The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 3

Axel's POV.

Grace and I only talk a bit during the lesson. She is a real goody—two—shoes who doesn't like to get in trouble. Yet another thing I like about her.

When the lesson is over, we go up to the study room. I get out my maths books and go over the topics we covered this morning.

Once she's confident that she understands it, I change the subject to her.

'Are you new to the town Or just to this school' I ask casually.

'I'm new to the town. We moved here a week ago.'

'We You and your parents'

She nods. 'Me and my mum and my three half—siblings.'

I look at her curiously and she obviously decides to explain before I ask.

'My dad left when I was four and my mum remarried a few years later. My step—dad passed away two years ago, so it's just the five of us now.'

'Shit, I'm so sorry.'

She shrugs. 'It's okay. It was horrible at first, but Mum's starting to heal, and I know my siblings keep her so busy that she barely has time to miss my step—dad nowadays.'

'How old are your siblings'

She grimaces. 'Five, seven and nine. They're so irritating. I spend a lot of time in my bedroom, with the door locked.'

I laugh at that. 'I'm an only child, I can't relate I'm afraid.'

Her eyes widen. 'You're so lucky! I'm jealous. I love my siblings, but it would be nice to have to space for once.'

'Well, if you ever need a break, you can always come round to mine.'

I realize what I've said, after the words leave my mouth. Grace looks at me in surprise and I worry that I've scared her by coming on too strong.

'I have my friends over all the time. Xaden and Rory practically lived at my house over summer,' I tell her hurriedly, trying to make her less uncomfortable.

Grace smiles and I sigh with relief. 'That's nice of you, thank you.'

Fuck it, here I go.

'I was wondering…can I take you out sometime this week If you're new to the area, I'm happy to show you the good places.'

Her cheeks turn a pretty pink and she plays with her hands on her lap.

'Like a date' She asks quietly.

I smirk. 'That would be good, but, if you prefer, it can just be a local showing around a newbie.'

She giggles at that. 'Um, no, a date…sounds nice. I'd like that.'

I can't stop myself from grinning. I want to fist pump the air and shout that I have a date with my mate. Instead, I play it cool.

'Awesome. Shall we exchange numbers Then I can come up with a plan and text you the details.'

She gets her mint phone out of her bag. 'Sure, this is my number…'

Grace and I talk for the rest of the free period. When the bell goes, I walk her outside of the school. She tells me that she lives a ten—minute walk away.

I offer to give her a lift, but she declines. She likes the walk to clear her head before she reaches the madhouse she calls home.

I find Xaden leaning against my car, smirking like the smug bastard he is.

'How's cutie' He asks dryly.

I grab his shirt and yank him upward, so that I am in his face.

'Don't fucking call her that,' I growl angrily.

He chuckles and pulls my hand from him.

'I'm just teasing, man,' he says and then his eyes soften. 'I'm sorry. I won't go anywhere near your mate, I swear.'

Xaden might be a dick, but I know he's not that much of a dick.

I roll my eyes at him. 'I know you won't, but don't call her names like that.'

He laughs. 'I won't. That's your job.'

Xaden comes back to my house, as we often do after school. We play on my Xbox in my room.

'So, what's it like' Xaden asks. 'Having a mate'

I can't stop my lips quirking up in a smile.

'Fucking awesome and I haven't even touched her yet. It's strange. It's like my whole world changed this morning. Everything I thought was important, now means nothing compared to her. I want nothing more than to be around her constantly and to make her happy,' I tell him honestly.

Xaden stays quiet, processing my confession.

I groan. 'Fuck. Now I miss her.'

He chuckles next to me. 'Pussy—whipped already, bro.'

I don't try and deny it.

'I know, I am. I don't even care though, she's worth it.'

Xaden's phone buzzes and he pauses the game. He looks down and reads the text. The moment he gives me a sheepish smile, I know what the text says without even seeing it.

'Let me guess, you're sorry to bail on me, but there's some hot girl wanting to bang you'

Xaden grins and shrugs.

'Duty calls,' he says dramatically and stands up. 'I gotta give the girls what they want.'

I roll my eyes.

'Just remember, every girl you sleep with, is another reason for your mate to hit you.'

Xaden laughs at that. 'Then I'll be black and blue by the time she's done with me.'

He opens my bedroom door to leave and then calls over his shoulder. 'But remember, I'm not getting a mate!'

I shake my head at him in disbelief.

So naïve.

Everyone has a mate.

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Tuesday morning, I am actually out of the house early, for once.

I told my parents about Grace last night. Whilst they're excited for me and can't wait to meet her, they have their reservations because she is human.

I have them, too, I'll admit.

It makes things harder for me. Had she been a shifter, she would recognize the mate bond and I wouldn't have to deal with the shit task of confessing that I'm a shifter.

It just means I'm going to have to work harder and be more patient. I need to take Grace on dates, get her to trust me. The mate bond will do the rest. She'll feel the pull towards me, but she'll brush it off as attraction.

I need to show her that it is something much deeper.

When the time comes, when we've been dating long enough and she completely trusts me, I will tell her what I am.

The Moon Goddess is generous. Humans that are assigned as soulmates to shifters tend to have a predisposition for the supernatural. They either want to be a werewolf or have an interest in them.

It is incredibly rare to hear of a human freaking out and rejecting their mate when they reveal themselves, but it happens. I'll admit, I'm scared it will happen with Grace.

The timing is very sensitive. I have to make sure I do this right.

The reason for my arriving early to school for once, walks through the door into the common room.

Grace catches my eye and I grin, gesturing for her to come over. She smiles shyly and joins Rory and me.

'Morning,' she says sweetly.

My hands twitch, wanting to touch her. I curl my fingers into fists on my lap.

'Morning, how are you this morning' I ask her.

I can see Rory smiling in my peripherals. She's looking down at her textbook, trying not to make it obvious.

I know, I'm whipped already.

'Really good, thank you,' Grace replies. 'What about you'

'Better now,' I reply with a grin.

Grace blushes. My first blush of the day, I love it.

'We have math first; do you want to go over that topic again'

Grace nods and pulls her textbook out of her backpack.

'Yes, please. That would be helpful.'

For the next fifteen minutes, we go over yesterday's topic again. I shuffle my chair close to hers, breathing in her sweet scent.

I hear her heart rate increase as I sit near her, I really hope it's from attraction and not fear.

I frown as I realize her scent is different from yesterday. It doesn't smell like honeysuckles anymore; it smells like strawberries.

'You smell like strawberries,' I comment, without thinking about how weird that sounds.

Grace blushes. 'Yeah, I got a new shampoo.' She smells her hair. 'Is it okay'

'It smells amazing,' I tell her, and she blushes some more.

Hmm, strawberries.

Xaden comes in late and smirks when he sees me. Grace packs up her things and goes off to her form. It sucks she's not in my form.

'Get in a cheeky morning session, did we' Xaden teases.

I roll my eyes. 'How was your shag last night'

He shrugs. 'Same old. Not bad, not incredible.'

'Why do it then If it wasn't even that good'

He shrugs at me again. 'It's better than lying in the bedroom alone.'

As I said, he just wants attention, comfort, companionship. If he's on his own, he's not happy.

In my opinion, he needs to meet his mate ASAP, before he's slept with all of her friends and maybe some of her family!

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