Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 8. A New Life, A New Reality

Chapter 8: 8. A New Life, A New Reality

A new day began, and it was Monday. Maria had now started living with Bernard and his parents.

Everything her parents once owned had been passed on to Bernard, leaving her with no place to go. And since he had chosen her as his mate, she had no choice but to stay with him.

All her belongings... clothes, books, and other school essentials, had been moved to Bernard’s family house, making it easy for her to prepare for college.

She was almost done getting ready in the room she was given when a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," she responded, adjusting her bag over her shoulder.

The door opened, and a maid stepped in.

"Good morning, Miss. I am here to inform you that the vehicle taking you to school is already waiting outside," the maid, Angela, said politely.

Maria gave a small nod and a forced smile to acknowledge her words. The moment she responded, Angela bowed slightly and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Maria picked up her bag and whispered to herself.

"Maria, just relax and watch everything return to normal." She exhaled before stepping out of the room.

Upon reaching the living room, she found it empty. But as soon as she stepped outside, she spotted Bernard waiting for her in the car.

"Good morning, Maria," Bernard greeted, offering a half-smile.

"Good morning, Bernard," she replied calmly, much to his surprise.

Without another word, they both got into the vehicle, sitting side by side as the driver set off towards the college.

The drive was quiet and felt longer than it was. When they finally arrived, they went their separate ways, heading to their respective classes.

Maria was just about to enter her classroom when a familiar voice called out her name. She froze for a moment before turning around.

Standing a few feet away was Cassandra.

Her emotions were conflicted... relief washed over her at the sight of her friend alive and well, but anger simmered beneath the surface.

Why hadn’t Cassandra come to see her at the hospital? Why had she disappeared when Maria needed her the most?

Cassandra must have noticed her mood because she hurriedly spoke; "Maria, please, let me explain before you get mad at me!"

"You better start explaining now before I pour out all my anger on you." Maria folded her arms and looked away, her voice sharp.

Cassandra sighed heavily, her expression filled with guilt.

"I know you must be angry, and I understand why. But it wasn’t my fault. Bernard’s guards threatened me, Maria. They told me not to come to the hospital again if I valued my life. They warned me never to talk to you about it."

Maria’s heart clenched at Cassandra’s words, but she wasn’t ready to let her off so easily.

"Then, why are you telling me now?" Maria asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Cassandra hesitated, then sighed again.

"Because I can’t just let go of our friendship, Maria. I was scared, yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. And honestly... Bernard has changed so much. He terrifies me now," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

Maria studied Cassandra’s face, then let out a slow breath.

"I get it," she finally said, her voice softer. "You don’t have to be scared anymore. You can talk to me now."

Without waiting for a response, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Cassandra in a tight hug.

Cassandra hugged her back, but then pulled away, her gaze searching Maria’s.

"Maria, be honest with me. I heard everything—about Bernard, about you being forced to stay at his house. Are you okay? How have you been?"

Maria’s lips parted, but no words came out at first. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

"I don’t even know if I’m okay. Everything is happening too fast, and I don’t know what to do."

Before she could stop herself, tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

Cassandra immediately pulled her into another embrace, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Shh... don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine soon."

Maria sniffled, wiping her tears away quickly.

"I have to be fine," she muttered, trying to convince herself. "I need to be strong so I can figure out a way to fix all of this."

"You will," Cassandra nodded in agreement. "And I’ll be here for you."

Maria gave her a small, grateful smile. Then, straightening her posture, she said, "Come on, Cassie, we should head to class before we’re late."

As they entered the classroom, Maria could feel the weight of a hundred eyes on her and she didn’t have to guess why.

By now, the entire college knew about her situation.

Everyone knew she was Bernard’s chosen mate. They knew she was forced to stay in his house. And they knew that all her parents’ wealth now belonged to him.

The whispers and judgmental stares didn’t surprise her. If anything, she had been expecting it.

Ignoring them, she walked with Cassandra to their seats. But as she settled in, her eyes suddenly landed on a familiar figure sitting in the room.

"Laura?" Maria’s breath hitched. "What is she doing here?" she mumbled, her heart pounding.

She hadn’t seen Laura since that night at the pack house, when Laura had mysteriously known exactly where to take her without being told.

And now... she was in Maria’s class?

Before she could process it further, the lecturer walked in, starting the lesson. But Maria barely heard a word of it.

Her mind was too preoccupied with questions about Laura.

The moment class ended, she wasted no time. Jumping up from her seat, she strode over to Laura’s desk, Cassandra trailing behind her.

"Hey, Maria!" Laura greeted, flashing a bright smile. "How have you been?"

Maria didn’t return the smile. Instead, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here? Are you following me now?"

Laura’s expression shifted from cheerful to slightly offended.

"Following you?" she echoed. "My parents and I just moved to Inverness. I needed to finish my education, so I enrolled here."

"Hmm," Maria wasn’t convinced. "Then what about the hospital? You found me that night and drove to my destination without me telling you where I was going."

Laura sighed, shaking her head.

"Maria, that was a coincidence. I was at the hospital to get my medical report for admission purposes. That’s how I ran into you." She frowned. "Why are you interrogating me? Was it a crime to help you?"

Cassandra, sensing the tension, quickly stepped in and turned to Laura.

"Please, don’t take it personally. Maria has been through a lot lately, and trusting people isn’t easy for her right now."

Maria exhaled, realizing she was being unfair.

"You’re right. I’m sorry, Laura," she admitted. "Everything has been overwhelming, and I’ve been questioning everything and everyone. Please forgive my manners."

Laura’s face softened, and she stepped forward, giving Maria a hug. "It’s okay. You’re going through a tough time, I understand. Just know that everything will be fine."

For the first time in days, Maria felt a small sense of relief.

"Thank you," she murmured.

With introductions made, the three of them... Maria, Cassandra, and Laura, began chatting.

But even as Maria laughed along with them, a nagging feeling refused to leave her. Something about Laura still didn’t sit right with her.

And she was going to find out what it was even by playing along...