Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 21

vota i motaged to get me deep after those strange wounds jolted me awake in the middle of the night. The VALEA A Axe primly lewing try a dull throk in my temples, and I’d drifted off sometime before dawn, but even a in with my dry. Frande’s wop finiatan

let moment, waiting for the the tormare in the dorm kitchen, walking across campus between buildings, or even ying my shore hetome practice, the memory crept back in. The voices of two people arguing words I couldn’t Ich, but they had been innd enough to feel like they were shooting inside my skuff And Ivy hadn’t heard a thing

waiting for it to happen agam. In the middle of lecture, during warm–ups, or anywhere public. The tho nly hearing voices no té else conld hear while the whole class stared at me made my stomach twist to enough to talk abonn, and I didn’t need super hearing added to the list of reasons to call me crazy.

hankfully, nothing happened all day.

Classes passed without meiden. No sudden shots in my head, and no mysterious arguments. Just the normal sounds of professors droning, penis seratching, and other students with social lives whispering about weekend plans. I kept my cap low and sat in the back, bening in as truch as possible.

Training was the wetne

I showed up early, stretched alone, ran my drills, and kept my head down. The stink eyes from my teammates were still there, quick glances, hashed contents when they thought I couldn’t hear, but nothing new. No one confronted me, and no one talked about the party or the faint or the video. They just… avoided me, which was fine since it was better than being

Tushed my last set of sprints, legs burning in that satisfying way, and grabbed my bag. The sun was already low, and most of the team had left, Corach Ramirez gave me a short nod as I passed, nothing warm, but not angry either. Progress.

arted walking toward the dorm path, cap pulled low again, hoodie zipped up. My muscles ached in a good way. I felt tired strong, and I also felt like maybe, just maybe, I could keep my life on track without everything exploding again.

I heard the horn, a short, sharp beep from the parking area a few feet off the track field, and I froze.

5 bright red sports car sat there, low, shiny, and impossible to miss. It was the same one from two days ago, and I didn’t need

be told that it belonged to Theo.

tomach dropped. I let out a frustrated groan under my breath and started walking faster, head own, hoping he hadn’t man yet. Maybe if I moved quickly enough, I could disappear into the path behind the bleachers before…

thick tarried across the open field, loud, cheerful, and impossible to ignore, and I winced. Every head still on the bold.

dd the te remaining teammates, foarh Kamirez bear the equipment shed, and even the mainteni, voy pushing a

of tundles paused to look

Cured Ther stepped out of the car, blonde curls catching the late sun, and a grin already in place. He bed one hand in a

like tye were old friends reuniting after years apart.

My My shoulde

wensed, and fry hard curled into fies inside my hoodle packe

get the best low se

Hey, he card stopping a respectul distance.

22 am PPPP

Chapter 21–

55 vouchers

dared. The entse rld was watching now, and I could feel the eyes on my back like heat lamps. Theo didn’t seem to care He just kept smiling, dimples deep, green eyes bright.

I took a slow breath through my nose. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up.” he said simply. “Thought you might want a ride back to the dorm, or somewhere else. Up to you.”

I stared at him, and he just stared back, still smbing.

I wanted to scream, I wanted to tell him to leave me alone, and I wanted to turn and run and never look back, but everyone was watching.

Coach Ramirez had his arms crossed, frowning. The girls from the team were whispering, phones already out. If 1 him now, it would be another scene, another video, and another round of comments calling me dramatic, desperate

crazy.

So I swallowed the scream.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked instead, and Theo’s grin slipped just a fraction. He tilted his head, waiting for me to

go on

I took a step closer and dropped my voice even lower. “Shouldn’t you already know by now that being seen with you, any of you, is a disaster for me? Half the girls in Blackridge already hate me. They think I’m some gold–digger throwing myself at you and your friends because you’re rich. The last thing I need is to be seen getting into your car and adding more fuel to the fire.”

Theo blinked. For once the easy confidence faded, and he looked genuinely taken aback, like he hadn’t expected those words to come out of my mouth.

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