Luna and her Alpha mate

06 - Spark

It's been three days since she woke up in that strange place and Luna is starting to feel restless.

A knock on the door of her assigned room startles her and she turns just in time to see him open and lean casually against it.

Her heart does an odd somersault when their eyes meet, just as it always does these past few days whenever she catches glimpses of him around the place, always working with someone.

When he is relaxed and not being antagonistic, the man is actually very attractive and even charming. What she didn’t notice before, she definitely notices now, like…how perfectly sculpted those bulging biceps look...nicely wrapped under a tight black shirt…

"You're not in prison, you know. You can go out and enjoy the nice weather."

She sighs, knowing he's simply needling her. He already knows that she has been outside her room a few times, gingerly exploring the 'community safe house', as he (who answers to everyone calling him Alpha) calls the place.

Yes, it's been three days and she still doesn't know his real name. He never offered and she didn't ask again after the first time they met.

Luna wonders about the Alpha thing but it seems more like a title…a form of respect. The people here seem to treat him with reverence, bordering on hero worship and she half-expects him to have some sort of harem, and yet so far, she has found nothing of the sort…at least nothing quite so obvious.

True to his word, the people in this community appear to be treated like family, and 'Alpha' seems to be the head, given due respect, even by the older generation.

"As you can see," she says primly. "I was reading."

"You’ve read that book twice. Let's go. I'm going to show you where to go in case you need medical help, you know, for emergency paper cuts or something. Then we can have lemonade in the garden."

She rolls her eyes. "You could have just started with that instead of the sarcasm."

He grins and turns to go without waiting for her so, with a resigned sigh, she puts her book away and follows.

The medical facility is actually a rather impressive room in that massive building. It seems to occupy a whole floor and can host dozens of patients at once.

"Why so many bed spaces? Do you expect to be attacked or something?" she asks jokingly.

He merely shrugs. "You never know. Also the warriors…the patrollers train hard. Accidents happen all the time and I want them to have the best health care possible." he answers, leading her outside.

"So, um… what really is this charming place in the middle of nowhere?" She asks him. "Some sort of a… rehabilitation centre? A recreational space for…religious purposes?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "You're thinking we're some sort of cult, aren't you?"

She blushes. "No! Of course not! I—"

He grins. "What if we were?"

"W-What..?"

His lips twitch before he bursts out laughing. "I was just messing with you, you should have seen your face."

She is discovering that the man has many sides to him. He turns into anything that the members of the community need. A leader in a time of emergency, a father figure, a big brother, a respectful son any parent would be proud to call their own, a doting grandson or uncle, and even a supportive friend to goof around with. You need it, he'll provide it.

And that kind of service is rewarded by his people with utmost loyalty and devotion.

"I guess you can call it some sort of a reservation," he says carefully. "It has nothing to do with religion or rehabilitation…We just have…a different, more natural way of living, separate from the rest of the world."

"So…why do they follow you? You said they’re under your protection, so you must be their leader. Were you elected or something…Alpha?"

He chuckles. "It's more of a… an inherited position. Nothing fancy. More of a…duty than bragging rights, really. I take my responsibilities seriously so it's hard work."

"I can see that."

They walk in companionable silence to the garden and she sits on a bench while he goes over to a birdhouse and refills the bowl with seeds, cooing gently at the little sparrow that pokes its head from inside the little wooden house. Luna takes the opportunity to study him some more.

He has long dark and wavy hair that he keeps tied neatly at the back. His body is physically, almost painfully, perfectly fit, with muscles that promises not only strength but incredible endurance as well.

A gorgeous specimen of a man, probably in his early to mid-thirties.

His eyes are a startling shade of blue, clear and captivating. The shade seems to change depending on his moods and right now they remind her of the sea during one summer when she visited the beaches of Sardinia in Italy.

Pale turquoise. All lazy tranquillity and peaceful relaxation.

There is something quite… familiar about him, she just could not tell what.

A particular detail in her mind seems frozen, an untold story locked in some sort of timeless enchantment.

"You're staring." He tells her, amused.

She blushes. "Sorry, I just…I feel like I should know you…but I can't quite…remember."

He smirks but says nothing, and simply sits right next to her, clearing his throat as he casually drapes one of his arms on the backrest of the bench. "Oh…we can always remedy that… what do you want to know?"

Her blush deepens, affected by his proximity. She closes her eyes as his scent, that of the surrounding pine forest which seems to cling onto him because he’s always out there hits her nose and instantly has contradicting effects on her. It is soothing and yet at the same time, it affects her in a strange way and she keeps having wayward thoughts about him...

He's just so…

Luna swallows, struggling to keep her voice from trembling. This is hardly the right time to daydream about the man.

"Well… for one thing, I've been an unwilling guest here for a few days now," she glances at him pointedly but he just grins, entertained by her jab. "but I don't even know your name… Alpha seems more of a title rather than your actual birth name…"

"Do you want to know my name?" he asks. "All you needed to do was ask, you know."

"I did ask!"

"Really? When?"

"I…" she blinks furiously, trying to remember. "I introduced myself…it's common courtesy to give your name in return."

"Is that so? Too bad we have our own rules here and that is…when you need or want something, you ask."

"I'd like to go home please." She says in a deadpan voice.

He looks startled for a few seconds before he bursts out laughing again, loud and carefree.

"Nice try. I didn't say we always get what we want."

She rolls her eyes. "Ahh. A girl can only dream, then."

All of a sudden, he leans over, closer than necessary for a casual conversation between acquaintances or even friends.

"Is that really what you want, though?" He whispers. "Just leave…before we can explore whatever this…spark is… between us?"

Luna stares at his mesmerising eyes, now darker in shade as his pupils are dilated while they look deep into her own.

She stutters something incoherent, fascinated, and a little overwhelmed.

She swallows but before she can try to answer he backs away, as if he hears someone calling, and growls under his breath as he looks away.

The spell breaks and Luna gasps, grateful to be sitting down otherwise she fears her knees would have embarrassed her.

He stands up, takes a deep breath, and stretches before shaking himself as if he too has been under the spell and not the one who has woven it.

"I'm just going to get the lemonade. Just stay here and relax. I'll be right back." he tells her without turning and walks back towards the house. But before he is out of hearing, he turns back to her and grins, a little self-consciously, putting his hands inside his pockets. "Oh and uh… My name is Cain." He winks at her and continues on his way.

Luna sighs, turning to the little water fountain beside the bench, serving as a bird bath.

This is becoming more complicated.

While it's true that he had saved her from the human traffickers, he is still keeping her here against her wishes. She is not uncomfortable or in any way mistreated, considered more like a guest than a prisoner, but she is still not free to go.

And yet, Luna finds him… Cain, yes that is his name… sinfully attractive and a part of her is curious enough about their…spark…and it makes her want to stay.

Is this Stockholm syndrome? But she's not being abused or ill-treated…

She knows he is not a bad person, just doing his duty to his family, she just happens to be instrumental somehow…It's a really fine line and she…

Oh, bloody hell, now she's sympathizing with him and his cause.

Maybe she really should try to leave. Perhaps the police would be able to protect her, she has some friends in the immigration center that will definitely pull some strings and push some buttons if they know what is really happening…

But what if he was right and those men come back for her, snatching her before anyone can do something about it? Given their deep-rooted connections and seemingly vast network, she wouldn't be surprised that there would be corrupt law enforcers involved who will wipe evidence off her files.

Oh, what to do!?

Her musings are interrupted by one of the kitchen girls who brings her a tall glass of cool lemonade.

"Oh, thank you…That’s very nice of you but…what happened to Cain?"

The girl freezes, staring at her wide-eyed that Luna suddenly feels like she overstepped an invisible line.

Then a wide grin breaks on the girl's face and she runs back to the kitchen without a word, leaving Luna feeling like she missed something.

"What just happened?"