Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 157

08:47 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Luna’s POV

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I was beginning to realize that waiting for a race to begin was somehow more stressful than actually running it. The excitement that had settled in my chest during the bus ride had slowly transformed into a strange mixture of nervousness and anticipation as the stadium continued to fill with athletes, coaches, and spectators from different universities. Everywhere I looked, there were people wearing different school colors, stretching on the infield, jogging around the warr up lanes, or cheering loudly from the stands.

The atmosphere was completely different from anything I had ever experienced before. High school competitions had always felt important to me, but compared to this, they seemed almost small. This place felt alive. Every few seconds another announcement echoed through the stadium speakers, another event was introduced, or another crowd erupted in applause for something happening somewhere else on the track.

Sitting on the Blackridge bench while waiting for my event only made me more aware of every sound around me. My spi rested neatly beside my feet, my warm-up jacket was zipped halfway, and despite everything Coach Ramirez had said to calm me down earlier, my stomach still felt like it was twisting itself into impossible shapes. To distract myself. I pulled ou my phone for what I promised myself would be one last time before the race

Almost immediately, I noticed a new message waiting for me. It was from Ivy, and the moment I opened it, a smile spread across my face without me even realizing it.

‘I’m already in the crowd!! Good luck, superstar! Don’t embarrass me! Make me proud! I love you!”

Reading her message somehow made everything feel a little less lonely. Even if most of the team barely spoke to me, at lea I knew someone had come all this way just to cheer for me.

Still smiling, I lifted my head and looked toward the section reserved for Blackridge supporters, hoping I might somehow spot Ivy among the sea of people. Unfortunately, there were simply too many faces. Students wearing Blackridge shirts fille several rows, and from where I was sitting near the track, everyone looked far enough away that individual faces blurred together whenever they moved.

I narrowed my eyes anyway, scanning left and right while secretly hoping Ivy would suddenly wave something ridiculous above her head to make herself easier to find, but no such luck. Every few seconds someone else stood up, another group sa down, or people moved around enough that I completely lost track of where I had already looked. Eventually, I let out a small laugh to myself before giving up.

She was probably waving enthusiastically somewhere while assuming I had somehow developed telescopic vision overnight Shaking my head affectionately, I lowered my phone again, intending to switch it off until after my race Just before 1 pressed the power button, however, the phone vibrated twice in quick succession. Two new messages had arrived almost at exactly the same time. Curious, I looked down again, and the first notification mechately caught me by surprise because it was from Jace. The second one made me blink in even greater surprise because it was from my mother

For a few seconds I simply stared at both names without opening either message Lately, my hire had become so chaotic that even simple things like texting my mother regularly had somehow shipped through the cracks. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to talk to her. If anything. I missed her terribly Every single day something new seemed to happen at Blackridge whether it involved discovering another impossible werewolf ability, surviving another emotional disaster with one of my mates, or simply trying not to lose my scholarship

Somewhere along the way, I had unintentionally started replying to my mother later und later unul enure days passed between our conversations Guilt settled inside me as opened her message first. It was at anything dramatic or alarming She had simply written, ‘Take care of yourself, sweetheart Dont overwork yourself I love your And that was it short and simple.

Yet somehow it made my chest tighten Why had she suddenly decided to send dat message today of all days I hadn’t told her anything about today’s race because I honestly hadn’t even retembered to mention it for a brict moment I wondered whether mothers simply possessed some strange ability to sense when then children needed encouragement Before I could think about it too much, I opened Jace’s message next

08:47 Fri, Jul 10 T

Chapter 157

Unlike my mother’s, his made immediate sense. ‘Good luck today. I know you’ll do well. Just trust yourself.

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I couldn’t help smiling again. Out of all the people who could have forgotten today’s race, Jace had somehow remembered. Considering everything else happening around us lately, I genuinely hadn’t expected him to keep today’s date in mind. As strange as it sounded, his simple message made me feel… seen. It wasn’t overly dramatic or full of unnecessary words. It wa simply encouragement, and that meant a lot.

I was just about to reply to my mother first and ask why she had suddenly texted me when a familiar voice broke through my thoughts. “Phone away.”

Coach Ramirez didn’t even look at me as he spoke, his eyes remaining fixed on the officials gathering athletes nearby. “Focus. They’re splitting the competitors into heats now.”

My head snapped up immediately. Every trace of distraction disappeared in an instant. Coach finally looked toward me properly before adding, “There’s a chance you’ll be in the first heat.”

My heart skipped so violently that I almost dropped my phone. Somehow hearing the possibility spoken out loud made everything feel even more real than before. I quickly locked my phone and stuffed it into my bag without replying to eithe message. My mother would understand if I answered later, and Jace probably wasn’t expecting a response anyway. Right now nothing mattered except the track waiting a short distance away.

I folded my hands together to stop myself from fidgeting and tried focusing on my breathing exactly the way Knox had shown me yesterday. In through the nose, out through the mouth, slow, controlled, and calm. Whether I wanted to be a par of the first Heat or not didn’t really matter because I had absolutely no control over that decision. All I could do was prepare myself mentally and hope for the best.

I was so focused on slowing my breathing that the sudden voice inside my head almost made me jump right out of my seat.

‘Good luck.’

For one brief second panic shot through me before I immediately recognized the familiar voice.

It was Orion’s voice. He sounded calm, almost too gentle, inside my head.

‘I’m rooting for you.

I instinctively lifted my head and began looking around the stadium again. If Orion had managed to reach me mentally. then he had to be somewhere nearby. I scanned one section after another, searching through hundreds of untamihar taces until finally I spotted him standing several rows up in the Blackridge supporters’ section, and standing right beside him was Ivy, exactly as energetic as I expected her to be.

She was wearing a Blackridge shirt that looked at least one size too big for her and was enthusiastically waving both armis in my direction despite having absolutely no idea whether I had noticed hep yet. The sight made me laugh softly The moment she realized I was actually looking at her, her waving somehow became even more dramatic Suling from ear to ear. I lifted my own hand and waved back. Ivy immediately bounced excitedly whore she stood, clearly delighted that I had finally spotted her.

Beside her, Orion looked considerably calmer. He simply lifted one hand in a small wave of acknowledgment, almost like he hadn’t casually spoken inside my head a few seconds earlier I shook my head slightly, sull amazed by how quickly I was starting to accept things that would have sounded completely insane just weeks ago. Somehow, seeing both of them there made the enormous stadium feel a little smaller. I wasn’t completely alone any more

“Luna.”

Coach Ramirez’s voice immediately pulled my attention away from the stands I turned back toward hum so quickly that my ponytail swung behind me.

“You’re in Heat One,” he said simply.

08:47 Fri, Jul 10 TN

Chapter 157

For a brief second every sound around me seemed to disappear, as it was official now.

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