Alpha’s Mistaken Luna

007

“I feel like everything is moving a little too fast. You’re already in his house. I just…” Celeste paused on the phone, her voice cracking.

“I just hope I can trust you on this. My whole life, I’ve always been honest and real with you, Yena. And you know how much my love life sucks.” She let out a small chuckle.

I stayed quiet, listening to her while my stomach tightened.I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, at the face looking back at me.

Celeste’s face.

“I really want this to work for me. I will be f*****g happy, and I’m sure you will be happy for me too,” she went on.

All I did was listen, giving a few clipped responses when she paused, even as the weight of her words settled deeper into my chest.

The line went quiet for a moment, and her words stayed with me. It felt like she was doubting me, like she thought I might betray her.

“I gave you my word. We made each other a promise,” I said softly. “And yes I do want to see you happy, because I love you so much, Celeste.”

I tried to sound reassuring, tried to convince her that I wasn’t going to ruin her chances. But even as I spoke, something inside my chest ached. The words hurt more than I expected them to.

We talked for a little while longer about nothing in particular, and then the call ended.

I stepped into the shower and let the warm water soak into my skin. How the hell had I gone from swearing I would never step into his office again to standing in his house, using his shower.

The thought of him sent small jolts through me. I stopped trying to deny it then. He had a pull on me, and it scared me how real it felt. He felt exactly like the faceless man from my dreams, the one I had seen long before I ever met him. Before the kiss. Before everything changed.

What could it possibly mean for the both of us.

And then it hit me. I couldn’t have him. Not when Celeste wanted him first. That truth settled heavily in my chest.

I shouldn’t feel this way. Not when I already had someone.

I pushed the thoughts aside and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around myself, suddenly aware that I didn’t have anything to wear. But when I walked back into the room, I saw neatly folded clothes laid out on the bed, waiting for me.

I changed into the pajamas.

A soft knock came at the door.

I stiffened before opening it, half expecting to see Maximus standing there.

Instead, an older man stood in the hallway, his posture relaxed and his expression gentle.

He smiled and asked if I would like something to eat.

We spoke briefly, nothing important, just enough to fill the quiet.

Then he hesitated, as if remembering something.

“Mr. BlackFeather asked to see you,” he said.

Peter, the old man, walked me to his door.

I knocked softly before slowly pushing it open. My stomach churned the moment I stepped inside.

He was seated at his desk with his back to me.

Of course it was his office. Even here, in his own house, he was still clinging to professionalism.

And here I was, foolishly thinking this could be me winning over the man of Celeste’s dreams.

He turned, his eyes landing on me.

“You asked to see me,” I said, my voice low.

He nodded and gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. I sat down, forcing myself to stay still. God,I hoped that one day I would stop being afraid of him.

I wasn’t even sure how the conversation started. Maybe it was because he had sounded suspicious earlier in the car, and I needed to ease that. He didn’t need to know I wasn’t Celeste.

“I don’t even know why I’m here, sir,” I began, trying to steady my tone while avoiding his gaze. “This shouldn’t be the place I end up after finding out what you are…”

He said nothing, just watched me.

“But your words,” I continued quietly, “they kept replaying in my head.”

His expression shifted slightly, confusion flickering across his face.

“And what were those?” he asked.

I hesitated before answering. “That I wasn’t human. You’re not the only one who’s said that to me.”

This time, I looked straight at him.

Then I kept going, letting the truth blur with the lie.

I told him just enough to ease the suspicion in his eyes.

I told him I had recently found out that my dad wasn’t really my father. That I had been found floating in a lake as a baby, with no answers and no family to trace back to. I said it like it still confused me, like I was only just starting to make sense of it myself.

I told him I had visited an old friend afterward, still shaken and searching for clarity. Her mother was known for being a psychic, someone people quietly sought out when they didn’t know where else to turn. She was the one who told me I was far from being human.

I didn’t say it like I believed it fully. I said it like someone grasping at explanations because nothing else made sense.

It wasn’t the full truth.

But it was close enough to make him listen.

“I believe that might be why you think something about me has changed,” I said, watching his eyes closely, searching for any sign of doubt.

Before I could say more, he stood up and stepped around the desk, coming to my side. He took my hands and gently pulled me to my feet. The sudden movement made my chest tighten.

He moved closer, and his scent wrapped around me again, strong and familiar, making a knot form in my stomach. His height felt overwhelming as he stood there, his presence pressing in on me.

“It’s not just a change,” he said quietly. “I’ve never felt this before. Not since you became my secretary, Celeste.”

It was the first time he had called me by her name instead of Miss Jenkins, and it sent a strange jolt through me.

“You feel different,” he continued. “Your scent is stronger, and it does something to me. It awakens something old...” He stopped himself abruptly, his jaw tightening like he always did when he was holding something back.

“All of a sudden, you remind me of someone I once knew.”

He held my gaze, and I didn’t look away. We were so close our bodies nearly touched, close enough that I could feel the steady beat of his heart matching mine. His warmth surrounded me.

This was it. My chance to act and follow through on my promise to my sister.

I rose onto my toes and leaned in, pressing my lips to his.

He didn’t move at first, so I did. I slid my hands up to his arms and felt the tension there slowly ease under my touch.

Then he moved.

He grabbed me with ease and lifted me onto the desk, the sudden motion pulling a soft gasp from my lips. Before I could steady myself, his mouth was on mine, deepening the kiss without hesitation. The intensity caught me off guard, and a quiet moan slipped into his mouth before I could stop it.

His hands cupped my cheeks before one shifted, pulling me hard against him as if he couldn’t get close enough. My arms hooked around the back of his neck and our lips moved in perfect sync, the heat of it bringing back sharp flashes of the man from my dreams. His touch and the sheer pleasure of him felt identical to those late night visions.

His hand moved again to settle at my neck with a grip that was soft and impossibly delicate. Then he pulled away all of a sudden, leaving me to gasp for air as I watched him.

I looked up and saw his eyes were red and his breath was ragged. “You should go to bed,” he said.

He walked out on me right then, leaving me alone on the desk while I leaned back and panted.