The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 1

‘Myra!‘ Jayce calls my name, relief crossing his features as he sees me standing a few feet away. He takes a step towards me and I back away, not wanting to be anywhere near him right now. 

‘Myra let me explain,‘ he says, holding his hands out pleadingly. I just stare at him and shake my head. 

“You stay away from me,‘ I tell him, not recognizing my own voice, raw with emotion. His hurt face near ly breaks me, but I get another flash of that abused man‘s face as a sickening reminder. 

I‘m begging you, let me explain, this is what I didn‘t want to happen, this is why I didn‘t tell you, he im plores me, and I feel completely torn in two. 

‘Then you shouldn‘t be such a fucking sadist then, I snap, fuming at him for being such a violent per son. 

What kind of heartless asshole can torture someone? 

I‘m not a sadist Myra, hear me out, he takes another step towards me, but this time I don‘t back away. He looks relieved and runs his hands through his ha 

‘Damien gets me to interrogate trespassers and rogues who might be planning an attack or uprising, never women, never anyone underage, and they are only the trespassers we suspect have bad intentions, I never use tools or weapons, only my hands, it‘s not like I torture them, half the time all it takes is a bit of in timidation and they fess up anyways, he explains, and I become more relieved as he goes on. 

‘What about the man in there?‘ I question and his face hardens. 

‘That man in there, killed two members of my patrol team, both of whom had mates and children that are now heartbroken, he doesn‘t deserve to be alive today, he growls, and I suddenly don‘t feel so bad about the beaten man. But that doesn‘t make his job okay. 

‘Look, I know it‘s a lot to take in, and I‘m sorry you had to find out this way, but I promise those assign ments are a rare occurrence and a necessary evil in protecting the pack, I don‘t kill those men, they are re leased after questioning as long as their plan has been stopped, he continues, and I feel slightly reassured. 

‘Please don‘t ever be scared of me,‘ he says to me, and the fear in his voice breaks my heart. I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his intoxicat ing scent 

‘This is a lot right now, just give me some time, my voice is small and shaky, and I hate myself for sounding so meek, 

‘Of course, give me your phone and I‘ll add my number, text me when you‘re ready or want to talk, he of fers and does as he asks, watching silently as he adds himself to my contacts. 

‘I‘m sorry Myra, he says and my heart clenches tightly at the sound of my name on his lips. 

I‘ll see you later,‘ I tell him and head back over to the pack hall, to eat whatever lunch I can manage at my desk. 

I can barely concentrate on my work, and I think Alpha Damien senses this, because he sends me home early. I‘m grateful for his understanding and happily comply, arriving home a couple of hours earlier than usual. 

I manage to keep myself occupied for the rest of the day, but I lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to picture that man‘s bloodied face. I imagine if I were a true shifter and had been born into the violence and fighting like my brother was, I would be more accepting of this. But it is hard, be 

cause when my brother was training and learning to fight, I wasn‘t involved, I was doing human things like going to see a movie or shopping or something. 

Why does it have to be his job? Why can‘t it be someone else‘s? 

I expected to have bad dreams after what I saw yesterday, but the sensual images that filled my mind last night were anything but nightmares. Like the other nights, I‘ve thrown my bedding off the bed again and stripped myself of my garments, I don‘t know why I even bothered wearing them, to be honest, I sit up in bed for a moment, looking around at the chaos that is my bed, why is this happening? 

| smooth down my skirt, pat my hair and make my way outside, hoping that Damien doesn‘t mind me taking a quick break, I‘m due one anyway. I pass Damien coming back in as I step out, the second Jayce‘s eyes land on me, my steps falter. He starts walking over, one of his strides matching my every two steps. We meet in the middle, before I can say anything, he grabs my face and pulls me in to kiss me.