The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

The silence of the bedroom was broken only by the rhythm of quiet breathing.

Rodrigo shifted, a murmur catching in his throat as sleep pulled away. A second later, his eyes opened. He didn’t move. He lay still, staring up at the ceiling as his senses oriented themselves. The room was bathed in the pale silver of dawn, the light filtering through the white curtains and washing the walls in a soft glow. For one fleeting moment, his mind was a clean slate.

Then, the memories of the night before crashed into him.

His gaze dropped. He froze.

Strands of blonde hair lay scattered across his chest, stark against his skin. Nina’s body rested half on top of his. Her head was tucked beneath his chin, one arm draped loosely across his waist. Sometime during the night, the duvet had slipped down to their hips, leaving enough skin exposed for the warmth of her body to press directly into his.

It was a tangible reminder: none of it had been a dream.

Rodrigo shut his eyes, his jaw clenching. What did he do?

A slow breath left his lips, but it did nothing to ease the weight settling behind his ribs. He had lost control. He didn’t know who she was. He didn’t know what she wanted, why she had survived what had killed so many, or why every answer she gave only seemed to breed twice as many questions. Every instinct he had honed over a lifetime of survival warned him to keep his distance.

Stay away from her. You cannot trust her.

Yet, here he was, sleeping with her without a single rational thought, ignoring all the warning signs exploding in his head.

Rodrigo’s hand remained where it rested against the small of her back. He didn’t move it. His eyes drifted back to her, watching her sleep. They fell to her neck, where he’d bitten her the night before, and he cursed silently. He’d marked her again, as if marking her once wasn’t enough. His jaw clenched tightly as he watched her.

What have you done to me, Nina?

As if sensing the tension in his body, Nina stirred. A soft sound escaped her lips as she nuzzled closer to him, the softness of her breasts pressing into his body. Rodrigo’s thoughts came to a halt. His hand held her waist still to stop her from moving; he wasn’t sure what he’d do if she continued.

His eyes traced the outline of her face. The morning light softened her. A few loose strands of hair framed her cheeks, rising and falling with each quiet breath she took. She looked entirely defenseless, unaware of what she was doing to him.

Something tight in his chest loosened as he watched her. The tension in his brows eased as every other thought drifted away, leaving only an intense, grounding sense of peace. He had only ever felt this twice: the first time he slept with her, and now. He only felt it when he was with her.

This woman made him feel things—things he didn’t want to stop feeling.

How did he get here?

Rodrigo shut his eyes, dragging a hand over his face.

The movement woke her. Nina shifted on his chest, her lashes fluttering. Slowly, her eyes opened. Rodrigo looked at her. Her eyes wandered around the room, clouded with sleep, before they finally settled back on his chest. A faint crease formed between her brows.

Then, as though realization dawned on her, her eyes widened. Every emotion crossed her face in the span of a single heartbeat. Her gaze whipped up to meet his. The panic on her face was so transparent that the corner of Rodrigo’s mouth lifted before he could stop it.

"Good morning," he murmured, holding her gaze.

Heat slammed into Nina’s cheeks, turning them bright red. Without saying a word, she snatched the edge of the blanket and yanked it over her head, disappearing completely under the fabric.

A short laugh escaped Rodrigo’s chest. His smile deepened, a playful glint entering his eyes as he looked at her head buried under the duvet. He leaned down slightly, his voice dropping to a low gravel. "You weren’t this shy yesterday. Why are you shy now?"

Nina mumbled something beneath the blanket, but the words never made it through the thick fabric.

Rodrigo watched the small rise and fall of the sheet for a long moment before reaching for the edge. His fingers caught the linen, easing it downward.

It refused to move. The blanket stretched taut instead. He glanced at the tiny fist hidden beneath it; she was holding on with surprising determination.

A quiet breath escaped him. Rather than tug again, he slipped his hand beneath the covers. His palm found her waist, warm against his skin. He drew her toward him until the space between them disappeared, his arm settling around her.

The moment he touched her, she went still. Every muscle tightened beneath his hand. He waited.

Slowly, almost cautiously, she eased into him. Her shoulders softened first, then the hand gripping the blanket loosened, though she didn’t let it go completely.

Rodrigo reached for the duvet again. This time, when he pulled it away from her face, she didn’t resist.

Her eyes remained squeezed shut, as though refusing to look would somehow undo the morning. One hand rested against his chest, curled into a tight fist. His gaze settled on it. Without thinking, he covered her fist with his own hand and lifted it, bringing her knuckles to his lips. He brushed a quiet kiss across them.

Nina’s lashes trembled. Her fingers loosened. Rodrigo felt the remaining tension leave her hand, and before she could curl it shut again, he unfolded her fingers until her palm rested against his. He turned it over, his thumb brushing across the center before pressing another kiss there.

This time, her eyes blinked open only a fraction.

He held her gaze before shifting closer. With a hand at her hip, he rolled her onto her back. She went willingly, her hand remaining enclosed in his.

Rodrigo leaned onto one elbow, looking down at her. A slow, satisfied breath left him.

Nina, meanwhile, seemed determined to study anything except his face. Her eyes wandered to the ceiling, the curtains, the headboard—anywhere but him.

"Does it hurt?"

The question made her head snap toward him.

"What?" The word barely escaped her lips. Color rushed into her cheeks all over again. "N-No..." she murmured, lowering her gaze. "It doesn’t hurt anymore." Her teeth caught her lower lip. "Only the first time..."

Silence settled over the bed.

Rodrigo frowned. A crease formed between his brows as he searched her face, trying to process her line of thought.

"I was talking about the bite," he said, his eyes glancing at her neck.

Nina froze. Her eyes widened. "Oh." The word came out as a whisper. Almost immediately, her free hand flew to the side of her neck, her fingertips brushing the mark left there from the night before. She swallowed hard. "No," she shook her head quickly. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

A smile tugged at the corner of Rodrigo’s mouth. He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes as he watched her. "What," he asked, lifting a brow, "did you think I was talking about?"

The air in the bedroom grew thick. Nina’s face burned red hot. Panic surged through her, and she turned to escape, twisting to slide away. But Rodrigo caught her waist before she could move and pinned her beneath his weight, trapping her against the mattress.

A deep baritone laugh vibrated in his chest as he stared down at her struggling form.

Nina moved her waist, trying to pry out of his arms, but the movement sparked a sudden heat between them. A certain part of him awakened at the touch.

Rodrigo drew a strangled breath.

"Stop moving," he drawled, his hand tightening around her waist to lock her in place.

Only then did Nina feel the hard pressure pressing against her.

Her face burned even hotter, if possible. She went completely still, freezing beneath him. Her eyes turned up to his, and she saw that his gaze had darkened completely. His jaw was clenched tight as his eyes dropped from her face to her lips, and then lower, tracking down to her breasts.

A low growl tore from his throat as the sudden rush of desire completely overtook him. Before she could react, he leaned down, pressing his lips hungrily against the sensitive skin of her chest.

An unrestrained sound left her lips. Her fingers instantly latched into his hair, her back arching forward against his him.

"You undo me, Nina," he growled, the words hot against her skin. "I can’t get enough of you."

His mouth left her as he trailed kisses down her chest.

His hand slid lower, gripping her thigh and lifting her legs to pull her completely beneath his weight. He shifted over her, his heavy frame pinning her firmly under him.

Before Nina could register a thought, he claimed her.