Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 134

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Chapter 134

Third-person POV

As soon as Jace, Orion, Ryder, and Knox saw Luna slap Theo across the face, all four of them froze in complete shock Nor of them had expected that. They had been curious about why Luna had come to the field, and had wondered what she wanted to discuss with Theo so urgently that she had been willing to walk to the field in front of everyone, but never in a million years had any of them imagined that the conversation would end with Lana striking him hard enough for the sow to echo across the entire field.

The rest of the players were even more stunned because they had absolutely no idea about the complicated relationship Luna had with the five men. From their perspective, some random girl had just walked onto the field and slapped Theo Va one of the most popular students in Blackridge. Yet what shocked them even more was Theo’s reachon. He didn’t look ang or in the least bit offended. He didn’t look like a man whose pride had just been wounded in front of dozens of people Instead, he looked guilty, completely and utterly guilty. It was the expression of someone who believed he deserved every bit of what had just happened.

The sight alone was enough to make everyone realize that something much bigger than a simple argument was happening

ace was the first one to move. The moment he saw the tears gathering in Luna’s eyes and felt the overwhelming storm of motions crashing through the bond, he instinctively started walking toward her. He wasn’t ever thinking about what he w loing. His body simply moved on its own, and behind him, Orion reacted almost immediately as well. Ryder followed a econd later, while Knox let out an irritated sigh before trailing after them. None of them knew exactly what had happened but it was obvious that Luna was deeply upset and Theo looked like a man standing in front of his own execution.

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The tension hanging in the air was so thick that it almost felt physical. Even the players who remained behind had stopped >retending to practice. Every eye on the field was fixed on the unfolding scene. Nobody wanted to admit it, but everyone vas desperate to know what could have possibly happened to provoke such a dramatic reaction.

Theo remained rooted to the spot, his cheek still stinging from the slap. Strangely enough, the pain barely registered, and he only thing he could focus on was the look in Luna’s eyes. He had seen her angry before. He had seen her annoyed rustrated, embarrassed, and stubborn, but what he had never seen was this. The hurt in her eyes was far worse than the sa t was the kind of hurt that made his chest ache, the kind that left him feeling sick.

He knew exactly why she looked at him that way. He had done this. He had caused it. At the time when he asked Kate to do vhat she did, it had felt harmless, childish perhaps, but harmless. He had only wanted to scare her a little, but looking at una now, he realized how wrong he had been. His actions had humiliated her, and worse, they had destroyed the must be had slowly begun placing in him. The realization made him feel physically ill.

You can hit me again if you want,” he said quietly. “Hit me as much as you want. If spending the whole day sapping me is nough to make you forgive me, then I’ll stand here and take it.”

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una stared at him in disbelief. The fact that he was apologizing somehow only made her angrier She did was didn’t want excuses, and didn’t want him standing there looking guilty and remorseful. None of that changed sear done, and none of that erased the fear she had gone through that day thinking that she was going to be suck night and feeling helpless. It also didn’t erase the fact that he had looked her in the eyes countless times sterwent une sekit as though nothing had happened.

Before she could respond, movement behind Theo caught her attention she looked up and immediately saw lave N Orion, and Knox approaching, and something inside her snapped again she knew logically that they was the one wh hurt her, the others hadn’t done anything. Yet at that moment she didn’t want to we any of them, she was

aralinsied

emotionally drained, and hurt beyond reason Their presence only made everything worse

“Don’t come any closer!” she shouted

The force behind her voice stunned everyone. Immediately Jace. Orion, Ryder and knox hated and even the other guys

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aching from afer looked startled.

The anger in Luna’s voice was impossible to miss.

Jace felt her emotions through the bond and nearly winced. Anger was only one part of it, but under the rage was overwhelming hurt, disappointment, confusion, betrayal, and exhaustion. There were so many emotions tangled together that even he struggled to separate them. More than anything, she felt fragile like she had been carrying too much for too long and was finally reaching her limit.

“We just want to help, Jace said carefully.

Luna immediately rounded on him. The best way you can help me is by staying away from me, she snapped.

The words hit harder than she intended. Jace felt them like a punch to the stomach, but still, he didfit argue

Orion, however, looked ready to speak, and the moment Luna saw him opering his mouth, she raised a hand “Don’t she aid sharply. “Just shut up. All of you, and leave me alone.”

The command stunned everyone into silence.

Orion, who was usually stubborn enough to argue with a wall, found himself speechless. The look on Luna’s face made it ainfully obvious that pushing her right now would only make things worse. Tears were already gathering in her eyes, her >reathing was uneven, and her entire body looked tense.

After silencing the others, Luna turned back toward Theo. The sight of him standing there with guilt written all over his fa >nly reignited her anger. Theo looked completely helpless. He had spent the last few days reminiscing on how much he ha njoyed her company, had watched her smile, and even started plotting how he was going to convince her to go on a secon late with him. Earlier that very morning, she had been sitting with him eating sandwiches, and he had found her reaction ood absolutely adorable.

Now she could barely stand looking at him, and the contrast was enough to make him feel sick.

Luna…”

Don’t,” Luna interrupted. Her voice was shaking from rage. “From now on, you stay away from me.”

Theo closed his mouth immediately, and Luna took a shaky breath. “I don’t want to see you around me again, she said don’t know what I’ll do if I see you anywhere near me, so if you don’t want to get seriously hurt, then stay away from que

Every word felt like a knife twisting in Theo’s chest. He wanted to explain, he wanted to apologize over and over again and he wanted to tell her how much he regretted it.

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Yet none of those things felt adequate. Nothing he could say would change what had happened, and nothing he could say al the moment would make her trust him again.

The realization left him feeling completely powerless.

As Luna spoke, the tears she had been desperately holding back finally escaped. One slid down her check, then another she hated it immediately. She hated crying in front of them, she hated showing weakness, and most of all, she hated Theo had managed to hurt her enough to make her cry Determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing any it tears, she quickly turned around and began walking away.

Her pace was fast, almost frantic She just wanted to leave She wanted to get away from Theo, away from the football beki away from the stares, and away from everything

The moment she started leaving, Orion and Ryder instinctively moved atter her

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3:25 am P P P

Chapter 134 –

#uha… Neither of them got very far because Jace stepped forward and raised a hand.

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