Meanwhile.
"Alpha, she has been found," a man said, kneeling before the cold figure with piercing green eyes.
"Bring her to my house."
Lucia smiled in her sleep, still caught in her dreams, unaware of the stranger standing in her room.
"Sorry, Luna," the man whispered as he gently lifted her from the bed and carried her away to an unknown location.
Lucia stirred, her body rolling against something hard. Confused, she frowned. Was she not on her bed? What was this hard object next to her? Reaching out, her hand suddenly stopped mid-air. The "rock" she touched had a heartbeat. A very fast one, thumping so hard it felt like it might burst from a chest.
Her bed felt softer beneath her now. This was definitely strange.
She opened her eyes and gasped in shock. She could not possibly have gone back in time. The "rock" was a man. In fact, the very same man she had slept with four months ago.
He was staring straight at her as she instinctively pulled away. The last time she saw him, he had been asleep. Now, those piercing green eyes, reminiscent of lush greenery, were watching her intently.
Lucia glanced around the room. The warm colors on the walls suggested a woman's touch. The room was unfamiliar, but clearly designed with care.
She shot up from the bed, a string of apologies tumbling from her lips as a million questions raced through her mind.
Had she sleepwalked here? How did she get here? And what was the man she'd had a one-night stand with doing here?
"Come back to bed," a deep voice rumbled, sending a shiver down her spine. Her eyes snapped to the only other person in the room.
She pointed at herself, confused. The man nodded and patted the spot where she had been lying.
Lucia forced a nervous smile. "Thanks for the offer, but I really have to get going. I've got a lot of things to do, you see."
The man rose from the bed and began walking slowly toward her. She retreated with every step he took.
"YOU…" the man started, but before he could finish, Lucia's stomach let out an untimely growl.
"You see, I really need to go... make dinner," she said awkwardly, glancing around for an exit. She spotted a door opposite her and started edging toward it.
"Stay for dinner," the man said, his gaze dropping to her stomach. Instinctively, Lucia placed a hand on her belly and frowned. Could he know she was pregnant?
She doubted it. Her bump wasn't big yet, and she was still wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants.
"Thanks for the offer," she blurted, then bolted for the door. She dashed down the hallway and came to a long corridor with a staircase in the corner.
Which way should she go?
Trusting her instincts, she followed the corridor to its end and found an elevator.
An elevator in a house? Just how rich was the owner to install one in a residence? This didn't feel like a commercial building.
She pressed the button for the ground floor and waited. The doors slid open to reveal a grand sitting room. No visible exits.
As an architect, she quickly assessed that this was likely a private living room. A room this large in a residence, she would love to see the building plans if she ever got on good terms with the owner. But now was not the time. She needed to escape.
---
"Alpha, she has successfully gotten out of the building," a man reported to the one Lucia had just fled from.
The man, addressed as Alpha, broke into a smile upon hearing the report. The informant shivered. It was the first time he had ever seen the Alpha smile.
"Let her get home safely," Alpha Cross said, the smile still lingering on his face.
The informant blinked in shock. The Alpha had been searching for this woman for four months, yet now he was letting her go?
"Yes, Alpha," the man replied quietly and slipped out of the room, careful not to lose his head.
Left alone, Alpha Cross chuckled.
"What a smart human."
---
Lucia stumbled into a forest clearing, looking around in confusion. Where should she go next?
"Need some help?" a man asked.
She turned to him. He looked like a farmer—someone who could possibly help her get out of here.
"Yes," she replied in a pleading voice.
The man led her to a tractor parked not far from where she stood.
"Here," he said, offering a hand as she climbed aboard.
She gave him a grateful smile as they drove off. Despite having just woken from a nap, drowsiness crept in again. She yawned.
"You can sleep. It's a long ride," the man said kindly.
She nodded and tried to stay awake out of politeness, but exhaustion soon claimed her, and she drifted off.
A gentle shake roused her. Blinking, she looked around in surprise, they were in front of her house. How had he known where she lived?
Maybe she'd talked in her sleep.
She thanked him sincerely. The man smiled widely and drove off.
Okay... this entire encounter was definitely strange.