Marked by the Alpha Team (Luna Merrick) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

LUNA

EZ 10 vouchers

The rest of the day passed without another sign of Theo or any of his friends, and saying I was happy about it felt like the biggest understatement of my life. I was ecstatic, relieved, and almost giddy. Every time I walked into a new classroom or down a hallway and didn’t catch that spicy scent or see a familiar tall figure, it felt like I could finally breathe again. No one jumped out at me, no one slid into the seat beside me, and no one waited at the bottom of the stairs.

I still got a few stares throughout the day, quick glances, and whispering that stopped when I looked their way, but it wasn’t half as bad as I’d feared. There were no phones pointed at me, and no one came up asking about the race or the football team. By lunchtime, I decided people had already moved on to the next shiny piece of gossip, and I was slowly becoming yesterday’s news, and nothing had ever sounded sweeter.

I ate alone at a small table in the corner of the cafeteria, sitting with my grilled chicken wrap, an apple, and a bottle of water. No one bothered me, no one sat down uninvited, and for the first time since I’d arrived at Blackridge, I felt almost normal. almost like I belonged here without having to fight for it.

After lunch, I headed back to my dorm, my steps lighter than they’d been all day. I had a couple of hours before track practice, and Coach Ramirez’s words from yesterday were still ringing in my ears. There was a competition coming up soon. some intercollegiate meet, and if I showed real improvement in training, he’d consider letting me compete.

He’d said it with that slightly condescending tone, like he wasn’t sure I deserved the chance, like I was still just the charity- case transfer student who’d shown up late on day one. It stung, but I didn’t care. I already knew that I would have to prove him wrong and prove to the whole school I wasn’t here on handouts. I was here because I earned it.

my room, expecting to find Ivy sprawled on her bed with headphones on or maybe typing away unlocked, which wasn’t unusual since Ivy already mentioned that she sometimes forgot to lock it a minute or was in a hurry, but the second I stepped inside, everything changed.

cross–legged on her bed with a textbook open, but she wasn’t alone, and standing with his back resting with his arms crossed over his chest, was Ryder Graves.

es went wide, and my backpack slipped from my shoulder and hit the floor with a thud.

He looked completely relaxed, his dirty–blond hair messy like always, gray eyes locked on me the moment I walked in, and that boyish smirk already tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was wearing a black hoodie and jeans, his sleeves pushed up to show the ink on his forearms. He looked like he belonged here, like he’d been waiting.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack something.

‘What… what are you doing here?” The words came out shaky, barely above a whisper at first. I cleared my throat and tried again, this time louder. “How did you even get into the girls‘ dorm?”

Ryder didn’t move from his spot against my desk. He just tilted his head slightly, his smirk growing.

“The door was unlocked,” he said simply, like that explained everything.

I looked at Ivy, and she gave me a wide–eyed look that said she was just as shocked as I was, but also a little curious. She hadn’t said anything yet, just sat there frozen with her textbook half–open on her lap.

I turned back to Ryder,

“You can’t just walk in here,” I said, my voice rising despite my best effort to stay calm. “This is my room and my space. You’re not supposed to be here.”

1/3

2:41 pm P PPP.

Chapter 9

10 vouchers

He pushed off the desk slowly, unfolding his arms. Then he took one step toward me, nothing threatening, just enough to make the room feel smaller.

“I needed to talk to you,” he said. “And you keep running every time one of us gets close.”

I felt heat rush into my face. Anger, embarrassment, and that stupid, traitorous pull in my chest that always showed up when one of them was near.

“So you thought breaking into my dorm was the answer?” I snapped. “That’s not talking, that’s trespassing, you fucking idiot!”

Ryder shrugged one shoulder, visibly unbothered, which made me even more furious.

“Again, the door was open,” he repeated. “But believe me, I knocked first, and your roommate let me in.”

I whipped my head toward Ivy again.

She winced. “He said it was important,” she mumbled. “And… he’s really tall and kind of scary when he wants to be.”

Ryder snorted softly, like he found that funny, and I rubbed my temples, trying to keep my breathing even. The scent was everywhere now, woodsmoke, pine, and that dark undercurrent that made my knees weak. My skin felt too hot again, and my stupid pulse wouldn’t slow down.

“Get out,” I said quietly.

der studied my face for a long second, and something flickered in his gray eyes, something that looked almost like regret, ut it vanished fast.

Not yet,” he said. “Not until you hear me out.”

I crossed my arms tight over my chest, trying to hold myself together.

“I don’t want to hear anything. I want you to leave, all of you. Just leave me alone.”

He took another small step closer, close enough that I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes.

“You keep saying that,” he said softly. “But you feel it too, so my advice is don’t pretend you don’t.”

My stomach dropped.

Feel it? That was the same thing Theo had said in the stairwell, but what I didn’t understand was why. What was it about this heat, this pull, and the way my body reacted every single time one of them was near, like it recognized them on some level I didn’t understand?

I shook my head hard. “I don’t feel anything,” I lied. “I just want to be left alone.”

Ryder’s smirk faded, and for the first time, he looked almost serious. “You’re not going to get that,” he said quietly “Not from us.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding. “Why?” My voice cracked on the word. “What do you even want from me?”

He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me, really looked, like he was trying to decide how much truth I could handle.

Then he said, “Come to the party tonight at the Maple Street house. It’s by eight o’clock, and if you do come, we’ll explain everything.”

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