The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 1

Book 1 Chapter 33

I’m going to take her, she can stay in my room tonight, you are the last thing she needs to deal with right now, the woman says, her voice leaves no room for argument, but Eli’s eyes remain black,

“You are not taking her from me, I’ve only just got her, he snarls, and the woman holds her hand up to stop him.

‘Look Eli, you don’t want to scare her, let her stay with me, you need to calm down, she’s going to be right next door, you can see her tomorrow, the woman tries to pacify Eli, and miraculously his shaking slows

‘Fine, he growls, his eyes are solely on me and it’s making me feel very uncomfortable. I’m a little an noyed they keep talking about me as if I’m not standing right next to them.

He strides towards me, and I barely have time to react before he pulls me into his arms and buries his face in my hair. I freeze up, standing rigidly with my arms at my sides, and look at the woman in surprise over his shoulder. She just shrugs and shakes her head at me. After a weird moment, Eli pulls away. I grab my bag and follow the woman out of the room. I glance back at Eli as I exit, he’s watching me with a sad ex pression on his gorgeous face.

I follow the woman down the stairs, being careful not to trip in this massive duvet. I barely even look at the house as we walk through it. I’m thinking my chances of escaping this woman are better than they were with Eli. She leads me out of the front door, down the porch steps and towards another house. I look over at the forest edge and calculate how far I could get. She follows my line of view and shakes her head.

Don’t even think about it, I’d catch you before you’d even taken a step, and we have patrols on the bor der who’d stop you, she comments and my stomach sinks at the realization that she is actually on Eli’s side.

She won’t be helping me escape then.

I’m Lucia by the way, those are my two brothers that were fighting, she rolls her grey eyes, the only feature she shares with her brothers is her long blonde hair.

‘Alena, I say quietly, I’m almost tempted to lie about my name, so they can’t find me if I escape.

‘This is my parent’s house, they’re asleep upstairs, so try and be quiet please, she says, and I follow her wordlessly up to her room.

Her room is decorated in creams and blues, and I feel bad about stepping onto her fluffy white carpet with my muddy socks.

‘Let me get you some clothes, you look ridiculous in my brother’s duvet, she remarks, and I look down at myself, swaddled in a puffy duvet.

‘Here, these should fit you, the bathroom is behind you, she hands me a pile of clothes which I take gratefully.

‘Thank you, I mumble, I shuffle into the bathroom and lock the door. I lean back against it and take a moment to gather my thoughts.

I certainly feel better than I did earlier, but I’m still scared, I don’t know these people, they could be ly ing. Even if they aren’t, they’re still really weird and I don’t know what they want with me.

I slide off the duvet and pull on the pajama shorts and t-shirt, feeling much better now that my whole body isn’t on show. I take off my dirty socks, use the toilet and wash my face in the sink. I look in the mirror at my pale face and disheveled hair, hopefully when I wake tomorrow this will some horrible dream. I open

Book 1 Chapter 33

my backpack and pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste to clean my teeth, needing the minty taste as some kind of normality.

I consider not coming out, I could stay in here with the door locked and none of them could get to me. But after seeing the strength of Eli and his brother earlier, I doubt the door would keep them out for long. Hesitantly, I unlock the door and step out, Lucia is sat on her bed waiting for me

I’m just going to give that duvet back to Eli, he’s going to need it, she laughs as she takes the duvet off me and walks to the door. She pauses and turns back towards me.

‘Make yourself comfortable, do you want anything to eat?’ She asks and I shake my head, she nods and leaves the room. I sigh as I hear a key being turned in the door, I’m locked in. I go over to the windows and open one of them, we’re three stories up and there’s no trellis, not going to happen, I have a phobia of heights.

I look around the room at the large four-poster bed, her beautiful vanity, huge wardrobe and a single bed on the other side of the room. I sit down on it and nearly groan at how soft it is. Before I know it, I’m un der the quilt and almost asleep when Lucia comes back in. She sits down on her bed and looks sheepishly at me.

‘Look, I’m really sorry about what my brother has done, he’s been really desperate to meet you and tonight… he kind of lost control. I promise you; he really is a good guy when you get to know him, and when things have been sorted out, you can go back home and see your family again, we’re not going to keep you here forever, she reassures me and even if she is lying. I feel marginally comforted by her words.

Tonly nod at her words, I’m too tired to argue, I’ll ask her more about her brother tomorrow. 

‘Night Alena

‘Night,’ I mumble and roll over, already feeling my eyes beginning to droop closed.

Please let me wake up in that stupid tent