Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

LUNA

10 vouchers

I finished tying my shoelaces and stood up from the edge of my bed. My legs felt a little shaky, but I told myself it was just from not sleeping well. The room was quiet since Ivy had surprisingly woken up by the time I got back to the room and managed to leave before me for her early film class.

I grabbed my small backpack with my notebook and water bottle, slung it over one shoulder, and took a quick look in the mirror. My curls were pulled back into a tight ponytail, and my face was bare except for a little lip balm, which was good enough.

Today was going to be simple. I’ll run a few laps around the safer paths on campus, then head straight to my first class, Intro to Literature. I couldn’t afford to skip anything because the university had been very clear in the scholarship email: keep your GPA above 3.0 or lose the funding.

If I messed up, there was no way Mom and I could pay for a place like Blackridge, so I’d have to pack up and go home, back to the tiny apartment and the part–time jobs and the feeling that I was stuck. The mere thought made me shiver.

I locked the door behind me and started down the hallway. The dorm was getting a little more crowded than I wanted, so I kept my head down and walked fast. The sooner I got outside, the sooner I could start my run and clear my head.

When I pushed through the main doors, I took a deep breath and started jogging lightly toward the path that led behind the dorms when I suddenly noticed that a bunch of girls were gathered near the edge of the parking lot, maybe fifteen or twenty of them, clustered in little groups.

They were all facing the same direction, whispering and giggling with phones out like they were taking sneaky pictures. Some were even on their toes trying to see over the others. It looked like a pack of fangirls waiting for a celebrity to step out of a car.

I slowed my jog without meaning to, and that was when it hit me.

The smell.

That same spicy, wild scent from yesterday slammed into me like a wave, pine and smoke and something hot and dark underneath. It wrapped around my lungs, sank into my skin, and made my whole body lock up. My feet stopped moving, and I stood there frozen on the sidewalk, my heart suddenly pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

I knew exactly who it was.

The jocks.

I couldn’t see them yet since the crowd of girls blocked my view, but I didn’t need to. My body just knew. Heat rushed up my neck and into my face, my stomach flipped, that strange pull tugged at my chest again, and my legs felt weak, like they might give out if I tried to move too fast. For a few long seconds, I just stood there, breathing shallowly and trying to make

sense of it.

Why were they here? This was the girls‘ dorm parking lot, and it was barely seven in the morning. What could they possibly want at this hour?

My mind raced. Maybe it had nothing to do with me, maybe they were here for one of the cheerleaders or some party thing. Maybe Brittany had called them or something, but even as I thought it, my body screamed otherwise. The went was too strong and too focused, and it felt like it was aimed right at me.

I swallowed hard, quickly telling myself that I wasn’t doing this again. I wasn’t letting them pull ine in like last night. I had a plan to stay away, keep my distance, and focus on my own life.

1/3

2:41 pm P PPP

Chapter 5

10 vouchers

I forced my legs to move, turning my body away from the crowd and angling toward the side path that led to the quieter part of campus. My heart was racing, but I made myself jog, slowly at first, then faster.

I kept my eyes straight ahead, refusing to look back, but the scent followed me.

I rounded a bend where the path narrowed between two rows of tall bushes, hoping I would make it in time for class. but just when I thought I was out of sight, I heard footsteps that were most definitely not mine. The footsteps were heavy and fast, matching my pace.

I told myself it was another runner, someone else who was probably out for a morning jog, but my stomach dropped anyway, especially when a shadow appeared on my right.

I glanced sideways, and there he was.

Ryder.

Right beside me, running easy like this was nothing, his dirty–blond hair messy from the wind, and a boyish grin spreading across his face.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his voice light and teasing.

stopped dead.

My sneakers skidded on the gravel, and I stood there breathing hard, with my eyes wide, staring at him like he’d appeared out of thin air.

Before I could even open my mouth, the others were there.

They came from every direction, stepping out from behind trees, rounding the bend ahead, and basically closing in like they’d planned it. Five of them, all tall, all built, and all watching me with those same intense looks from last night.

The curly blond one, the one with the dimples, tilted his head and smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. More like he was amused.

“By any chance,” he said slowly, “were you running from us?”

I blinked as my mouth went dry.

“There’s no way you didn’t know we were standing by the parking lot,” he went on. “Waiting for you.”

My eyes got even wider, and I looked from face to face, my irritation bubbling up fast and hot.

They were serious, and despite how badly I had hoped it wasn’t true, they had actually been waiting for me.

I took a step back, my heart hammering so loud I was sure they could hear it.

“What in the world do you want from me?” I hissed. My voice came out sharper than 1 meant, but I didn’t care. “Why are you so determined to ruin my life here before it even starts?”

There was silence for about half a second. Then the one I figured was the leader, the black–haired guy with storm–gray eyes. stepped forward. He moved slowly, like he was used to people listening when he spoke, and stopped just close enough that I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze.

Instead of answering my question, or at the very least, getting out of my face, he said something completely different.

“Allow us to introduce ourselves.”

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2:41 pm PPPP.

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