The Luna's Reluctant Alpha

Chapter Ten

KAI

I'd been running on fumes for days, my mind a carousel of strategy meetings, patrols, and the relentless worry that weighed on my shoulders like a yoke. The rescue of Jenny Lawrence was a win, but it didn't quell the gnawing anxiety that kept me up at night. Each howl in the distance was a potential threat; every shadow could be an enemy lurking.

The town had taken to calling me a hero, but I felt more like a sentinel standing guard while everyone else slept. My dad's proud nod and Amelia's warm smile told me they saw the strain I was under. "You need a break, Kai," Amelia had said, brushing her hand through my hair like she used to when I was a kid. "A little fun never hurt anyone."

Jason had burst into the living room just then, all grins and boundless energy. "There's a frat party tonight at the campus," he announced. "We should go!"

My gut reaction was to refuse; my place was with my pack, ensuring their safety. But Armando's hand on my shoulder halted any protests. "You're still young," he rasped out, his voice barely above a whisper due to the cursed injury that had stolen much of his vigor. "Don't forget to live, son."

With their encouragement echoing in my head, I found myself standing at the threshold of the Sigma Phi house, Caitlin clinging to my arm like ivy. She bubbled with excitement, eyes alight with the anticipation of being the center of attention.

I tried to match her enthusiasm, truly I did. But my heart wasn't in it—not here amongst red cups and drunken laughter that rang hollow in my ears.

That's when I saw her.

Alexis Kim stood across the room by the makeshift bar, laughing at something someone had said. Her eyes sparkled with genuine amusement, and her smile—Gods, her smile was like a siren's call. My chest tightened in response.

"Kai!" Caitlin tugged on my arm, pulling me toward a group of football players who beckoned us over with shouts and waves.

I let myself be led away but couldn't resist stealing glances at Alexis. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear or bit her lip when she laughed—it etched itself into my memory with maddening detail.

Caitlin reveled in the attention our arrival garnered; people flocked to us like we were celebrities making an appearance. She thrived under their gaze, soaking up compliments and flirtatious jokes with ease.

A guy from my history class leaned in close to her, whispering something that made her throw her head back in laughter. A flare of irritation sparked within me—only to be immediately doused by Thunder's chiding voice.

You don't care if people flirt with Caitlin; you're not a jealous person.

Or you don't care enough about her.

The words were like ice water down my back. Thunder had always been blunt—too blunt—and his words stung because they rang true.

I glanced over at Alexis again. She caught my eye this time, and there was an unmistakable flash of recognition between us—a jolt that sent electricity coursing through my veins.

She looked away quickly, cheeks coloring as she returned to her conversation. But that fleeting moment lingered between us, an unspoken acknowledgment of what had transpired at Tyler's party.

I tried to focus on Caitlin and our friends' conversation about the upcoming game but found myself disinterested in rehashing plays or speculating about our opponents' weaknesses.

As if sensing my distraction, Caitlin leaned into me more aggressively, trying to reclaim my attention with kisses on my neck and whispers meant only for me.

But even as I turned toward her, offered smiles and nods where appropriate, I felt disconnected—like I was watching everything unfold from outside myself.

Every so often, I risked another glance at Alexis—each time feeling as if I were being pulled further away from where I stood until I wasn't sure where I belonged anymore.

Jason sidled up next to me then, nudging me with his elbow. "Dude," he said with a low chuckle, "you're staring."

I shook my head slightly as if waking from a trance and forced out a laugh that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Just keeping an eye on things," I lied smoothly.

Jason raised an eyebrow but didn't press further—another perk of being Alpha; people rarely questioned you outright.

The night wore on with music pounding against my skull and bodies pressing too close in the heat of celebration. Caitlin remained glued to my side—a constant presence reminding me of promises made under duress.

And through it all was Alexis—a fixed point in the chaos that drew me in like gravity tugging at a star destined to fall from its orbit.

***

The bass thrummed through the walls of the frat house like a second heartbeat, jarring against my own. I leaned against a doorframe, nursing a drink I didn't want, watching Caitlin as she laughed too loud at some joke I couldn't hear. I'd only come to this party because my parents seemed convinced I needed to "let loose" before the weight of my future role crushed me entirely. Jason had vanished into the crowd the moment we arrived, leaving me to navigate the sea of drunken college students alone.

My gaze kept sliding over to where Alexis stood, her laughter genuine and soft, carried to me above the pounding music. Annie was saying something animatedly, causing Jamie to chuckle and Alexis to shake her head with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. That look—I knew it all too well; it mirrored my own sense of disconnection in the midst of supposed revelry.

I took the opportunity when Alexis slipped out onto the porch for air, the screen door shutting quietly behind her. The cool night embraced us both as I followed, finding her leaning against the railing, looking up at the starless sky. Our town was small enough that running into each other was inevitable, yet since that kiss, we'd become experts at pretending the other didn't exist.

"Needed a break from the chaos?" I asked, stepping beside her.

She glanced at me, her eyes reflecting the dim porch light. "Something like that," she murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't look like you're enjoying it much either."

"Caught me," I admitted, feeling an unexpected smile tug at my lips. There was a comfort in this honesty between us, a stark contrast to the forced interactions inside.

Alexis hesitated before speaking again, a vulnerability in her voice that caught me off guard. "That night...you were my first kiss."

Her confession stirred something deep within me. Flattered, honored—I was a mix of emotions I couldn't fully articulate. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, as if nature itself approved. The tension that had been building between us for weeks broke with that sound, and I found myself drawn to her, unable to resist the magnetic pull.

My fingers grazed the soft skin of her arm, sending a jolt of electricity through us. She glanced at my hand but didn't pull away, instead meeting my gaze with a silent question in her eyes. I could feel the heat radiating from her body, warming me against the cool night air. I wanted to say something, anything that would validate what we both were feeling, but words escaped me.

Instead, I leaned in slowly, giving Alexis time to pull away if she wanted to. When she didn't, I closed the distance and our lips met in a soft kiss. It was hesitant at first—two people exploring unexplored territory—but it didn’t remain that way for long.

The kiss deepened as our breathing hitched and bodies moved closer. Alexis' fingers found their way into my hair while one of my hands rested on her hip, pulling her closer as if making sure she was real. The world around us seemed to fade away; all that mattered was this moment, this connection. It was as if we were the only two people in the world. The noise from inside the house became a distant hum, drowned out by the sound of our hearts beating in sync.

The kiss was a dance, a push and pull of emotions that echoed through our bodies and wrapped around us like a cocoon. Each touch, each breath, intertwined us more deeply, urging us to get lost in each other. It was raw and passionate and terrifyingly beautiful. It made me forget about everything else, about my responsibilities, about Caitlin, about my ailing father.

Alexis was my whole world in that moment.

When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads remained pressed together, her breath panting against my lips as she whispered, "Why did you kiss me that night?" Her voice was small but steady, her question lingering between us like an unfinished sentence.

"Do you want the truth?" I asked softly.

She nodded, her eyes searching mine as she held her breath.

"I couldn't resist," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. I could see the surprise flash across her face, followed by a hint of something else—relief mixed with an excitement she was trying to shield. "You were so beautiful in the moonlight."

Her fingers tightened slightly in my hair, pulling me closer as if she feared I would disappear. Her lips parted, as if she was on the verge of saying something, but then she hesitated, glancing away briefly before meeting my gaze again.

"I don't know what this means, Kai," she admitted, her voice wavering slightly.

"I don't know either, Alexis." The uncertainty scared me but didn't stop the pull I felt towards her. It was inexplicable, almost ethereal - like forces beyond our understanding were pushing us together.

The night air grew cooler and the music from inside the house seemed to fade even more into the background as we stood there in silence. I could feel Alexis shiver slightly and without thinking, I wrapped my arm around her, drawing her against me. Alexis didn’t protest or pull away, she simply melted into my embrace as her breath hitched.

“It’s the moon, y’know...” I found myself whispering into her ear, my voice just a shade above silence.

“What is?”

“The thing that’s pulling us together—it’s got to be the moon.”

She chuckled softly against my chest. “Is that your werewolf version of ‘it was written in the stars’?”

“Something like that...”

We stood there quietly for a moment, lost in thought. Our hearts pounded in rhythm with the distant bass from the house party. Even though we were wrapped up in our own little world, I knew we couldn’t stay hidden out on this porch forever.

Alexis was the first to break the silence. “We should probably go back inside.” Her voice held regret that mirrored my own feeling.

“Probably,” I agreed quietly, but neither of us made a move to leave. We remained like that: two figures outlined in faint porch light, clinging onto a stolen moment under a starless sky. The tension in the air felt so palpable, I wondered if the others could sense it inside.

Alexis finally pulled away, her gaze lingering on me before she averted her eyes. She moved towards the door first, but not without shooting me another complicated look over her shoulder. I followed her back into the sweltering heat of the party, trying to shake off the intoxicating spell she'd woven around me.

Back inside, the music throbbed and people laughed too loud, their voices jarring against the silence we'd just left behind. Alexis rejoined Annie and Jamie on the couch, their conversation resuming with strained normalcy. I watched as she forced a smile and answered their needling questions about where she’d been.

I watched her for a moment longer, noting the flush in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been there earlier. I felt a pang of... what was it? Jealousy? Regret? A strange cocktail of emotions that left a bitter taste in my mouth. A sigh escaped my lips as I turned away, threading myself back into the thrumming crowd.

I tried to ignore Alexis for the rest of the party, but it was like trying to ignore the pull of the moon on the tides—impossible. The tang of orange blossom and jasmine wound through the haze of cigarette smoke, the sharp stink of spilled beer, and the cloying cloud of Axe body spray that hung over the frat house like a battle flag. It didn't matter where I turned; her scent beckoned me, teased my senses, made my wolf stir restlessly.

Jason clapped me on the back, his grin wide as he handed me a red plastic cup. "Come on, Supreme Leader, show these amateurs how it's done. You're the reigning beer pong champ."

I shook my head, pushing the cup back into his hand. "I'm retired. Let someone else bask in the glory tonight." Truth was, I didn't want to play games; I wanted to get out of here, away from this tug-of-war between duty and desire.

Caitlin wasn't having any of it. "You're such a boring old man," she complained loudly, earning a few chuckles from her friends. "Why do we even come to these parties if you're just going to sulk in a corner?"

Before I could reply, a commotion caught my attention. A couple of college alphas had cornered Alexis and her friends. They were typical jocks—muscles built more for show than anything else—grinning with that cocky sureness that set my teeth on edge.

One of them reached out and snagged Alexis's arm. "High school chicks don't come to college parties just to hang out," he slurred slightly, leering at her with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. "I can show you a good time."

Something primal in me roared to life. No one touched what was mine—what could be mine—and especially not some half-drunk frat boy with more testosterone than brains.

I stepped forward, ready to intervene, but Alexis beat me to it. In a blur of motion too quick for most human eyes to follow, she twisted his arm behind his back and flipped him over her shoulder like he weighed nothing at all. He hit the ground with a thud that echoed through the sudden silence. As his buddy tried to lunge at her, Alexis took him down with roundhouse kick to the jaw. He went down like a sack of potatoes. With him on the floor, she trapped him there by jamming her foot into his neck.

The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles as Alexis released him with a look that would've frozen lava.

"That's why you don't f*ck with Asian chicks, man," someone yelled from across the room amidst laughter. "They're all secretly ninjas."

Another voice chimed in, appreciative and slightly awed. "She's a hot ninja, though."

I could only stand there, part impressed, part infuriated that she'd had to defend herself when it was my job as Alpha to ensure she never needed to.

That's when Adam and Sonia arrived on scene. Adam looked concerned but Sonia—Miles Morton's daughter—she should've known better than anyone what an alpha's job entailed.

"Sonia!" My voice cut through the chatter like a knife through silk. She met my gaze unflinchingly—a trait I respected even as I prepared to lay into her for neglecting her duty.

"An alpha's job is to protect omegas," I growled low enough so only they could hear me over the din of the partygoers. "Always."

They both dropped their heads in submission—Adam out of deference and Sonia out of respect for my position within our pack hierarchy.

"Sorry, Alpha," Sonia muttered after a moment's pause.

"We'll make sure they get home safe," Adam added quickly as he glanced over at Alexis and her friends who were gathering their things, clearly ready to leave after their unwanted adventure.

With one last glare at the two who had caused trouble in the first place—the alphas who were now nursing their egos along with probable bruises—I turned away from them and back to Caitlin who was waiting impatiently.

"Let's go," I said curtly, grabbing her hand more firmly than necessary.

"What's Alexis Kim to you?" she whined, her shrill voice grating on my last nerve. "Are you cheating on me with that loser?"

I elected to ignore her lest I did something I would have to pay for later.

As we walked out with Sonia and Adam flanking Alexis and her friends like personal guards—which they should have been doing from the start—the party booed our departure. The sounds faded into the night air as we stepped outside into the cool Wisconsin evening.

The entire encounter left me simmering—a confusing mix of pride in Alexis’s strength and annoyance at myself for letting things get this far out of control on my watch—and wondering how much longer I could keep pretending that everything was fine when it clearly wasn't.