Semua Bab The Marked : Bab 11 - Bab 16

ROGER The other kids at school noticed we were different too, though they couldn't have said exactly how. We were faster in gym class, stronger than we should be. Once, in fourth grade, Tommy Henderson tried to bully Ava, pushing her down on the playground. I'd been on the other side of the school, but I felt her fear and anger like it was my own. I was there in seconds, moving faster than I'd ever moved before, and when I grabbed Tommy's arm to pull him away, he yelped in pain. "Freak!" he'd shouted, cradling his arm. "You're both freaks!" The teacher on duty had separated us, but she'd looked at me strangely, like she was seeing something she didn't want to acknowledge. After that, the other kids gave us a wide berth. We didn't mind. We had each other, and that was all that mattered. Our parents noticed too. I'd catch my mom watching me with this mixture of pride and sadness, like she was mourning something that hadn't happened yet. Ava's parents were the same. Sometimes, w

The moment she realizes I'm here, I feel it—a jolt of recognition, of desire. I can read her mind, hear her thoughts as clearly as if she'd spoken them aloud. It's one of my abilities, one I've tried not to use on her. But right now, with her so close, I can't help it. *What the hell is wrong with me? I have never wanted to do that to a guy I've never met before.* Oh man. I shouldn't be reading her mind right now. My body reacts instantly to her thoughts, heat flooding through me as I hear what she's mentally thinking. Fuck, I really want her so bad. The intensity of it catches me off guard—I've wanted her for so long, but feeling her want me back, even if she doesn't understand why, is almost too much. I have to get control of myself. The things I want to do with her, the way I want to claim her as mine—it would be too much, too fast. But she's different. She always has been. She's the only one who ever made me feel human. You can feel the sexual tension in the air between us

**THE PARTY** The bass hit us before we even got out of the car—a deep, pulsing rhythm that I could feel in my chest. The house was already packed, people spilling out onto the front lawn with red solo cups in hand, laughing and shouting over the music. "This is going to be epic," Erin said, practically bouncing in her seat as she found a parking spot three houses down. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Through the windows, I could see bodies moving, lights flashing in different colors. It looked like chaos. It looked like my worst nightmare. "Come on." Erin was already out of the car, waiting for me. The October air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and that particular smell of autumn—woodsmoke and earth and something indefinable that always made me feel nostalgic for things I couldn't quite remember. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself as we walked up the driveway. Inside was even more overwhelming than I'd imagined. The music was so loud