The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 1

Book 1 Chapter 24 

When I arrive at work the next morning, Alpha Damien calls me into his office and runs through all the details for the chase. I can wear whatever I want, which will probably be warm gym clothes, apparently it used to be a rule that the women go barefoot, fuck that. 

I have more confidence today; I feel well–rested, and I make a sudden decision to go for it and not think about it too much. On my lunch break, I swap my heels for trainers and trek into the forest. I have one hour to wander around, eating my sandwiches and rubbing against trees. I brush my free hand on every thing whilst I eat, making sure I leave footprints in the ground and foliage. 

I double back on myself a lot and take sporadic, directionless routes, making sure my paths will be visi ble but haphazard. After half an hour, I am deep in the forest and I‘ve finished my lunch, so I stretch my arms out to brush against the trunks of the trees. I pause, ready to turn around and go back, when a flash catches my eye. I step between some thick trees and a large lake reveals itself, the sunlight flashes across the surface. 

I try to commit my general route to memory and use my phone to find my way back. No one suspects anything when I slip back into work, hands freshly washed, shoes swapped. 

At five o‘clock, I finish my shift and return home, we are meeting at seven, when the sunsets. I decide to have a huge dinner, knowing that all this exercise is going to make me hungry. I quickly clean my teeth after and change into my trainers, a warm top and some leggings, perfect for an evening jog. I check my make–up and drive back to work. 

When I pull up, I‘m pleased to see Jayce waiting for me. 

‘You look beautiful, he compliments me, brushing his knuckles across my cheek, the simple action twists my stomach in nervous but happy knots. Jayce takes my hand and leads me around the pack hall to the green, a lawn used for training. We walk across it to the forest‘s edge, Damien is standing at the edge, my nerves start to bubble up again. 

‘Usually the whole pack is present, but I thought that you would be calmer if it were just us,’ he tells me, and I am touched at how thoughtful he is. 

‘Thank you, I really appreciate that,‘ I reply, letting out a shaky breath. 

‘Are you nervous about tomorrow?‘ Jayce asks and before I can ask what he means, Damien calls us over. 

We stand in front of Damien, sort of similar to how the bride and groom stand at the altar. Damien re cites some traditional speech, but I can barely listen because the sun is low in the sky, casting every shade of orange across it, and I know I have only thirty minutes to outrun him. 

A part of me wonders why run at all? But I know that this excites him, and in a weird way, I don‘t want him to catch me, I want to outwit him. 

‘You have thirty minutes Myra, time starts when you enter the forest, Alpha Damien informs me and I nod, turning my attention back to Jayce. 

I‘m scared of the dark, I whisper, unable to stop the smile on my face because I sound like a child. He smirks and leans in close to me, so I can feel his minty breath on my face. 

‘Don‘t worry Myra, you won‘t be alone for long, he replies huskily, his words send a shiver down my spine, and I know I have to do this now before I chicken out. 

‘See you soon baby,‘ he taunts, and my competitive side makes an appearance. 

‘Good luck, you‘re going to need it,‘ I grin at him savoring his confused look. Turning on my heel, I sprint into the woods. 

Time passes much too quickly; the light starts to fade, and I begin squinting to get a clearer view of low–hanging branches in my way. All of sudden, a bone–chilling howl resounds across the forest, echoing off the trees. 

Myra‘s POV 

I jump as his dark form leaps into the space, his eyes scan the lake and land on me. A shiver runs through me, and I swallow hard, I can‘t look away from his luminous blue eyes across the water. He lifts his head and howls loudly, a warning that this is nearly over. 

I suddenly regret saying yes to this, this is terrifying, the adrenaline alone is making my heartbeat un healthily fast. Even though I know he‘ll never hurt me, my brain is not cooperating right now, and I feel so vulnerable, I‘m the prey.. 

Come down, now,‘ he snarls, and I have to clap my hand over my mouth, so I don‘t scream in fear.