The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Nina’s eyes widened as she stared at the empty space beneath the cup.

"...Oops."

One hand flew over her mouth in shock, as though she could not believe she had lost. She continued staring at the tabletop for another second, waiting as if the tiny carved bead might suddenly roll into view.

It didn’t.

She slowly lifted her head toward Rodrigo. His face swam in her vision.

Nina blinked. She squeezed her eyes shut, gave her head a little shake, then opened them again. His features finally settled into place.

"I lost," she pouted, her brows creasing into a frown.

Across the table, Rodrigo’s gaze shifted from her to the lycan who had shuffled the cups.

The warrior stiffened.

"My Alpha, I..." he started, instinctively taking a step back.

Nina waved a hand through the air.

"I’ll..." A small burp escaped her. She stopped mid-sentence.

Silence settled over the table.

Nina blinked once.

Then twice.

She cleared her throat and nodded to herself. "I’ll have to drink then."

She reached for the mug filled with wine beside her. Her fingers had barely wrapped around it before another hand settled over hers.

The cup refused to move.

Nina frowned and looked down.

Rodrigo’s hand covered hers.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then, without a word, he eased the mug from her fingers and placed it back on the table.

Nina looked at the cup.

Then at her now-empty hand.

Then she looked back up at him.

"Hey." A faint pout found its way onto her face. "That’s mine."

"You’re done drinking."

Nina frowned at the cup for a long moment before looking up at him.

"Why?"

"You’ve had enough," he said in a voice that didn’t leave any room for argument.

Nina stared at him as though he had said something completely unreasonable. Then she pointed at the cups scattered across the table.

"But I lost." A laugh escaped her. "Whoever lost had to drink. Those are the rules."

Rodrigo held her gaze without answering immediately. His jaw flexed once before he spoke.

"The game is over."

He rose from his chair.

"Let’s go."

The laughter that had filled the courtyard moments ago vanished so completely that the crackling bonfire suddenly sounded deafening. Around the table, the lycans instinctively stepped back, none of them daring to breathe. They simply watched.

Nina blinked at them before looking back at Rodrigo.

She held his gaze in a long standoff, then narrowed her eyes at him.

"No."

The silence that followed was so deafening that no one dared move. Their faces drained of all color as they watched her.

Rodrigo’s brow twitched.

"What?"

Nina shook her head and pointed at the table.

"I’m not done playing," she said, then waved her hand toward the others.

"What’s the next game?"

She got to her feet. For the briefest moment, she stood perfectly still. Then the ground tilted beneath her feet. She swayed so suddenly that even she looked surprised.

Rodrigo caught her before she could fall.

One arm slipped securely around her waist, drawing her against him before she hit the ground. Nina blinked up at him, then looked around as though trying to determine why the world had suddenly decided to move.

She placed a hand against his chest and straightened herself with great concentration before taking one careful step backward.

"I’m fine," she said, brushing her hair behind her ears.

Rodrigo stared at the woman in front of him for a long moment, his jaw clenched. Looking over his shoulder at the lycans gathered behind him, he ordered,

"The night is over."

His voice carried effortlessly across the courtyard.

"Everyone return to your homes."

"Yes, Alpha!"

They responded immediately and began clearing the table quickly. Before Nina knew it, they had begun to disperse.

Her eyes widened. Her gaze moved from one departing warrior to another in confusion.

"Wait..."

She stretched out a hand toward them. "Where are you all going?"

No one answered her. They continued hurrying away as though something were hot on their heels. Within moments, the lively courtyard that had been filled with laughter was already beginning to empty.

"Why..."

She looked back at Rodrigo.

"Why did you chase them away? We were having so much fun," she asked, a small frown forming on her forehead. Rodrigo’s expression remained unchanged.

"You’re drunk."

He reached for her hand.

"Let’s go back inside."

His hand went around her wrist as he turned and headed toward the pack house.

She let him lead her for several steps before she stopped. Then, without a single word, she pulled her hand from his.

"Don’t touch me," she said, stepping away from him.

Rodrigo turned around, confused.

She was looking at him with her lips pouted and her brows creased into a deep frown. Rodrigo blinked once and took a step toward her.

"Nina, what are you—"

She took a step back. "You ignored me all day."

A small huff escaped her. "And now you want to talk to me." She gave a slow shake of her head.

"No, don’t touch me. I don’t like you very much right now."

Rodrigo stopped in his tracks. His jaw slackened.

Wasn’t he supposed to be the one who was angry with her?

Why was it the other way around?

Now that he looked at her, she really was drunk.

She stood a few paces away, her cheeks stained a deep, rosy pink from the wine, the warmth spreading over the bridge of her nose and the tips of her ears. A few loose strands of hair had escaped to frame her face, stirred gently by the night breeze, while her lips—still damp from the wine she’d been trying so hard to finish—had taken on a soft flush of their own.

Her blue eyes, usually so sharp and calculating, were slightly unfocused now, yet no less expressive as they fixed on him in a stubborn glare.

She looked impossibly... adorable. The thought caught him off guard.

Before it could settle, Rodrigo forced himself to look away, refusing to let it linger long enough to take root.

"We’ll discuss this when you’re sober," he said flatly, crossing to where she stood to take her hand again.

But Nina swiped his hand away. Rodrigo looked at her in surprise, but his gaze softened when he saw the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

"You..." Her lips quivered. "I don’t like you anymore!"

She huffed and walked past him angrily.

Nina managed exactly two steps before she swayed again.

Rodrigo’s arm slipped around her waist just before she could fall, drawing her securely against him. The faint scent of wine mixed with the light floral fragrance of her hair drifted toward him as she steadied herself with both hands against his chest.

Then, slowly, she lifted her eyes.

And they met his.