Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 27. Brewing Storm

Chapter 27: 27. Brewing Storm

As soon as Maria and the driver arrived home, she immediately noticed something was different—very different.

The security had been tightened to an extreme level, and everyone in the house looked unusually tense.

But deep down, something else had been bothering her for weeks. Bernard. He hadn’t been coming to college with her, and more recently, he had been skipping school altogether. She couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Determined to get answers, Maria stepped out of the car and was about to walk into the house when one of the new guards approached her.

He looked serious and moved to inspect her, like he was checking for something dangerous or suspicious.

Confused, Maria frowned and lifted her brows at him, clearly irritated. Just then, Bernard stormed out of the house.

"Stop right there!" he commanded with authority. "You all listen! Under no circumstances should any of you ever attempt to search her. She’s my Luna. The same respect you show me applies to her!"

The guards responded in unison, bowing their heads in submission. Maria was stunned by Bernard’s public declaration. His Luna? But she kept a straight face, hiding her surprise.

Bernard walked toward her and reached for her hand, but Maria quickly pulled away. She wasn’t in the mood to pretend.

"We need to talk. Right now," she said sharply, walking past him into the house. Bernard followed without saying a word.

Inside her room, Maria dropped her bag and turned to him.

"Bernard, what’s going on? With you... with this house?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern and curiosity.

Bernard remained quiet, the weight on his shoulders visible in his posture. He looked like someone with a thousand things to say but no idea where to begin.

Seeing this, Maria softened her tone.

"Talk to me. I want to understand what’s going on," she said gently, her voice filled with genuine care.

Bernard let out a heavy sigh. "Maria, I’m scared. Everything’s happening too fast and the pressure is... overwhelming."

She nodded, her gaze never leaving his face. "I get it. The Alpha title comes with expectations. But why drop out of school? Why isolate yourself like this?"

"I need to clear my head. Our lives are in danger. And the worst part? We don’t even know who’s behind it." Bernard ran both hands through his hair, visibly stressed. "Whoever it is... they’ve done something terrible. They brought back the Night-Fighting Warriors of old."

Maria’s eyes widened in shock. "Those are just myths, Bernard. They don’t actually exist... right?"

"I wish that were true." He shook his head. "They attacked us. More than half of our men were killed. That’s why you’re seeing so many new faces around here."

Still not fully convinced, Maria pressed on. "Who saw them? How much do you trust this source?"

"I saw it, Maria! With my own eyes. Silver bullets couldn’t even stop them," Bernard snapped, frustration rising in his voice.

"I can’t go to college, not when we’re under threat and I don’t even know who the enemy is," he said, calmer now.

Maria was stunned into silence, chilled by the truth she hadn’t expected.

"You shouldn’t be going to college either," Bernard added firmly, his eyes fixed on a spot in the room.

At that, Maria’s expression changed instantly. "Why? Why should I stop going?"

"I made a promise to your father, Alpha Jackson," Bernard replied, his voice laced with emotion. "And I intend to keep it."

Her eyes widened again. "My dad? But... you were never that close to him."

Bernard took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed.

Flashback

Alpha Jackson had called Bernard to meet at a quiet restaurant for a private discussion. When Bernard arrived, Jackson was already seated, alone.

They exchanged greetings, and Bernard sat down across from him.

Without wasting time, Alpha Jackson asked, "Bernard, you’re like a son to me. I need honesty. Do you love Maria?"

Bernard was stunned, completely speechless.

"I know it’s not an easy question," Jackson continued, "But she’s a good girl. She’d give everything for the ones she loves."

Bernard nodded slowly, still too stunned to speak.

"One day, I’ll be gone. When that happens, promise me you’ll protect her—especially when you become Alpha."

After a long pause, Bernard finally responded. "I... I don’t know if it’s love. But I do know I don’t play with anything that concerns her. She’s my priority, and I’ll protect her with my life."

Jackson nodded with a satisfied look. "When the time comes, you’ll face enemies too powerful to fight the usual way. I’ll tell you of a place... if it gets too bad, run there."

He leaned closer and whispered something in Bernard’s ear.

Bernard pulled back, visibly uneasy. "That place is... diabolical. Why would I go there?"

"You’ll understand when the time comes. You won’t be fighting flesh and blood," Alpha Jackson warned, then left, saying his final words: "Let no harm come near my beloved daughter."

Back to Present

Bernard finished recounting the memory, and Maria sat there, stunned. She had no words.

"You see now why I can’t risk you being out there?" Bernard said softly.

"I get it," she finally said. "Just don’t let it all break you down. We’ll be fine."

Her voice soothed him, and in that moment, she started to feel closer to him, more sympathetic to everything he was carrying.

"I’ll bring you my laptop. I recorded the attack. You need to see it to believe it," Bernard said as he got up and left the room.

Maria, feeling uncomfortable from the day, quickly ran into the bathroom for a shower. Afterward, wrapped in a towel and feeling refreshed, she stepped back into the room—only to find Bernard already there, sitting on her bed.

His eyes locked on her, captivated by every drop of water trickling down her skin.

"I didn’t hear you come back," she said with a shy smile, but realized he wasn’t even listening. His focus was completely on her.

As she reached for her cream, she suddenly felt his arms wrap around her from behind. She turned to look at him. The fire in his eyes was impossible to ignore.

He kissed her deeply.

And she responded.

In the heat of passion, his clothes came off. Just as things escalated, Maria paused and asked the only question on her mind.

"Bernard... do you love me?"

"Yes, I do, Maria," he said without hesitation.

That was all she needed. They gave in to the moment and made love, the weight of the world temporarily forgotten.

When Maria woke up in the early hours of the next morning, Bernard was gone. She searched her room but found no trace of him.

She lay back down, her thoughts tangled.

’My heart belongs to James... but Bernard is my chosen mate. He told me he loves me. What am I supposed to do?’

She sighed.

’I’ll stay with Bernard. I have to. For my parents. For our pack. I’ll find a way to end things with James.’

---

Meanwhile, Beta Gilbert was busy giving orders to the newly hired guards.

"I hope you all now know every member of this household. Be alert. No one enters this compound without being checked, unless approved by one of us," he said firmly.

"Mason is your leader. All my instructions go through him. Cooperate with him."

"Yes sir!" the guards echoed as they left.

"Mason, walk them through our standard protocols. Make sure they know the do’s and don’ts," Beta Gilbert added. Mason nodded and went off with the team.

Just then, Victoria stepped into the living room. She looked annoyed.

"Gilbert, I’m here to talk about something serious, and you’re glued to your phone! What’s going on?" she snapped.

Before he could respond, his phone rang. He picked it up immediately, brushing her off.

"Hello? Sandro, where are you and your men?" Gilbert asked, his voice urgent.

"We’re already in Scotland. We’ll be at your house this evening," came the reply.

Gilbert grinned wickedly. "Good. Let the fight begin."

Victoria stared at him, confused and unaware of the storm that was about to hit...