.

"Sure, you can," Cassandra replied, chuckling.

Maria, however, remained unusually silent. Her eyes avoided his, and she focused on not doing or saying anything that might come off as desperate. She figured it was best to keep cool.

But James noticed.

"Maria," he said, turning his gaze to her. "You’ve been quiet since I came over. Is everything okay?"

Maria hesitated, breathing deeply before finding her words.

"I’m fine... And thank you, James, for the gift. I got it, and I really appreciate it," she said with a soft smile.

James raised a brow.

"Doesn’t seem like you appreciate it much. I haven’t seen you wearing the wristwatch I gave you... and you never came to thank me in person."

That made her freeze. Her smile faded slightly as she struggled to find the right response.

Laura, sensing her discomfort, jumped in.

"Sorry for butting in, but I think she wasn’t ready to face you at the time. And honestly, wearing that watch means a lot... She just wanted to wait for the right time."

Maria looked at Laura gratefully—relief washing over her. James considered that for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Alright, I think I get it. Still, saying thank you wouldn’t have hurt."

"You’re right," Maria admitted, her tone soft. "It’s just... I’m not used to receiving gifts from people, aside from close friends. So I’m sorry if I came off the wrong way."

James chuckled.

"Apologies from a beautiful lady like you don’t need much convincing. Apology accepted."

The air grew lighter, and everyone smiled. But then James turned to Cassandra, who had remained noticeably quiet.

"You barely said a word," he said, waving his hand playfully in front of her face. "Do you not like me hanging around you guys?"

Cassandra smiled shyly.

"I talk a lot... just not today. I’ve been thinking about something."

Now all three of them were curious.

"Can we know what’s on your mind?" James asked, leaning in with genuine interest.

Cassandra nodded.

"I was just thinking about how friendships and relationships take so long to build—years sometimes. And then, in a single day, everything can fall apart. Why does that happen?"

Her expression was serious—something none of them saw often. Maria looked at her friend, sensing there was more behind that question.

James responded thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on Maria the entire time.

"Most times, it’s due to miscommunication, betrayal, or a lack of understanding. Things that are strong can still crumble when people stop nurturing them. So when you’re starting something—be it friendship or relationship—it’s important to build it right. Otherwise, it could collapse beyond repair."

His words sank deep, and Maria could hardly breathe as he looked directly into her eyes. Every part of her wanted to say something bold, something honest.

And without thinking, she did.

"James... can I talk to you, privately?"

She didn’t wait for his reply. She reached for his hand and, with a serious look on her face, gently pulled him aside, leaving her stunned friends behind.

***

Bernard, Beta Gilbert, and the guards remained inside the cold, dim underground apartment where they had taken the captured intruders.

Gabriel and his family had already been relocated to a safe place, as promised. Now it was time to get answers.

The arrested men were bound at the wrists and ankles, lying helplessly on the concrete floor. Bernard and his father sat before them, ready to begin the interrogation.

"I won’t waste time going back and forth," Bernard began, his voice calm but edged with quiet fury. His eyes scanned each of the restrained men. "Who led you all on the operation that got you captured?"

But none of them responded. They looked away, lips tight, pretending he hadn’t spoken.

Bernard gave a simple hand gesture. The guards moved quickly, returning with buckets filled with icy water. The captives’ clothes were stripped from them, leaving them only in their underwear as the freezing water was dumped over their bodies.

Still, none of the men flinched much—they thought that was the extent of the punishment.

Then, their eyes widened in horror as they saw one of the guards bring out an electric wire, plugging it into a nearby socket. He handed it to Bernard. The men began to tremble—not from the cold, but from raw fear.

"No! Please!" one of them screamed. "We don’t know anything! We were just sent to do a job!"

Bernard didn’t even flinch. He continued walking toward them with the live wire in his hand. Without another word, he threw the wire into the pool of icy water surrounding the prisoners.

Screams erupted instantly. Electricity surged through their bodies. The pain was unbearable. They writhed, shouted, and pleaded, but it didn’t stop—until Bernard gave another signal and the guard switched it off.

The room fell silent except for the sound of heavy breathing and sobs. Tears streamed down their faces, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"So," Bernard said, his voice cold and unwavering. "Are you ready to talk now?"

One of them looked like he wanted to speak, but the man who seemed to be their leader shot him a glare so intense, it shut him up immediately.

"We’ll never talk," the leader growled defiantly. "Kill us if you want. But we won’t betray our orders!"

Bernard narrowed his eyes. "Alright then. If I could get to you, I’ll get the rest of your camp too." He gave a subtle nod.

The switch was flipped back on.

Again, the men screamed in pain, their voices echoing through the room. One of them lost consciousness. Then another. But just before the third could pass out, a shaky voice broke through the chaos.

"I... I’ll talk! Please, just stop!"

At Bernard’s order, the guard turned the electricity off again. The man who had spoken gasped for breath, barely able to sit upright.

"You’re ready to talk?" Bernard asked, staring him down.

"Yes... yes, I’ll tell you everything I know. Just please—I don’t want to die," the man cried.

"What’s your name?" Bernard asked firmly.

"Smith, sir. My name is Smith," he answered, voice quivering.

Bernard nodded slowly. "Smith, I won’t kill you. All I need is your cooperation. If you give me that, I’ll make sure no one lays a finger on you."

Then he stood and turned toward the guards.

"Take all of them to the dungeon," he commanded coldly. "Except for Smith. If death is what they prefer, I’ll show them something worse."

As the others were dragged away, groaning and unconscious, Smith was left behind, still shaking, with Bernard and Beta Gilbert.

"So, who sent you?" Beta Gilbert finally spoke, his voice low and firm after long silence.

Smith looked between the two men. "We’re assassins... all of us. We come from different places. But we were all hired by a man we call Shadows.

We don’t know his real name or where he comes from. He never shows his face. When he wants to reach us, he sends messages through Anthony—the one leading us."

Beta Gilbert’s jaw tightened. "So, you’re telling me you don’t know anything useful about him?"

"I’m sorry, sir," Smith replied quickly. "All I know is that he’s obsessed with your pack. He believes your pack owns something he wants. He said he would get it at any cost... but he never told us what exactly it is."

Bernard leaned forward, curious. "What were your mission instructions then? Was it to kill someone or steal something?"

"No... he never told us to kill or steal," Smith replied, glancing nervously at Bernard. "He said the mission was to capture you alive... and bring you to him."

Bernard froze.

"Capture me... alive?" he echoed, stunned. "Why would he want me?"

"I don’t know, sir," Smith said, lowering his eyes. "That was the instruction. And even tracking you wasn’t easy. We only know you attend college, but your movements are difficult to trace."

Beta Gilbert’s voice cut in sharply. "So which one of you has been following me?"

"I—I don’t know, sir," Smith stammered. "I really don’t. If someone is following you, it might not be us. I don’t think Shadows is after you."

Bernard turned to his father. "So... someone else is after you, Dad. Not Shadows."

Beta Gilbert frowned deeply, confusion clouding his expression. "If that’s true... then who?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else...

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