Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 119

Luna’s POV

The closer I got to the football field, the more nervous I became. The night air was cool against my skin, and even though I had left the dorm determined to focus entirely on learning how to control my strength, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that could

wrong.

go

The intercollegiate meet was only a few days away, and every hour that passed felt like another hour slipping through my fingers. What if Orion couldn’t help me? Every possible disaster seemed determined to parade through my mind one after another. By the time the football field came into view, I was so distracted by my thoughts that I almost didn’t notice there was already someone there.

From a distance, I spotted a figure moving around the field. Under the bright stadium lights, I could make out someone running while kicking a football ahead of them. My first thought was that it had to be Orion. After all, he was the one who had told me to meet him here, and there shouldn’t have been anyone else around this late.

For a few seconds, I continued walking without thinking much of it, but the closer I got, the more something about the figure seemed wrong. Orion wasn’t particularly bulky. He was athletic, obviously, but his build was lean. More importantly, I have hardly ever seen him without his glasses. The person running across the field didn’t look anything like that. Whoever it was had broader shoulders and a much larger frame.

I slowed my steps and looked more carefully. The figure sprinted after the ball, trapped it with one foot, and then kicked it again with effortless control. Even from a distance, the body looked familiar, and a strange feeling immediately settled in my chest. My heart started beating a little faster as realization slowly dawned on me. The closer I got, the clearer the person’s face became. When I finally recognized him, my stupid heart chose that exact moment to skip a beat.

It was Jace.

I stopped walking for a second.

The last time I had properly seen him was the morning after the full moon incident. After everything that happened that night and everything that followed afterward, I had somehow managed to avoid running into him. Part of it had been intentional, and another part had simply been luck. Between preparing for the meet, dealing with my new werewolf problems, surviving Theo’s date, and trying not to lose my mind, I hadn’t really had time to think about why Jace had managed to disappear from my daily life. So seeing him standing here now felt strange, unexpected, and confusing.

distely become interested. “Mate looks good,” she purred.

I ignored her, or at least I tried to.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Looking at him now, I couldn’t help noticing things I would rather not notice. The way he moved, the way he carried himself, and the confidence that seeined effortless around him. The stadium lights caught against his dark hair while sweat glistened faintly along his neck from what was clearly an intense training session. I hated that my attention kept drifting toward details like that.

Almost as much as I hated how aware I suddenly felt of my own heartbeat. A thought immediately crossed my mind.

Had he somehow found out I was meeting Orion? The idea sounded ridiculous, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I raised my voice. “Jace!”

The sound echoed lightly across the nearly empty field, and Jace immediately stopped moving.

The football rolled a short distance away from him before coming to a halt. He turned around quickly, clearly surprised to hear someone calling his name. His expression shifted the second he spotted me. Confusion appeared first, then genuine surprise.

For a few seconds, neither of us moved. Then he started walking toward me, and as he got closer, I realized he looked just as confused as I felt.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

I stared at him, then I pointed at him. “What am I doing here?” I repeated. “I should be asking you that.”

Jace let out a soft scoff. “I’m the captain of the football team,” he responded. “Me being on a football field isn’t exactly shocking.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again since unfortunately, he had a point. That only made things more awkward.

I scratched the back of my neck while trying to think of something intelligent to say. Instead, my brain chose that exact moment to stop working completely.

Moon was no help. “Ask him why he hasn’t come to see us.”

“No.”

“Ask him if he missed us,” she persisted.

“Absolutely not!” I mentally hissed. Hell would have to freeze first before I ever ask such a ridiculous question.

Chapter 118

“You are no fun.”

I mentally shoved her into a corner and focused on the actual conversation happening in front of me. “Are you alone?” I asked.

The question came out before I could stop myself, and Jace blinked. Then he slowly gestured around the field. “Do you see anyone else?” he asked.

I immediately felt stupid. “Right,” I muttered awkwardly.

Jace folded his arms across his chest, and I could tell he was waiting for an explanation. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to give him one.

Part of me wondered if Orion had forgotten about our meeting completely. Another part wondered whether it would be a disaster if Orion showed up right now. The last thing I needed was a repeat of what happened the last time those two were in the same room together. Thinking about Orion’s reaction after finding out Jace had marked me was enough to make me wince.

Honestly, if Orion suddenly appeared right now, there was a very real chance I’d end up caught between two overgrown wolves with jealousy issues. The thought alone was exhausting.

“Luna.” Jace’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up, and he was watching me carefully. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here or not?” he asked.

There was still some distance between us, but I could feel his emotions through the bond. It wasn’t strong enough to tell me exactly what he was thinking, but it was enough for me to notice the nervousness underneath his calm expression.

That realization immediately made me freeze because if I could feel his emotions, then he could probably feel mine too.

Wonderful, just wonderful.

I suddenly became painfully aware of every feeling running through my head. The awkwardness, the confusion, the embarrassment, and the strange awareness that always seemed to appear whenever I was around him. I hoped desperately that the bond didn’t work both ways at the same intensity, but judging by the look on Jace’s face, I wasn’t entirely convinced.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched, then stretched even longer.

Eventually, Jace sighed. “You don’t have to tell me,” he said.

Chapter 118

I blinked.

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