Page 23 of Marked by Alphas 2: Claimed (The Blood Moon Chronicle #2)

“Yes, coffee good. Sit, sit.” She gestured to the empty chairs at our table. “Tell me about business. Must be very… interesting. ”

I stared at her. She stared back innocently while somehow radiating ‘trust me’ energy in a way that always meant trouble.

The brothers didn’t hesitate. Ice Eyes pulled out the chair across from me while the fighter and the tech mogul grabbed seats on either side of our table. The café’s small four-person table suddenly felt crowded, warmer, filled with their presence in a way that made it hard to breathe.

“Our family has diverse interests,” Ice Eyes said smoothly, his arm nearly brushing mine as he signaled the waitress. His heat seemed to seep across the small space between us. “Real estate, primarily, but we’re always exploring new… opportunities.”

“Opportunities,” I repeated flatly, very aware of how the fighter had positioned himself at my right elbow while his tech-savvy brother sat uncomfortably close to Eomma’s prayer beads. “Is that what we are? The morning’s entertainment opportunity?”

James shifted beside me, and I caught a flash of something hungry in his expression. “You’re certainly entertaining.”

“Funny,” I said sweetly. “I was just thinking how boring this all is.”

Eomma kicked me under the table again, but I caught all three brothers grinning. Even Ice Eyes’ carefully controlled expression had cracked into something more genuine, more dangerous.

“Boring?” Liam leaned forward. “We could make things more interesting.”

“Pretty sure that’s what every serial killer in history has said right before?—”

“Right before what?” Ice Eyes’ voice dropped lower, sending an unwanted shiver down my spine. “Do finish that thought.”

“Right before the bodies are never found,” I said brightly. “But I’m sure you three are totally normal, non-murderous busine ssmen who regularly harass random tourists. Nothing suspicious about that at all.”

“Suspicious?” The fighter’s laugh was rough velvet. “You wound us.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive the trauma.”

“Such a sharp tongue,” Ice Eyes murmured, close enough that I could feel his breath on my ear. “I wonder what else that mouth of yours can do.”

I nearly choked on my fresh coffee. Eomma’s prayer beads clacked sharply.

“Xander,” she said, her voice carrying that same tone she used on handsy customers in her shop, “perhaps is too early for such talk?”

But I caught her studying the brothers with renewed interest, like she was seeing something beyond their perfect surfaces. Her fingers moved over the beads in a pattern I recognized—not warning now, but seeking.

“My apologies,” Ice Eyes said smoothly, though his gaze still burned into mine. “We’re not usually so… forward with visitors.”

“No?” I raised an eyebrow. “Do you usually wait until at least lunch before the serial killer vibes kick in?”

The tech mogul’s delighted laugh drew looks from other patrons. “Oh, I like him.”

“You like anyone who gives Xander trouble,” the fighter pointed out, but his golden eyes were warm with amusement.

“True,” Liam admitted shamelessly. “But this one’s special.”

“There’s that word again,” I said. “You guys really need to expand your vocabulary.”

Eomma’s beads clicked three times in quick succession. Her sharp intake of breath made all three brothers turn to her.

“Everything alright, Mrs. Kim?” Ice Eyes asked, too casually.

“Oh, yes,” she said, but her smile had turned sharp. “Just remembering important appointment. We must go soon. ”

“So soon?” The tech mogul’s disappointment seemed genuine. “But we haven’t even gotten to know each other properly.”

“I think we know exactly what kind of men you are,” I said, matching Ice Eyes’ earlier tone.

His eyes flashed. Actually flashed, like a camera catching light, except there was no camera and the morning sun was still barely touching our table.

“And what kind of men are we?” His voice had dropped to a dangerous purr.

“The kind,” Eomma interrupted firmly, standing up, “that should be more careful in morning light. Windows very revealing, yes?”

All three brothers stiffened slightly. Ice Eyes’ gaze narrowed, reassessing Eomma with new intensity.

“Luke,” she said in Korean, “we leave now.”

“Oh, so now we’re doing the cryptic warning thing?” I replied in Korean, noting how the brothers watched our exchange with barely concealed frustration. “Because that’s not suspicious at all.”

“Less sass, more moving.” Eomma switched to Japanese, just to be safe. “And don’t look directly at the blond one. His eyes… not normal.”

“Which blond one? They’re all?—”

“We hope you’re not leaving on our account,” Ice Eyes cut in smoothly, clearly annoyed at being excluded from the conversation. His perfect composure had cracked just enough to reveal something predatory underneath.

“Oh, not at all,” I replied sweetly. “We just remembered we have an appointment with some people who are way less serial killer-y.”

The fighter’s sudden grin was all teeth. “Such accusations. And here we were being so hospitable. ”

“Is that what you call this? I’d hate to see your idea of hostile.”

Eomma was already heading for the door, but I caught her subtle hand gesture—the one that meant ‘watch your back.’ The brothers tracked her movement with the kind of focused attention that set off every warning bell in my head.

“Until next time, Luke.” Ice Eyes’ voice followed me, carrying a promise that made my chest tight.

We made it to the car in record time, Eomma muttering protection chants under her breath. The moment we were inside, she threw a handful of salt out her window.

“Okay,” I said, pulling out of the parking lot maybe a little too fast. “Want to explain what that was about? And why you just assaulted the pavement with sacred salt?”

“Those men.” Eomma clicked her tongue, studying her prayer beads with unusual intensity. “Something not right. Their energy… too hungry. Too interested.”

“What do you mean?” I checked the mirror again. “Besides the obvious creepy stalker vibes?”

“Hard to explain.” She frowned, fingers moving over her beads. “Like… when storm comes. Air feels heavy, yes? Everything too quiet, too still. Waiting.”

“Eomma, you’re doing the cryptic thing again.”

“Not cryptic. Just…” She switched to Korean, her voice low. “Their power feels like Kai’s new friends, their aura, but different. More dangerous. And the way they look at you…” She shivered slightly. “Not good. Too much intent.”

“Oh great, so they’re supernatural stalkers too?” I merged onto the main road, definitely not thinking about Ice Eyes’ burning stare or the fighter’s predatory grace. “Because Kai’s situation wasn’t complicated enough already.”

Eomma’s expression turned serious. “Luke, listen. Mother’s intuition never wrong. Those men…” She glanced at her beads again. “Better to be careful. At least until we understand what they want.”

“Besides the obvious?” I gestured vaguely at myself, remembering how all three brothers had tracked our every movement.

“That obvious interest?” She shook her head. “Just surface. Something deeper. Something my beads don’t like.”

She dug in her bag and pulled out what looked suspiciously like a protection charm. “Put this in back seat. Just in case.”

“In case of what?”

But Eomma was already pulling out her phone, muttering what sounded like a protection chant under her breath.

One of the protection charms swung from my rearview mirror like the world’s most suspicious air freshener as we wound through mountain roads that seemed to actively resist GPS navigation.

What should have been a straight shot to Cedar Grove kept turning into scenic detours through increasingly dense forest.

“Eomma,” I said after our third U-turn, “please tell me you’re not lost too.”

She hummed thoughtfully, eyes fixed on her prayer beads. “Not lost. Road… moving.”

“Roads don’t move.”

“This one does.” She pointed left. “That way feels right.”

“That’s not even a road! That’s literally just trees—” The trees parted, revealing a gravel path I could’ve sworn wasn’t there a second ago. “Okay, what the actual?—”

“Language,” Eomma scolded, but she was smiling. “See? Trust mother’s intuition.”

An hour and a half later, after two near-death experiences with local wildlife and one very confusing encounter with what Eomma swore was just a “forest spirit,” we finally saw signs for Cedar Grove. My phone buzzed with a text from Kai.

Someone will meet you at Grove Diner. Look for Johnson. He’s… hard to miss .

“That must be it,” I said, spotting the diner Kai mentioned.

The parking lot was half-full, mostly with massive trucks that made my car look like a toy.

As I pulled in, a guy built like a military tank emerged from one of them.

Dark hair, military cut, the kind of muscles that suggested he bench-pressed small cars for fun.

“Oh no,” Eomma breathed, her beads clicking rapidly. “Like Stones, but not Stone. Similar but… different power.”

“Different like Ice Eyes and his brothers?” I asked, watching as the guy noticed our car and started heading our way.

“No, no. More… direct. Less hidden.” She frowned. “But still dangerous.”

The man reached my window just as I cut the engine. Up close, he was even more intimidating, with steel-gray eyes that seemed to look right through me. But unlike Ice Eyes’ cold calculation, there was something almost warm in his assessment.

“You must be Luke,” he said, his voice a deep rumble. “And Mrs. Kim. The Stones are expecting you.”

I raised an eyebrow at the man mountain blocking my door. “And you are?”

“Johnson. Stone Security.” He stepped back, giving me space to open the door but maintaining perfect sight lines. Everything about him screamed military precision. “Mr. Stone asked me to escort you to the manor when you arrived.”

“Which Mr. Stone?” I muttered. “There’s like three of them.”

Johnson’s lips twitched. “Commander Stone. Derek.” He touched his earpiece. “Sir, they’ve arrived.” A pause. “Yes, sir. Understood.”

Eomma was studying Johnson with that same intense focus she’d given Ice Eyes and his brothers, but her beads remained still. “Good energy,” she announced finally. “Loyal. Strong.”

Johnson blinked, probably not used to being spiritually assessed in parking lots .

“She does that,” I explained. “Usually means you’re not secretly plotting our murder.”

“Not today,” Johnson agreed with surprising humor. “Though if you’re anything like Mr. Chen, I’m sure you’ll give us plenty of reasons later.”

“Ah.” Eomma nodded sagely. “Kai very good at making people want to murder him. Sweet boy, but…” She made a vague gesture that somehow perfectly captured Kai’s talent for chaos.

A few minutes later, we were following Johnson’s massive black SUV through Cedar Grove’s winding streets.

“You think Kai’s okay?” I asked, watching Johnson’s vehicle navigate the increasingly remote roads.

Eomma hummed thoughtfully. “Must be. Security man not worried. Just… cautious.”

“Yeah, well, after this morning’s creep parade, I’m good with cautious.”

The roads grew narrower, trees pressing in on both sides. Just when I thought we must have taken a wrong turn, the forest opened up to reveal wrought iron gates.

“Holy shit,” I breathed as the gates swung open silently. “Kai wasn’t kidding about the whole ‘rich supernatural boyfriends’ thing.”

Eomma clicked her tongue. “Language. But yes. Very impressive.” She paused, studying her beads. “Strong protection here. Old magic. Safe.”

As we followed Johnson’s SUV up the winding driveway, Stone Manor emerged from the trees like something out of a gothic romance novel—all stone and timber and casual displays of generational wealth.

“Well,” I muttered, parking behind Johnson, “at least Kai’s taste in supernatural stalkers is expensive.”