Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 153

The Way Bark

The Way Back

tunas POV

I had honestly expected that the moment breakfast was over, Knox would tell me to grab my things so we could to Blackridge. We had already spent the entire night away from campus, and considering how serious expre Blackridge seemed to be about attendance and training. I thought he would be eager to get back before other attracted unnecessary attention in our respective fields of study. Instead, the very second finished eating and had enough time to let the food settle in my stomash, Knox calmly stood up, stretched his shoulders, looked at me and informed me that training wasn’t over just yet.

At first, I thought he was joking. There was absolutely no way he intended to make me exercise after everything we had done yesterday. My entire body already felt sore from standing under the waterfall, from trying to keep my balance against the current, and from all the running he had made me do before that. Surely, a morning off wouldn’t kill either of us

Unfortunately for me, Knox didn’t seem interested in my silent complaints. Before I even had the chance to argue, he was already walking toward the door and simply gestured for me to follow him. Realizing that there was no point trying to negotiate with one of the most stubborn men I had ever met, I let out a defeated sigh and reluctantly followed him outs

The weather was surprisingly pleasant. The morning air was cool without being freezing, and the trees surrounding the cabin swayed gently whenever the breeze passed through them. Under any other circumstances, I would have happily stood there appreciating how peaceful everything looked, but Knox had apparently declared war on my legs. The moment we reached the empty road in front of the cabin, he pointed down the long stretch disappearing between the trees and simply told me to run. I stared at him for several seconds, waiting for him to smile or admit that he was joking, but his expression remained as blank as ever.

With another sigh, I started jogging forward, keeping my pace slow enough that I wouldn’t accidentally launch myself halfway into the forest. I hadn’t even gone very far before he called after me, telling me not to think about how fast I could run but instead to think about controlling every step I took. He reminded me to remember the feeling of the waterfall pushing against me yesterday, how I had forced myself to stay balanced even when every part of me wanted to give in to the current. He told me to picture that same resistance inside my own body, almost like invisible water was constantly pressing against my muscles.

At first, the advicended strange, but the more I focused on it, the more I realized that it actually helped. Every time I felt

that frightening burst of strength threatening to push me faster than a normal person could move, I imagined the heavy waterfall crashing down on my shoulders, forcing me to stay grounded instead of exploding forward.

one run. The moment I reached him again, breathing harder than I wanted to admit, he simply Knox wasn’t satisfied wit nodded toward the road and told me to do it again. Then again and again. Every single time I returned, he corrected something different. Sometimes he told me my breathing was becoming uneven, other times he pointed out that I was unconsciously pushing harder with my right leg whenever I got nervous.

wall beside me while I ran slowly, watching every movement with an attention that honestly At one point, he actuall made me a little uncomfortable. He barely praised me, and whenever I thought I had finally done something right, all he would say was, “Again.”

I had never met someone who spoke so little yet somehow managed to be so exhausting. There were moments when I seriously wondered whether he had secretly been possessed overnight because this calm, quiet man suddenly had the personality of an extremely demanding coach. Even so, I couldn’t deny that every repetition became slightly easier. I still wasn’t perfect, but I could already feel tiny improvements that hadn’t been there yesterday.

Just when I thought the road training was finally over, Knox casually informed me that we were changing locations. I foolishly assumed he meant we were heading back to the cabin for a break. Instead, he led me straight into the woods. I looked at him like he had completely lost his mind, but he ignored the expression on my face and continued walking until we reached one of the narrow paths cutting between the trees. Then he pointed ahead and told me to run through the forest without breaking anything or tripping over roots. I wanted to protest because running through a forest while trying to suppress supernatural strength sounded like an absolutely terrible idea, but before I could complain, he reminded me that races weren’t always won on perfect tracks.

According to him, if I could stay in control while surrounded by uneven ground, branches, rocks, and distractions, then controlling myself on a proper running track would become much easier. I hated how much sense that made. Grumbling under my breath, I obeyed anyway. More than once I nearly stumbled because I was paying too much attention to my strength instead of the ground beneath me, but every time I regained my balance, I remembered the waterfall again and forced myself to slow down internally instead of physically.

By the time we reached the path leading toward the waterfall, I was sweating despite the cool weather.

The Way Back

The sound of rushing water reached ray ears long before the waterfall itself came into ve gen

chung we were going. Know glanced toward the water before looking back at me, and for on Lalmost certain he intended to throw me back under it again Judging from the small look on tes

considering it too.

Thankfully, common sense finally won because + quickly reminded him that we still needed to get back

some point today unless he intended for both of us to disappear from campus completely

He looked toward the waterfall one last time before nodding slightly. “Too bad, he said simply

Relief washed over me so quickly that I nearly laughed. As much as yesterday’s training had helped me, I didn’t think my poor legs were emotionally prepared to fight a waterfall twice within twenty-four hours.

After what I was certain had been nearly three straight hours of running, correcting, stopping, starting again, and being pushed far harder than I ever expected, Knox finally announced that we were done for the morning. My legs nearly gave out from pure relief. Every muscle in my body felt heavy, my breathing was uneven, and I was almost positive I had earned the right to complain for the next week even though I wouldn’t have the privilege to.

Instead of complaining, though, I hurried back toward the cabin because all I wanted was a proper bath. The water washed away the sweat, dirt, and exhaustion clinging to my skin, and by the time I finished getting dressed again in the clothes from yesterday, I almost felt like a normal person. My hair was still slightly damp, but compared to how I had looked after standing under the waterfall, this was a massive improvement.

While Knox got himself ready, I quietly packed the remaining breakfast into the grocery bag. There were still unopened snacks and drinks left, and I simply couldn’t bring myself to leave perfectly good food behind. Maybe someone else would have considered it insignificant, but growing up the way I had taught me never to waste food if it could still be eaten later When Knox stepped back into the room, his eyes immediately landed on the grocery bag in my hand. For a brief second! wondered if he was silently judging me for packing leftovers after spending the night at his cabin, but I honestly didn’t care even if he was. Food cost money, and money wasn’t exactly something I had lying around waiting to be spent whenever I wanted. Throwing away perfectly edible food simply because we have had our fill for now felt almost criminal to me.

I lifted the bag slightly before shrugging. “I’m taking these,” I said matter-of-factly. “Leaving them here would be a waste.” Knox looked at the bag for a moment before glancing back at me. To my surprise, he didn’t tease me or question me. If anything, the corner of his mouth twitched very slightly, almost like he understood exactly why I was doing it. Without saying anything else, he simply picked up his keys, and together we stepped outside.

Standing beside Knox’s motorcycle, I found myself staring back at the small house nestled among the trees. It was quiet, calm, and hidden away from the rest of the world, and thanks to this place, I had spent the entire evening without worrying about gossip, scandals, classes, or people talking behind my back. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so.. peaceful, and the thought of leaving and heading back to the lion’s den made something tighten inside my chest because I already missed it before we had even left.

Knox helped me put on the spare helmet, adjusting the strap under my chin with the same efficiency he seemed to do everything else. Once he was satisfied that it was secure, he gestured for me to climb onto the motorcycle. I did without complaining this time, settling into my seat while carefully balancing the grocery bag against my lap. He was just about to start the engine when the question slipped out before I had the chance to stop myself.

“Knox?”

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