Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 82. Strange Situation

Chapter 82: 82. Strange Situation

Once Maria gave her word to help Bernard and offered a faint smile to reassure him, he visibly relaxed.

The tension in his shoulders eased, and a genuine smile lit up his face.

"Thanks a lot, Maria. I honestly thought you wouldn’t agree to help me," Bernard said, his eyes locking with hers.

That statement caught Maria off guard. Her smile faded slightly as curiosity furrowed her brow. "Why would you think that?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her tone more serious now.

Bernard hesitated for a moment, then replied with quiet honesty.

"Because I know you haven’t been very happy with me or my family. You haven’t said it outright, but... it’s in the way you act around us. Whatever your reasons are—I respect them. But I want you to know this: whatever my parents and I are doing now, it’s for the best. You’ll understand soon enough."

His words struck a nerve. Maria clenched her jaw slightly but forced herself to stay composed. She couldn’t let her emotions slip—not now, not when she had a goal to achieve.

"I don’t have any grudges," she replied calmly, though her smile was tight. "Yes, I was upset in the past, mostly because I didn’t understand some of the decisions that were made... but I’ve made peace with it now. That’s why I agreed to help you—because I’m moving forward."

Bernard nodded appreciatively. "Thanks again, Maria. I mean it. Your understanding means a lot to me. I’ll get going now."

He rose from the edge of her mattress and quietly made his way out of her room. Maria didn’t move or say another word until she heard his footsteps fading down the hallway. Only then did her smile drop completely.

With a sigh, she stood up and gently turned the lock on her door from the inside.

Her expression darkened.

Fury boiled beneath her skin, hidden behind the calm front she had worn moments ago. Every word Bernard had said replayed in her mind, especially the part about "what we’re doing is for the best." The arrogance. The assumption that she would one day be grateful.

She sat heavily on the mattress, her fists clenched.

"I just hope Bernard isn’t trying to play some game with me," she muttered under her breath.

Her mind shifted to Cassandra. What was she doing right now? Had she made any progress on the task Maria had entrusted her with keeping a close eye on Bernard?

As her thoughts swirled, she checked the time. It was already late, and a wave of exhaustion settled over her. Her body ached from the day’s emotional toll.

Pushing herself up, she made her way to the bathroom. She took a long, quiet shower, letting the warm water relax her muscles.

Once she was clean and dressed for bed, she collapsed onto the mattress. Within minutes, she drifted into a deep sleep.

But peace didn’t last.

In her dream, she found herself standing in the middle of the living room back in their old house. Her mother’s voice echoed loudly through the room, full of anger and pain.

"Jackson, you have to talk to me! What’s going on with you lately? You’ve changed—towards me and our daughter! Why are you treating us like we don’t matter anymore?"

Her father’s voice came crashing back with equal force. "Catherine, just let me be! I don’t owe you or anyone else an explanation. It’s my life, and I’ll live it however I choose!"

Their argument raged louder and louder. Maria watched the scene unfold, frozen, helpless. Her mother shouted, "Then go! Walk out like you always do. Coward! Weak Alpha who can’t face the shadows chasing him!"

Her father snatched his keys off the table, shaking with fury. "I wasn’t weak until you brought that child into this house!"

That sentence pierced through Maria like a blade.

And then, in the dream, she stepped forward. Her parents froze, realizing she had heard everything. Her father couldn’t even look her in the eye. The guilt was heavy on his face.

Maria’s legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees in tears. Her mother rushed to her, trying to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I’m the child tearing this family apart!" she screamed.

Maria jolted upright in bed, gasping for air, her face soaked in sweat. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

She looked around, confused for a moment, until reality settled back in. She was in her room. Safe.

But her breathing remained shallow, and her thoughts were still trapped in the dream.

"What kind of dream was that?" she whispered shakily.

She glanced at the clock—it was 3:05 a.m. Her hands were still trembling as she reached for her wristwatch, then slowly placed it back down beside her mirror.

Her mind buzzed with questions. Should I take this dream seriously? Or was it just my mind reacting to everything happening around me?

She couldn’t tell. But it had felt painfully real. The emotions, the words, her father’s rejection—it all lingered in the air like smoke after a fire.

Too scared to close her eyes again, Maria sat upright on her bed for nearly an hour. The darkness outside her window offered no comfort.

Eventually, the exhaustion pulled her back down, and her eyes fluttered shut once more. When she next opened them, the light of dawn had crept into the sky.

It was 6:45 a.m.

She scrambled out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. The dream still haunted her thoughts, but she pushed it aside. She had to prepare for college.

Once dressed, she picked up her bag and headed downstairs. Her thoughts were still swirling with fragments of her nightmare and the heavy meeting with Bernard.

But when she reached the bottom of the stairs, a surprise awaited her.

Bernard was already there—dressed and waiting by the front door, his expression calm.

"Good morning," he greeted with a soft smile.

Maria forced a smile in return. "Morning."

Without another word, the two of them stepped into the waiting vehicle together. The driver greeted them and started the engine.

As the car moved toward the college, Maria sat in silence, staring out the window...