Marked By The Moon

Chapter 3 - The Invisible Spark

Olive - POV

The first thing I noticed was the light—too bright, too white. My eyes fluttered open, then slammed shut again against the sterile burn of it. The second thing was the smell. Clean linen. Antiseptic. And something else… something warm. Woodsy. Masculine. A scent that didn’t belong in a place like this.

I blinked slowly, waiting for the world to come into focus—ceiling tiles above me, a faint beep-beep nearby. My throat felt like sandpaper, and I had the distinct feeling I hadn’t spoken in days.

Where was I?

I tried to sit up, but my body rebelled. Pain sliced through my arms, my shoulders, my back. I gasped and sank into the pillows again, breath shaking. That’s when I felt them—bandages. Clean, snug, wrapped around my head and hands.

Hospital.

How did I get to the hospital? The last thing I remembered was…

Panic began to unfurl inside me, prickling under my skin. Had they finally caught me stealing food again? Was this punishment? Would Luna Kenzy be waiting for me with that cold smile and a switch in her hand?

I shivered.

"You’re awake."

The voice was soft but steady. I turned my head slowly. A woman in light blue scrubs stood beside me, clipboard in hand. She had kind eyes—brown and warm—but I didn’t trust kindness anymore. Kindness always had a price in this pack.

“You’re safe,” she added gently, like she could see the storm rising inside me. “You collapsed in the kitchen last night. Alpha Jace brought you here.”

I froze.

The words didn’t make sense. Alpha Jace brought me here?

That didn’t happen. Alphas didn’t even look at Omegas, let alone touch them.

“He… carried me?” I croaked. My voice sounded broken and unfamiliar, like it didn’t belong to me.

She nodded. “You fainted. Severe exhaustion and malnutrition. Your body is trying to heal.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I was still stuck on the image: Alpha Jace, lifting me off the floor like I was something worth saving. Not trash. Not a burden. Not invisible.

I turned my face away from her, heat crawling up my cheeks.

That’s when I felt it.

A flicker.

A stirring, deep inside my chest.

My wolf.

I jolted slightly. It was faint—so faint I thought I imagined it. But she was there. Still quiet. Still hiding. But… there.

“Can I… get some water?” I whispered.

“Of course,” the nurse said gently, pouring a glass and handing it to me. My fingers trembled as I took it, stiff and sore, but I managed.

Every inch of my body ached like I’d been dragged through gravel and guilt. I hated this feeling. Helpless. Weak.

But there was something else.

For the first time in forever…

I didn’t feel completely alone.

I stayed in the hospital for a few days. On the fourth day, I was sitting up, dressed in a fresh blue sundress and sandals Nurse Jennifer had left for me, when she returned with a strange expression.

“You have a visitor,” she said, brushing my hair back gently. “You’re being summoned to the Alpha’s office.”

My stomach twisted. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” she said quickly. “But I don’t think it’s bad. Alpha Zeke just wants to check in, maybe.” She smiled, trying to reassure me. “You’ve been through a lot.”

But she didn’t understand.

People like me didn’t get invited to Alpha offices.

We were summoned.

And punished.

Still, I nodded. She squeezed my shoulder gently. “You’ll be alright, Olive.”

A soft knock sounded, and the door opened. A tall man stepped in.

“Good day, Nurse Jennifer,” he said. His voice surprised me—low, but not unkind.

It was Beta Tobi.

“I’m here to escort Olive.”

I stared at the floor, heart thudding.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Nurse Jennifer whispered. “I’ll see you again soon.”

I followed Beta Tobi outside to a sleek black SUV. He opened the back door for me, and I slid in, nervously wringing my hands in my lap as we drove.

When we arrived at the pack house, I could hardly breathe. I followed Beta Tobi up the steps. He knocked once on a wide wooden door and opened it without waiting.

And my heart sank.

Sitting behind the massive desk wasn’t Alpha Zeke.

It was him.

Alpha Jace.

He was dressed in a fitted black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms. The room smelled like cedar and citrus. Like him. Like safety. Like trouble.

And she was there too—Janelle.

Perched on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, her voice shrill with disdain.

“Oh honey, why is she here? She’s so… well… dirty. And traitorous.” She pouted like it was meant to be cute. I wanted to throw up.

“Now, baby… please,” Jace murmured. “Let me handle this.”

Janelle rolled her eyes dramatically, leaned down to press a kiss to his lips—gross—and then stalked out of the room with a flick of her hair. She brushed against me on her way out like I was something stuck to the floor.

The door clicked shut behind her.

And suddenly, I was alone in the room.

With him.

Alpha Jace leaned forward, folding his hands together. His eyes—deep, unreadable—fixed on mine.

“So,” he said. “Why were you stealing food?”

I didn’t stand a chance. The tears came instantly, hot and shameful.

“Alpha, please forgive me,” I whispered. “I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten… not since the mixer. I wasn’t feeling well. I… I just…”

My words rushed out like a prayer, a plea, my voice cracking beneath the weight of it all.

“I didn’t mean to steal,” I finished, eyes on the ground.

There was a long pause.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“Beta Tobi.”

Tobi stepped in almost immediately, as if summoned through a mind-link.

“Take Olive back to the hospital please. Dr. Melendez and Nurse Jennifer have agreed to take her in—temporarily, once she gets discharged.”

I stared at him, stunned.

“They—what?”

“You’re not going back to the servants’ quarters,” Jace said quietly. “They’ll look after you. Until we figure out what comes next.”

I could only blink. My mouth moved, but no sound came out. I didn’t understand. I couldn’t understand.

Why? Why would he…?

Jace stood and walked toward me. He stopped a few steps away, not touching, just watching.

And with that, he turned away.