The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 1

Book 1 Chapter 23 

Myra‘s POV. 

| spin around in my chair and chew the lid of my pen as I watch, enraptured, out of the window. Ilean forward to better my view and the pen slips from my lips and clatters to the ground, but I barely hear it, my mind totally encompassed by the sight in front of me. 

“Working hard, Myra?‘ Alpha Damien‘s voice breaks rudely through my trance, and I leap almost a foot off the chair. I quickly turn around and pretend to concentrate on my computer, hoping my blush isn‘t show ing too much. Damien smirks knowingly and disappears around the corner. I wait until his footsteps retreat and then turn around to continue my perverse staring. 

Damien asked Jayce to take a look at the engine of his old truck, an hour ago. I had happened to casu ally look out the window, just as Jayce had been peeling his tight shirt off his body. He dropped it to the ground and stretched his arms, flexing each muscle as he did. I‘ve been beguiled since then, completely distracted by my half–exposed mate, bent over the engine, his golden skin glowing with a thin layer of sweat in the midday heat. 

I try to get my eyes to turn away, I tell myself that I should, but each of his tattoos dances and winks at me with every movement of his arms. I picture myself standing behind him, sliding my hands up the hot skin stretched over the hard muscles of his back, fingertips tracing each intricate black design... 

“Myra, stop.‘ Jayce growls and I jump back in horror, my hands falling off his back and immediately fly ing to my mouth to mask my squeak of surprise. I realize I have actually left my office, walked over to the engine and done exactly what I‘d been lusting after, touching him. He turns around and faces me, desire burning in his eyes, 

I‘m so sorry, I didn‘t even realize I –– I start to apologize but he cuts me off, placing his hand under my chin, making me look up at him so he could lean down and kiss me. As soon as his lips touch mine, it ig nites something inside me, and I eagerly pressed my body to his. 

‘I need to mark you, he murmurs huskily in my ear, ‘It‘s making us both crazy and it‘ll just get worse, he explains, and I force my mind to focus on his words, not his hips pressing alluring against mine. 

‘0–okay, I mumble, my eyes closing as he trails kisses down my jaw to my neck. 

Is he going to do it now? In front of everyone? 

‘Most packs don‘t hold the ceremonies anymore, but this pack does, it was a tradition that Damien‘s fa ther ensured we followed, Jayce tells me, leaning back away from me so my mind can become clear and concentrate on what he‘s saying. 

T‘ll speak to Damien, and we‘ll hold a mating ceremony tomorrow, but right now, you need to get back to work before we‘re both fired, he comments, he pulls me close for a final kiss and then ushers me to wards the building. My mind is so frazzled at this moment, that I stumble back to my desk like a zombie. I remind myself that Jayce is right, we need to do our work, and I don‘t let myself think of him for the next few hours as I get my work done. 

Well, I try not to. 

: 

I think of what Jayce said earlier as I drive home from work, and I note that I didn‘t even ask what a mating ceremony is, I drive past my house and continue on to Aria‘s, she‘ll know. 

Aria grins and pulls me into a hug, kissing my cheeks when I arrive at her door. 

What a lovely surprise, how are you?” She asks as she leads me down the corridor to the kitchen Setely is stood at the counter, cutting up vegetables. 

“How domesticated, I comment dryly, leaning over to kiss his cheek 

“Hi hun, how are you?” I ask and we chat for a while whilst Aria puts on the kettle and pours us some drinks. I watch as the two of them move about their kitchen, just the simple ways they look or touch each other, it‘s obvious how much they‘re in love 

“I just wanted to ask you guys about mating ceremonies, like what are they? What do you do? I ques tion, Aria looks over at Seb, who raises an eyebrow and looks back at me. 

‘Why do you want to know? 

‘Jayce wants to have one tomorrow, I reveal and they both smirk its kind of creepy 

‘Okay, well it‘s a tradition that not many packs still carry out its sweet he wants to do it Aria bagins and I take a hesitant sip of my tea, Basically, one mate is les into the woods before sunset, to give them a head–start, they are allowed to hide of try and outrun their mate and then when the sun sets the other mate tracks them and chases after them the idea being that they mark you when they find you, Ana er plains and I swallow hard, not particularly liking the sound of being chased 

‘It was started because we love a chase the thrill and excitement of hunting down your mate make the marking experience more intense. I used to be that the males hunted the females, but obviously times are changing and now it is either the dominant mate who hunts of the wolt it for instance, the other mate is human, Seb continued, and I placed my head in my hands 

I‘m the human, lll be running 

What if I don‘t want to do it?‘ I mumble suddenly not feeling te drinking my tea 

‘Don‘t be silly, of course you‘ll want to do it imagine how hot the ses will be Ania teases and her face drops when she sees how mortified I am 

You havent slept with him yet? She asks her mouth open in shock 

they did not wait for three 

No! I‘ve known him less than three weeks! lexclaim and Seb smiths I take weeks 

Look, it ll be amazing, you ve just got to play him a little Aria comments, a mischievous gun on her face. Seb and l eye her wanily, what does she mean? 

‘He is going to expect to find you easily, youre a human es much faster and he can smell your scent, he will expect to find you in ten minutes but not if you re smart she sits down and that evil took retums. 

‘If you go out to the forest tomorrow before the ceremony and walk around, making sure your scent is scattered, he will find it harder to find you that evening try and cross a few rivers, your scent will be broken up, and maybe plan out a route, wear trainers, she divulges and I try to make a mental note to do all these things 

“And this will what stop him from finding me? I ask with mixed feelings about this ceremony 

Oh no, he‘ll always find you, but what it will do, is prolong the chase and drive him mad, and by the time he finds you, well, it il probably be the most intense experience you‘ll ever have Aria shrugs and be side her, Seb nods in agreement 

She‘s right, he‘ll be crazy for you he says it so casually, I don‘t even know how to respond 

Nate calls a few minutes later and tells me that he has made dinner for us, I leave Ana and Sebs house in two minds about whether I‘m glad I asked or not I decide not to mention the ceremony, no brother wants to hear about his sister being chased and fucked in the woods. 

I expect to lie awake for ages, but instead I fall asleep almost instantly, not giving myself time to over 

Aty 

think tomorrow.