The Alpha's Secret Luna

Chapter 11

Sophia blinked at the three men, confusion writ plain on her face. "What is a pack?" she asked, her tone perfectly genuine.

All three, Orion, Ronan, and Lysander stared at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted a second head right in front of them. Even Ronan, whose usual set expression was somewhere between cheerful and mocking, simply stared, mouth halfway open.

Lysander cleared his throat and tried again, gentler this time. "You don't know what a pack is?" He watched her closely, as if trying to spot some sign of a joke.

Sophia shook her head slowly, her brows wrinkling. "No. I mean, the word is familiar, and I think I've probably read it somewhere, but…I can't really explain it. It's like my brain is skipping."

Ronan glanced at Orion, hoping for some guidance. Orion just shrugged, arms crossed and face unreadable except for a small line of annoyance between his brows. It was clear he was as confused as anyone and no more patient about it.

Ronan offered Sophia a reassuring smile. "Okay, that's…all right. Why don't I explain?" He straightened a little, leaning on the foot of the bed so she could clearly see him. "A pack is basically a big family except not everyone is related by blood. We live together, look out for each other, and protect each other. We share everything: food, work, responsibilities. It's like a territory with a leader or a village." He paused to make sure she was following.

Sophia looked thoughtful, then suddenly her eyes lit up. "Wait, yes! I remember now! I know what it is." She frowned a little, squeezing the candlestick by reflex. "But I don't know why the word felt odd to me at first."

Orion arched a brow, smirking a little. "Are you sure you understand? You don't need him to explain more?"

She turned to glare at him, chin lifting in stubborn challenge. "I understand perfectly. You're the one who struggles, apparently."

Ronan just snickered. "Play nice, kids."

Sophia huffed. "I'm nice. He's the annoying one." She pointed at Orion who scowled.

"Put that ridiculous candle away will you? Holding it doesn't make you seem brilliant." He told her.

Before she and Orion could wind up for another round, Lysander stepped forward, professional tone sliding in. "All right. Enough for now. Sophia, why don't you sit on the chair? I need to do a basic checkup, make sure everything's actually fine."

With a small sigh, Sophia set the candlestick down near her pillow, then perched herself on the wooden chair by the bed. The chair creaked a little under her slight weight.It was the very spot Orion fallen asleep in the night before.

Lysander began his examination, taking her wrist for her pulse, then gently pressing at her side to check for bruising. He moved efficiently and quietly, only pausing to poke at a spot on her shoulder where a deep wound had once been.

"No tenderness?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, it doesn't even hurt. I feel fine, really."

He checked her eyes, made sure her breathing was steady, then finally straightened and turned to the other two men.

"She's fine," he announced, a note of surprise in his voice. "Actually, completely fine. Her wounds have healed without a trace, no fever, no infection, no sign of leftover trauma. If I didn't know how badly she was hurt, I'd never guess she'd almost died two months ago."

Orion's eyes narrowed. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and fixed Sophia with a suspicious stare. "So, if you're so fine, why the fuck are you pretending not to remember anything except your name?" His tone slipped from coldly curious to openly accusatory, voice rising just enough to put everyone on edge.

Sophia looked stung but held her ground. "I'm not pretending! I've told you since I woke up, I don't remember anything before you brought me here. I didn't even know your name until just now. I haven't lied to you. And I had no idea I almost died. By your hands I presume."

"It's not…." Ronan began but Orion cut him off.

Orion's eyes flashed. "I'd know if you were lying." His jaw tightened. "But this whole thing is impossible. There's no way that someone just forgets an entire life and yet somehow knows what a werewolf is. No one else in history has pulled something like this. You must be a spy, a damn good one. Maybe word got out about my ability and whoever sent you trained you, taught you not to trigger anything. That's the only thing that makes sense. Black magic or not, I don't buy your story."

Sophia's shoulders slumped, but she didn't back down. Her voice trembled, but her eyes still shone with fierce truth. "I'm not a spy. I'm not lying. I'm tired of saying it, but it's the truth. I don't know why I can't remember if I could, I'd tell you. And if I was a spy, do you really think I'd mess it up this badly? If I'd planned for this, I'd have a story, at least!"

Orion scowled, advancing a step. "It would be easy to act clueless. Easier, maybe, than giving me a fake story."

Anger flickered in Sophia's eyes. "You're the one acting stupid right now, not me. Stop accusing me of things I haven't done!"

Suddenly, Orion strode forward, rage getting the better of him, hand lifting as if he might slam his fist on the edge of the bed for emphasis. Sophia flinched, her body tensing in fear, but she still met his glare without looking away.

Lysander shot out an arm before Orion could get any closer, forcing the alpha back with surprising strength for such a lean man. "Enough, Orion." His tone was all command, none of the gentle doctor left. With swift, practiced hands, he practically herded Orion backward and toward the door, muscled form blocking the space between him and Sophia.

"What the hell are you doing, Lysander?" Orion barked, struggling against his friend's iron grip. "She's fucking playing us and I need to know how she can get away with shit like this. Maybe she knows a trick or something."

Lysander leaned in, his voice low and urgent. "I need to talk to you. Now. Out in the hall."

Orion opened his mouth to protest again, but Lysander's eyes blazed with rare authority. Lysander has always been like a big brother to Orion. Even if Orion was the alpha, Lysander was the older brother and Orion respected and even feared him a bit. Especially because Lysander had kicked his ass a lot when they were younger.

So seeing that unspoken warning, Orion finally let himself be steered through the door, casting one last warning look over his shoulder at Sophia. Ronan, sensing the sudden gravity of the moment, simply watched in silence, concern etched across his usually cheerful face.

The door closed sharply behind Orion and Lysander, sealing Sophia and Ronan on one side and the two men in the dim, quiet corridor. Orion turned on Lysander, barely reined-in anger and suspicion swirling in his eyes.

"This better be good," he hissed. "What could possibly…"

But Lysander shook his head and cut him off, voice even lower now, almost a whisper. "It is. Um…it's about her condition or what I suspect may be her condition."

"What is it?"