His Undercover Luna

Chapter 7

Roxy

"Hey, you okay?"

Ace's voice shook me out of my spiraling thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed I’d zoned out.

Oh yes, I’m fantastic—just debating who to betray.

But instead of saying that, I forced a small smile.

"I'm fine," I replied, my eyes catching sight of the large gym ahead of us. My mood lifted slightly as I thought about hitting the machines, eager to work out some of the stress coiling tightly in my body.

"You like it?" Ace asked, a flicker of hope in his tone as he noticed my expression. I nodded, trying not to let my excitement show too much.

"Wait till you see the inside," he added, grabbing my hand and leading me through the entrance. His touch sent tingles up my arm, and I hated how good it felt—how natural. For a moment, I let myself wish things could always be this easy.

He wasn’t exaggerating. The inside of the gym was massive, sleek, and equipped with every type of machine imaginable. The equipment was modern and undoubtedly expensive, and the layout made it clear that this wasn’t just a gym; it was a full training facility. My jaw almost dropped as I took it all in. This was a place I could see myself spending hours in—if I wasn’t trying to stay invisible.

I found a quiet spot to stretch and warm up, doing my best to avoid Ace’s lingering gaze. But his eyes were on me, following my every move, and no matter how weird it felt, I couldn’t deny I liked the attention.

"Aren't you going to work out or something?" I asked, standing up and brushing imaginary dust from my pants to distract myself.

"I’d rather stay here with you," he replied softly, a small smile playing on his lips.

I gave him a quick nod, hoping to end the conversation, and headed for the treadmills. But, of course, he followed.

"Why are you so distant?" His voice was low, almost pained.

"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what he was talking about. I wasn’t sure I had a good answer for him.

"Since you got here, you’ve barely spoken to me. I gave you time to come around, but it’s killing me." He reached over and stopped the treadmill, turning me to face him. His hands gently cupped my cheeks, and the intensity in his eyes made it hard to breathe. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze as I tried to move away. But his grip was firm, not in a forceful way, but enough to let me know he wasn’t going to let this go.

"I know something’s wrong," he insisted. "I can feel it. You’re as affected by the mate bond as I am, but you’re holding back. Why? Whatever it is, we’ll face it together."

His words were filled with so much conviction that for a second, I considered telling him everything. But the thought of the consequences pulled me back to reality. I couldn’t afford to let him in.

"Nothing is wrong," I said again, my voice firmer this time. "I just want to focus on my mission."

He frowned, the hurt in his eyes unmistakable, but he nodded slowly. "Can’t you accept me and still complete your training?"

My heart twisted at his question. He sounded so hopeful, so desperate for a compromise. But I didn’t have an answer—not one that wouldn’t break us both.

"I... I don’t know," I stuttered, stepping away quickly to avoid the conversation spiraling any further.

"At least let me get to know you," he said, his tone softer now. "If you want to take things slow, that’s fine. Just... don’t shut me out."

I sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to back down. Agreeing to answer some questions seemed like the easiest way to keep him from pushing further. Plus, part of my mission was to gather information about him and his pack, so it wasn’t a total loss.

We spent the next two hours working out and talking. I found myself laughing more than I expected, his stories filled with unexpected humor and charm. Each time I laughed, he’d stop to tell me how beautiful it was, and I’d roll my eyes, though the warmth in his gaze made my heart flutter.

Eventually, I suggested some one-on-one sparring, hoping to burn off the lingering tension. But Ace refused to let anyone else spar with me, claiming it was too dangerous. Overprotective much?

So, he offered himself as a sparring partner. I agreed, eager for the challenge, though I quickly realized he was holding back.

"You’re better than I thought you’d be," he commented after dodging one of my punches. "Did you train back in your pack?"

I blocked his next move easily, ducking to avoid a basic kick. He might have been holding back, but it was clear he was testing me.

"Just some basic training with my Beta a couple years ago," I replied casually, throwing a punch to his ribs and following up with a quick sweep that sent him to the ground. I planted my knee on his chest to keep him down, grinning slightly at his surprised expression.

"You sure it was just the basics?" he asked, his tone playful but curious. "You’ve got strength and stamina most wolves would kill for."

I hesitated, forcing a nervous laugh. "Guess I had a good teacher."

But as he stared up at me, something in his expression shifted. It wasn’t just admiration or surprise—it was pride. And that terrified me more than anything else.

I felt a pang of guilt lying to him—an ache so foreign, I didn’t even know it existed. I’d lied plenty of times before, but it had never felt like this. This was different.

I simply shrugged, brushing off the thoughts. Saying more would only make the situation worse. This whole "training" charade was already shaping up to be my biggest challenge yet. I’d never been the type to back down from a challenge, but trying to convince these people I wasn’t as skilled as I actually was? That would be my undoing. Maybe that’s why Dad and Phillip had originally insisted on my "supervisor" role—keeping me as far from the action as possible.

I wandered off to grab my water bottle, grateful for a moment of reprieve. Ace joined me seconds later, his presence impossible to ignore.

"Done for the day?" he asked, taking a swig from his own bottle.

"Yep. I need a cold bath," I replied, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"I can join you if you want," he teased, smirking. "I give a mean massage."

I couldn’t help but laugh, playfully smacking his chest. "You wish," I retorted, though the laughter between us lingered, softening the moment.

But as the laughter faded, our eyes locked, and the air between us shifted. His gaze was intense, his hazel eyes holding mine as if he could see every secret I was trying to hide. Slowly, he reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead. The gentle touch sent shivers down my spine, and I felt my knees weaken.

My breath caught as his eyes flicked to my lips. Without thinking, I bit down on my bottom lip, and the sound of his low growl made my heart race. When his eyes met mine again, they were filled with something raw—desire and longing wrapped into one.

He leaned in slowly, closing the space between us.

Every rational thought screamed at me to move, to stop this before it went too far. But my body refused to listen. In that moment, I craved an escape from the chaos of my life, and a kiss from my mate felt like the perfect way to forget—even if just for a moment.

"Roxy!"