Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 23. Strange Parcel

Chapter 23: 23. Strange Parcel

Maria and James finally arrived at the college store. It was unusually quiet as expected.

The store was often empty since students rarely visited; only the storekeepers came around now and then. That silence made it the perfect spot for what Maria had in mind.

As soon as they stepped inside, Maria didn’t waste a second. She gently guided James’ hands around her waist, then slid them lower toward her buttocks.

Without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him affectionately.

James stood frozen at first, his body stiff with shock. He couldn’t seem to grasp what was happening. But as the heat between them intensified, he relaxed into the moment.

Their kisses deepened, passionate and urgent. His hands explored her, holding her breasts tenderly while her hand traced down to feel his hardness through his jeans... firm and eager.

Maria moaned softly, the intimacy stirring something powerful inside her. It was a moment she believed was filled with true affection, and from how tightly James held her, she was sure he felt the same.

She was ready to give him everything, her body, her heart, and her first time.

But suddenly, James stopped.

Startled, Maria looked into his eyes, breathless. There was fire in them—desire—but also something else. He gently held her hands and pulled her close, locking his gaze with hers.

"Maria," he said, his voice soft, "I love you... and I want to be with you in a place where I can cherish you. A place I’ll always respect, not here... not like this, not our first time."

His words hit her differently. A warm wave of emotion swept through her, and she found herself smiling uncontrollably. She felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time—loved, respected... wanted for more than her body.

He leaned in and kissed her again, deeply and slowly, like he was memorizing the moment.

Then she whispered, "Can I ask you a favor?"

James nodded gently, eyes still locked on hers.

"I love you... and I don’t want anything to come between us. Please, let’s keep whatever is going on between us private... at least for now. Until I’ve sorted things out and distanced myself from Bernard and his family. Okay?"

James smiled warmly, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "No problem. I’ll always be here for you. Just call on me, anytime."

That moment was pure bliss. Maria felt a happiness she hadn’t known in so long. He agreed to let her leave first, sticking to their plan of keeping their relationship under wraps.

She walked out of the store with a bright smile, heading back to her friends.

As soon as she returned to the table where they had all been seated earlier, her friends looked up at her, smiling knowingly. Cassandra, ever the curious one, leaned forward.

"Come on, Maria, what happened? Where did you take him?" she asked with eyes full of anticipation.

Maria just smiled and looked at her without saying a word.

"I hope everything’s okay with you?" Laura asked, noticing her sudden exit earlier. "You left so quickly without saying anything... is everything alright?"

"I’m fine, guys," Maria replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "We just had an important conversation. Something necessary. I think James and I understand our boundaries now."

Cassandra squinted at her. "What did you say to him? I hope you weren’t too harsh?"

Maria let out a soft chuckle. "No, I wasn’t harsh. I only told him not to invade my personal space when I’m with my friends. That’s all."

"That warning took long enough," Laura said with a slight smirk. "And honestly, I don’t think he was invading anything. He was just trying to talk to you and clearly, it was you he came to see."

"Whatever the case," Maria replied, her face turning serious, "I’ve said what I needed to say, and he understood. No hard feelings."

"Alright then," Cassandra said, brushing the matter aside. "Let’s forget the James issue and get back to our gist!"

Maria and Laura exchanged glances, then all three burst into laughter.

---

Elsewhere, Victoria was at home, preparing to head out. She was seated in the living room when she heard a knock on the front door.

Instead of calling a maid, she decided to answer it herself.

When she opened the door, she found a delivery man standing there with a parcel in hand and a polite smile on his face.

"Good afternoon, ma’am. I have a parcel for Victoria," he said, still smiling.

"I’m Victoria," she replied.

He handed her the package and she signed the receipt.

Returning to the living room, Victoria took her seat and carefully opened the parcel. Inside was a plain white envelope. She opened it slowly, curiosity turning to dread as she read the contents.

Her hands trembled.

She immediately grabbed her phone and tried calling her husband. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing.

Her heart pounded as panic set in.

"This is bad... very bad," she muttered to herself, clutching the letter. "I can’t lose my husband and my son!"

Without wasting another second, she snatched her car keys and bolted out of the house, fear and desperation written all over her face...

***

Beta Gilbert and Bernard remained at the dimly lit location where they were still interrogating Smith.

Bernard’s recent order brought a slight change... he had instructed two guards to get Smith some food and a fresh change of clothes.

A chair was also provided, and Smith was allowed to sit.

Bernard leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Smith, what else do you help them with? Or what else are you good at?"

Smith glanced up, visibly more relaxed with the food in his hand.

"I mostly help them capture people... that’s the only thing they think I can do. But I’m actually skilled with tech—computers, hacking into systems, tracking people... just give me a name or a device, and I can find them," he replied, taking a bite of food between words.

Beta Gilbert eyed him intently. "So, how do you think you can be of use to us?"

Smith exhaled, then spoke with a low voice.

"Sir, I’m not someone who enjoys killing or doing dirty work. I graduated as a computer engineer—I know coding, data systems, everything. But I was raised by a man named Mark... he was an assassin. I couldn’t find a good job after graduation, and he brought me into this life. He said it was just a game... but now he’s gone, sir."

Bernard’s brows furrowed. "Mark, the assassin who raised you, was he your father? Who exactly was he to you?"

"I’m an orphan," Smith said quietly. "He adopted me when I was six. He showed me love... gave me everything I needed. We moved from country to country because of his job. Each time, he enrolled me in a new school. I speak five languages apart from English," Smith added, his tone a mix of sadness and pride.

Bernard sat back, arms folded, eyes fixed on Smith. He didn’t ask any more questions, choosing instead to observe in silence as the man ate.

Just then, Beta Gilbert’s phone rang once again. It was his wife. He had ignored her calls all day, but something about this moment made him answer.

"Where are you and Bernard?!" Victoria’s voice blasted through the phone. Panic and fear laced every word.

Beta Gilbert stood up straighter. His wife had never sounded this shaken before.

"Victoria, calm down. Tell me what’s going on," he said, trying to sound composed.

"You two need to come home now," she said, her voice trembling. "You’re not safe where you are. A message came in... please, come quickly."

"Alright," Gilbert replied instantly. "We’re coming now. Just stay inside and keep safe."

As he ended the call, Bernard noticed his father’s expression change.

"Dad, is everything okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I don’t know," Gilbert replied. "But we need to leave. Right now."

Without wasting time, both men quickly exited the building. Bernard turned to the guards before leaving and said, "Keep your eyes on Smith and the others. No one leaves. Understood?"

The guards nodded in unison...

---

Meanwhile, Laura sat cross-legged on her bed, her phone pressed to her ear as she spoke in hushed but firm tones.

"I will keep to the codes and instructions of the family. Just make sure none of you are noticed. Work, speak, and live in the shadows, but let your hearts carry light and love," she said calmly.

"Yes ma’am," the male voice on the other end responded respectfully. "I’ll pass your message to the rest."

As the call ended, Laura held her phone in her lap and took a deep breath.

"It’s time to act. To be vigilant. The light within me must guide me now... even more than my voice," she whispered.

She stood up and walked to her wardrobe, pulling out a large, aged journal. As she opened it, the pages revealed photographs—each page held faces, carefully glued in place, each one significant.

She flipped through the pages slowly, her fingers lingering until she reached the picture of a woman. Her eyes lingered on it.

"Your file is now officially opened," she said to the photo. "You’re the next I must act upon. I won’t stop until I do what is right... for you, and for the light in me."

With that, she snapped a picture of the photo using her phone, her expression resolute.

***

Maria lay on her back on the bed, her thoughts swirling like a peaceful storm. Her mind played back every moment from earlier that day with James—the kisses, the way he held her, how his breath felt against her skin.

The warmth lingered.

"That had to come from heaven... just to take all my pain away," she whispered to herself, smiling softly.

Her heart raced at the memory, and a wave of joy washed over her. It was a feeling she wanted to last forever.

But just as she was lost in her thoughts, a knock jolted her out of her bubble.

She sat up quickly, slightly alarmed. It was late, and she wasn’t expecting anyone.

"Come in," she called out.

The door opened, revealing one of the housemaids. The maid looked nervous, fidgeting as she stepped into the room.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "What’s going on? Why do you look like that?"

The maid cleared her throat. "I was told to inform you... you need to come downstairs immediately. There’s... some kind of trouble. Everyone’s been summoned to the main living room."

Maria’s face fell...