The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 4

Paige's POV.

I swear to Goddess, if one more person tells me that I will meet my mate soon and not to worry, I might actually have to kill someone.

Twins often meet their mates around the same time. My twin met her mate three weeks ago. Ever since then, all I have heard is reassurances.

I'm sick of them. They don't understand how irritating it is to be told to be patient, to just wait and see. I've waited long enough.

Where is he

I'm so happy for my twin, don't get me wrong, but it sucks to be alone whilst she is loved up. It is particularly ironic that she didn't even want her mate. She was convinced she wouldn't have one, just like Dad was with our mum at first.

I take after our mum, Noelle, more than I do our dad, Xaden. Whereas my twin, Phoebe, is the opposite.

I've been patient. I've been calm. I've done my time, now, I want to meet him. I've been dreaming of my mate since I was a little child. I've pictured how we might meet a thousand times in my head.

I'm desperate but I know that I need to remain calm and not think about it too much. Things always happen when you stop trying to force them.

I run my finger around the rim of my coffee cup. My chin is resting on my hand as I people—watch out of the window.

As a nurse, I rarely get time to really relax and unwind. Going to this coffee shop is my refuge. It offers a relaxing, warm atmosphere.

The sounds of the hissing coffee machines, frothing milk and abundant chatter fill my ears. The air is permeated with the smell of roasted coffee beans.

I've been given two days off after working nights, and then I have the weekend.

I don't know what I'm going to do with the next four days of my life, but I thought I would start with a coffee in my favorite café.

My thoughts are interrupted by a young, human barista delivering two cups of tea to a couple in front of me.

He's wearing the required uniform, a green t—shirt and trousers.

The t—shirt is tight on his arms. He must work out a lot, his biceps are large. I run my tongue over my bottom lip as I check him out.

He straightens up and asks the couple if they want anything else. He scratches the back of his head, an action that is oddly attractive.

He has coal—black hair and coffee—brown eyes. His skin is caramel—colored, maybe West Asian Turkish or Syrian

He's beautiful.

He turns around, catches me looking, and smiles sweetly. He can't be more than a day over twenty. He's younger than me.

I can't seem to make myself look away. I watch him as he returns to behind the bar and continues making drinks.

I watch as his muscles flex as he pulls down on the handle on one of the machines. There's a look of concentration on his face as he pours the right amount of milk into the drink and taps the bottom of the cup on the surface.

My sharp eyes focus on his large hands. They grip the cup firmly, with the right amount of pressure. How would they feel around my breasts Squeezing and gripping them

'Ma'am' A voice snaps me out of my lustful trance.

I look up at the female barista, holding a tray next to my table.

'Are you done Would you like me to take your cup' She asks, gesturing to my empty cup.

'Yes, thank you,' I mutter.

I shake my head and try to clear my lustful thoughts. But I can feel how wet I am between my legs.

My eyes widen and my heart rate picks up.

Fuck.

It's my heat.

I curse myself and grab my handbag. No wonder I am lusting after that young man, a human no less! It's the first day of my heat.

It's a rare occurrence, not all female shifters have to go through it. It can come any time between when you turn sixteen. It's meant to only last a couple of days.

I've experienced it once before, years ago. I guess it's time again.

It lasted three days last time. The first day is horniness followed by blinding pain. The second day is horrendous horniness. The third day is just pain and discomfort.

I should have recognized the signs earlier. I mentally curse myself again as I stumble out of the café. I should have known it was coming. I've been warmer than usual this last week, but I thought it was the heat wave that we're experiencing in the city.

These dirty thoughts are just the beginning. In a couple of hours, blinding pain will come. It's like period pains, but ten times worse.

I rush across the road and into the trees. I cannot let myself be near humans when this happens, they might try to take me to the hospital.

I can't be near other wolves either, I'll probably jump on them.

I remember reading that, sometimes, it helps to shift. Shifting into your wolf can help with the pain.

When a female goes into heat in her pack, she is usually kept in an air—tight room until it passes. The pheromones send other shifters wild. Luckily, relatives cannot smell a family member's pheromones, but unmated shifters can.

But, like I said, it's rare. I don't know of anyone else who has gone through it other than me. My mum didn't even know what it was when it happened. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to who it happens to and when or why.

I hurry deeper into the trees. This forest is on No Man's land, I should be safe here. The fallen leaves and debris crunch underneath my hiking boots. I stride through the trees, trying to get as deep as possible, far away from civilization.

I grip the straps of my backpack tighter and pick up my pace. It's almost lunchtime, after lunch, it'll hit me.

I would shift, but I don't want to travel too far and reach the edge of the No Man's land. I need to stay right in the middle of it.

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After an hour or so, I come across a stream. The water is cold, but completely clear. I put down my bag and take off my shoes. I strip down to my underwear and cautiously put a toe in the water.

It's freezing, but it feels like heaven on my hot skin. I step onto the smooth pebbles and wade into the stream, up to my thighs.

I move over to a large rock and sit down on it, my feet still in the water.

I decide to have my lunch here, whilst I can remain cool. I bought a sandwich earlier, so I eat it and drink some water. The view is beautiful, so I take a couple of snaps on my phone.

I'm relatively new to this area, so I haven't explored much. Seeing how beautiful it is, I regret not exploring earlier.

My twin is mated with Alpha Oberon Hyde. His territory is near my apartment, but that's on the other side of town. I'm grateful because the last thing I need is for my sister and her mate to see me in this state.

Once I've finished eating, I set off again, walking up the river. The gradient increases and I hike up the hill. From the top, I can see for miles. I can just make out the buildings of the city.

I'm slowly descending the other side, when a wave of pain washes over me. I gasp loudly and grab the nearest tree trunk.

I double over as another stab of pain shoots through my stomach. I wrap my arms around myself and lean against the tree. My eyes squeeze shut, and I breathe rapidly, trying to ignore this horrible feeling.

It passes, much like contractions, and I manage to straighten up. I take a few more steps, trying to get down this stupid hill.

Another wave of pain washes through me, much harder this time. I fall to my knees and tumble forwards. Grunting and squealing, I tumble down the hillside. I bump into a couple of trees, but I manage to miss most of the foliage. The soft, mossy floor breaks most of my fall.

I roll down for what seems like a lifetime, unable to stop myself as pain overrides everything in my brain.

I finally come to a halt at the bottom. I'm laid on my back, staring at the sky through the tree's canopy.

The pain becomes too much, and my vision blurs. I scream in agony, my voice breaking. Black spots dance across my eyes and I feel my mind slipping away. All I can think is, I'd rather be out cold than feeling this pain.

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