The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 3

Axel's POV.

For two blissful weeks, Grace and I live our lives. We don't talk supernatural or future or full moons. They're like forbidden topics that we have both silently agreed to avoid.

We celebrate her eighteenth birthday. I shower her with presents. She complains that I've spoiled her and spent too much, but I can see how happy she is with all of her gifts.

I give her a lot of birthday orgasms. We both want to take things further, but we decide against it. Not until Grace is ready for me to mark her, and neither of us is ready to discuss it yet.

We get to be Grace and Axel, the cute couple in the sixth form who fell in love after only a few weeks of knowing each other.

We go to Luke's garden party and have an amazing night. We get drunk and fool around in the trees. Rory accidentally disturbs us, finding me on my knees with Grace's legs over my shoulders and my head up her dress.

Grace can't look Rory in the eye for days afterward, despite Rory's insistence about laughing it off.

Jeanette lets me start staying over at the house. She even lets me share a bedroom with Grace, much to the delight of her younger siblings, who take it upon themselves to barge into Grace's room at unexpected times.

That's why, when Grace suggests that she stay over at mine on Saturday night, I think nothing of it.

She's saving up for her own car, so I pick her up and drive us back to mine. I don't mind being the driver all of the time. I like looking after her, it makes me feel useful.

She's wearing the gold pendant I got her for our one—month anniversary, and the promise ring I got her for her birthday.

This morning, I went for a run with Rory and Xaden whilst Grace caught up on some of her physics work.

My parents are out when we arrive home, so we take up our usual position on the couch. We watch a film and Grace is uncharacteristically quiet. Sure, we don't often talk during a movie, but sometimes she makes a comment or suggests something.

She remains silent even when it ends, and I try to find something else for us to watch. In the end, I switch off the TV and turn to her.

'What's wrong You're quiet.'

Grace chews on her bottom lip. I reach over and pull it free from her teeth, taking the opportunity to run my thumb over her soft skin. Her pale blue eyes meet mine and I can see how nervous she is.

'I, um, I want to have sex tonight,' she says quickly, letting the words out in a rush.

My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets and my mouth drops open like a cartoon character.

Here I was panicking, thinking she didn't want to be with me anymore, or that she'd finally decided that she can't see past the whole werewolf thing and it's over. I really was not expecting sex.

Grace's cheeks are the color of her hair as she stumbles over her words, obviously determined to get them out.

'But I was panicking because I didn't know how to tell you and then you asked what was wrong and it just kinda came out. Rory made me get a wax with her, which, by the way, fucking wrecks. And she told me to wear this—'

Grace quits her rambling to lift up her jumper, revealing her breasts, pushed up and presented beautifully in a lacy white bra.

She's wearing the white lingerie set.

Moon Goddess, give me strength.

I can't take my eyes off her boobs. They look amazing and I just want to touch them, kiss them…I open my mouth to reply, to try and reassure her.

That's when the front door opens.

Panic grips both of us as we realize my parents are home. Grace hurriedly pulls her jumper down and sorts herself out just as my parents walk into the kitchen.

They look over at us on the sofa and greet us.

'What's up with you two' Mum asks suspiciously. 'You look like you've seen a ghost. Have you been watching horrors again'

Grace chuckles nervously. 'Guilty.'

I give her a sideways smirk.

Look at my little mate, lying to my mum.

'Honestly, you're going to give yourself nightmares!' She exclaims dramatically. 'Watch something nice. Isn't there that new romance movie on'

Grace starts talking to my mum about some new film, but I tune out. I can't believe what my beautiful mate has said. I want our first time to be special, not on some random Saturday after spending the evening with my parents.

I always thought I'd get my parents to go out for the night and we'd have the house to ourselves. I would make the effort to either cook something or we'd go for a romantic dinner.

At the back of my mind, I hear my mum talking about having fish and chips for dinner.

Fish and chips. Not exactly the epitome of romance.

There's nothing I want more than to take things further with Grace, but this will be her first time, I want to spoil her. I want it to be memorable.

I don't get a chance to talk to Grace before dinner. We eat with my parents and enjoy a classic English takeaway of fish and chips. It is only later on, after we've eaten, that I tell my parents that Grace and I will be watching films upstairs in my room.

They're not dragging us into another family movie night. Not tonight.

Grace is nervously twisting her hands when she enters my room. She spins around to face me, her pupils dilated with nerves and excitement. I close my door behind us and try to think of a way to turn her down gently.

'Grace, about what we're talking about earlier…before my parents came home…'

Her cheeks turn pink at the mention of our earlier conversation. A mental image of her flashing her breasts to me fills my mind and I quickly shake the thought away.

I reach for her hands and hold them in mine.

'I want your first time to be special. I want to take you out for dinner and then have a nice night to ourselves. I want to give you a memorable night, maybe even put rose petals on the bed or some shit that girls like,' I tell her, shrugging at the end.

Her expression turns sad, and her shoulders drop. I try to explain myself.

'It's not that I don't want to, because Goddess, do I want to, it's just that I want it to be special. A random Saturday night, with both of my parents' home, after a takeaway from the chippy isn't exactly the night I imagined for you.'

Grace laughs lightly at that. She shakes her head and looks at me, amazement on her face.

'I love that you're sweet to think of this for me. But Axel, you don't understand do you'

Her question is rhetorical, but I shake my head anyway, not understanding what she is getting at.

Grace smiles softly. 'I don't care about the dinner or the night or even the place. It's you I want. Not the extras or the romance. Just you.'

A lump rises in my throat and my heart beats faster. I love her, so much.

'But don't you want your first time to be special'

Grace's smile turns into a grin.

'Special Of course it will be special! It's with you, my boyfriend, the guy I'm in love with. Not to mention, he's a supernatural creature and I'm his soulmate. That's pretty damn special already, don't you think'

Shaking in disbelief, I pull her into my arms. I kiss the top of her head and breathe in her wonderful scent of honeysuckle and strawberries.

'I love you, Grace Barlow.'

She giggles against my chest. 'I love you too, Axel Archer.'

I step back and release her. 'You can use the bathroom first.'

Grace grabs her toiletry bag and goes into my en suite. I set up the TV with the new romance film she was talking about with my mum. It sounds like a total chick flick, but I'll watch it for her.

I'm lying on my bed on my phone when Grace comes out. She clears her throat, making me look up.

Holy. Shit.

She's taken off her clothes and is wearing white lingerie. She's even got the garter belt around her waist. It doesn't matter that she's not wearing stockings with it, she looks sexy as hell.

My mouth goes dry, and my cock hardens in my jeans.

'Holy shit, Grace,' I mutter, sitting up in bed.

She's blushing the color of her hair again as she nervously approaches the bed.

'That's a good curse, right' She checks anxiously.

As soon as she's within reaching distance, I grab her and pull her between my legs at the side of the bed. I press my face into her cleavage, kissing her breasts until she giggles.

'Definitely good. Better than good. You look so sexy, Strawberries,' I reply as a knead her butt—cheeks with my hands.

It's a certainty.

We're having sex tonight.

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