LUNAR BOND: The Alpha's Luna

Death in the hallway.

During our math class, I found it impossible to concentrate. My mind kept drifting towards the Reapers, Dale, and the earlier prank. What did all of this mean, and why would they have any interest in me?

I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was connected to my previous dream about the mysterious red-haired woman and those strange men. I had to talk to Dale; maybe he had some answers.

And if what Dale said was true—that they were also after Dennis, his pack—did that mean our destinies were intertwined in some way? My dreams, being Dennis's mate, and now The Reapers?

Now that I thought about it, being Dennis's luna seemed like a daunting task. From what I had read online, it sounded like a lot of responsibility. After all, I was just a mere human, and even Dennis didn't seem to respect me.

After class, I was desperate to speak to Dale. I wandered through the school hallways, my eyes scanning the crowd in search of him. That's when I noticed a familiar face—Harles. She was standing in front of the science lab, engaged in a conversation with Dale.

My heart started racing as I observed them from a distance. Dale seemed hesitant, his eyes a bit subdued, while Harles appeared furious, her eyes filled with anger and concern. It left me feeling uneasy.

I took slow steps, my heart pounding with each one, as I approached them. "Harles?" I called out, my voice low and tinged with hesitation.

She startled me a bit, quickly turning towards me and blocking my view of Dale. "Al," she said, her hazel eyes fluttering a bit, "when did you...arrive?" Her voice faltered, and she avoided meeting my gaze.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my concern obvious. Then my attention shifted to Dale, who was behind her. "You seemed pretty mad at him."

"Really?" A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. "We were just discussing our science assignment." Right, Dale?" She turned to him, trying to catch his gaze, and he gave a reluctant nod before excusing himself, practically fleeing from the scene before I had a chance to stop him.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked, changing the subject and turning her attention back to me. "I thought you were with Dennis."

"What?" I scoffed, giving her a skeptical look. "I was just taking a walk. Nothing really important."

I didn't want to involve her in this whole thing. However, an unsettling feeling gnawed at me. What if Harles knew something and was keeping it from me?

"I'll see you in class, Alice," she interrupted my thoughts before swiftly turning away. "I have to go." She spoke over her shoulder, quickly striding down the hallway.

No matter how I tried to make sense of it, her behavior felt strange. And what were they really discussing? Dale seemed to be avoiding me as well.

Taking a deep, trembling breath, I continued down the dimly lit hallway, each step deliberate. Suddenly, Dennis' haunting scent permeated the air, mingling with every breath I took.

It was the intoxicating and familiar mix of expensive oud and his maleness that clawed at my senses, reminding me of the bond we could and should have shared.

I stopped in my tracks, a surge of anger propelling me to turn around. My eyes met Dennis standing there, his features marred by guilt and remorse.

"What is it?" I shot at him, my voice dripping with anger. "What do you want from me?"

"I can explain." His words stumbled out, desperate and pleading, but I couldn't bear to listen, couldn't bear to let his excuses penetrate the walls of my wounded heart. "Just…"

"No," I interjected, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear it."

"But you chose Nicholas over me," he retorted, his eyes burning with a fiery rage. "Why are you angry?"

I scoffed, a mixture of disbelief and frustration bubbling within me. "Oh, really?" I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, that justifies banging her? Fine, go ahead; after all, you rejected me; make her your Luna, for all I care!"

I turned away from him, determined to distance myself from the storm of emotions rising within me.

Three steps forward, and Dennis's strong grip yanked me back, saving me from a falling flower vase on the balcony. Our bodies collided with a jolt that sent us both crashing to the floor.

My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins, as I lay beneath him, breathless yet captivated by the depth of his arresting gaze.

Time slowed, suspended, as the world around me faded into insignificance, my resentment momentarily forgotten in the face of danger and the unspoken connection we still shared, even though he chose to neglect it.

In an instant, a chilling scream pierced through the air, snapping us back to reality.

Dennis hastily rose to his feet, pulling me up with him as we sprinted towards the source of the eerie sound.

Peering down at the lifeless form before me, my eyes widened in disbelief and horror.

There at the front of the staircase, Dale, his body twisted and broken, lay motionless, his blood splattered on the floor, his pale skin painted with a sickening shade of death.

A chilling sensation gripped my entire being, rendering me momentarily frozen on the spot, unable to comprehend the horrors that unfolded before me.

"How..." My breath caught in my throat, and my voice was barely a whisper.

Dennis's hand, still intertwined with mine, provided a sliver of comfort amidst the chaos, his touch delicate yet protective, as if he understood the fear gripping my soul.

The sight was so horrifying that it momentarily eclipsed any lingering resentment towards him.

In that suspended moment, our gazes met, locked in silent solidarity.

Time seemed to distort, stretching into an eternity, before we tore our gazes away from each other and back to the lifeless body.

In a heart-stopping moment, my eyes locked with Harley's as she stood there, and it felt as though time itself had frozen.

The intensity in her hazel eyes sent shivers down my spine, their usually warm and inviting depths now tainted with an inscrutable darkness. It was a look that held secrets—secrets that could shatter the very foundation of my world.

A cascade of conflicting emotions washed over me, threatening to drown my rational thoughts.

Denial waged war against my rising suspicion, and I desperately clung to the belief that Harley could never be involved in something so sinister. Not Harles, it can't be.

But there was an undeniable unease in the way she stood; her body language betrayed the turmoil within her.

A sense of impending danger loomed ever closer, clawing its way into my consciousness.

I couldn't deny it any longer. Something was terribly wrong. It wasn't just a mere coincidence or a figment of my imagination. The danger was real, and it was headed straight for Dennis and me.