Page 64 of Marked

“You okay?” Caleb asked, suddenly serious. “We can head back—”

“No, I’m fine,” I insisted, forcing a smile. “Just jumpy. Mom was… kind of intense about forests. Probably why I ended up being such a city kid.”

We walked along the lake’s edge, the path mercifully clear of dense undergrowth. Still, every rustle made me twitch, and I drifted closer to Derek with each step. If he noticed, he didn’t comment, just adjusted his stride to match mine.

“The dock’s newer,” Caleb said, clearly trying to distract me. “We rebuilt it last summer after—” Another crack, louder this time, and I practically plastered myself against Derek’s side.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, mortified, trying to step away. But Derek’s arm had somehow wound around my waist, holding me close.

“Don’t apologize,” he growled softly. The rumble in his chest vibrated through me, and suddenly I was very aware of how solid he felt, how easily he could…

A sharp pain shot through my ankle. I must have stepped wrong, distracted by Derek’s proximity. I stumbled, but before I could fall, Derek swept me up like I weighed nothing.

“Put me down!” I squeaked, face burning. “I just twisted it a little—”

“Humor me,” Derek rumbled, and oh God, his voice was right by my ear. I could feel the heat radiating off him, smell something wild and masculine that made my head spin.

Caleb appeared on our other side, brows furrowed with concern. “We should get him back to the house.”

“I can walk,” I protested weakly, but Derek’s arms tightened.

“Sure you can,” he said, amusement rumbling through his chest. “But why should you?”

The walk back was… interesting. Derek carried me like I was precious cargo, not some awkward burden. The dogs formed a protective circle around us, and even the forest sounds seemed less threatening. I told myself it was just the ankle making me lightheaded, not the way Derek’s thumb absently stroked my side or how Caleb kept shooting us heated looks that made my stomach flip.

“You know,” I said, trying to break the charged silence, “this is going in my diary. ‘Dear Diary, today I got carried through the woods by a mountain disguised as a man while his brother looked like he wanted to—’” I cut myself off, face flaming.

“Wanted to what?” Caleb’s voice had dropped an octave, and suddenly the air felt electric.

“Nothing,” I squeaked. “Just… nothing. Hey, look, we’re almost back! You can put me down now.”

“Not happening,” Derek growled, and was it my imagination or did he pull me closer?

The manor came into view, and I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed. My ankle barely hurt anymore, but I didn’t say anything. And if I pressed my face into Derek’s neck, breathingin that intoxicating scent? Well, I could always blame that on forest-induced anxiety.

Right?

“Hey!” a friendly voice called out. A man emerged from the gardens, dirt smudged on his jeans and work gloves tucked into his back pocket. He looked a few years older than me, maybe mid to late twenties, and though we shared a similar slight build, his was clearly shaped by actual physical labor instead of my bookstore-dwelling lifestyle.

“Miguel,” Caleb greeted him. “Thought you were working the north section today?”

“Anna mentioned seeing deer damage near the roses, so I…” Miguel trailed off, taking in the scene—me being carried by Derek while Caleb hovered protectively. “Everything okay?”

“Just a twisted ankle,” I said quickly, face heating up again. “They’re being ridiculous about it.”

“You must be Kai,” Miguel said, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Mamá’s been talking about you since lunch. Something about being too skinny and needing proper feeding?”

“Your mom’s already on a mission to feed me into submission,” I said.

“That’s Mamá,” Miguel said fondly. “Never met a person she didn’t want to feed and fuss over. Anyway, I should get back to work. Mamá will kill me if anything happens to her prize roses.” His expression softened. “Though Anna’s been helping me tend them lately.”

“Anna?” I asked, curious about these glimpses of the manor’s other residents.

“My girlfriend,” he said, looking adorably smitten. “She’s one of the maids here. You’ll probably meet her soon—she’s usually helping Mamá terrorize the kitchen.”

“Speaking of which,” Caleb cut in, “we should get Kai inside before Tía Maria sends out a search party.”

“Good point.” Miguel chuckled. “Nice meeting you, Kai. Try not to let these three mother-hen you to death.”

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