Page 27 of Lycan Prey
I giggle, shaking my head at the boy. As they walk out of sight, I stare down at the hefty wad of cash in my hands, still stunned by what happened. Despite being scared stiff when faced with such an imposing King, he is just a parent trying desperately to protect his son, even if this meant hiring mysterious strangers from cafés.
Moving toward the counter, I take what Max spent out, plus a tip before placing the rest in the charity jar. Meredith organizes weekly food runs to the local neighborhood centers for the homeless rogues.
“Brielle?” Meredith says, shocked.
I hold up the few dollars I have to show her. I didn’t put it all in there, knowing she would try to sneak it back to me—the woman is too honest.
“Take it, I’ve felt bad since working here that I haven’t been able to put a cent in there,” I tell her. She smiles sadly.
“You’re too sweet, my dear,” she murmurs.
Chapter 13
• King Soren •
One week later
After once again having to retrieve my son from the café, I watch him draw at my desk, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth as he hastily scribbles. I’m at my wit’s end. He is out of control, and I know it’s my own fault. I don’t give him enough attention, and I’m always too busy. He has gotten worse since my mother left after her last visit. Brielle’s image haunts my thoughts. There’s something about her, something that isn’t just captivating Max.
His obsession with Brielle has only grown stronger since she found him that day at the park, and the guilt I haven’t been there for my son is gnawing at me like an insatiable hunger.
Max, on the other hand, is oblivious to my struggles. I wonder if I could ever measure up to Brielle, who seems to understand him on a level I can’t quite reach. Max always seems to be smiling when she is near, something I don’t see much of since we lost his mother. The thought of Brielle is both a comfort and a source of pain. I’m torn between wanting her to fill the void in our home for Max and fearing how it might affect my relationship with my son if I did force her here.
As I contemplate these thoughts, Max finally looks up from his work, a gleaming smile on his face. “Hey, Dad, checkthis out!” he exclaims, proudly presenting his drawing to me. I smile, too, as I take in the picture of a childlike wonderland filled with vibrant colors and fantastical creatures.
Max reminds me so much of my late wife; everything in this castle does. I have thrown myself into work and forgot I once had a life here, and slow days only bring the torment of the memories. At least while busy my mother tends to leave me alone instead of harassing me constantly about remarrying.
Picking up the phone, I call Damian, my most trusted guard and my mother’s son before she met my father; he is my half brother but not of noble blood since that comes from my father’s side. She was still part of the royal families, so he is still a noble by title, he just hates formalities. Though my father likes to threaten to denounce me and replace my title with him, not that Damian ever would, he hates kingdom politics more than I do.
“Did you have a chance to look into Brielle?”
“Yes, all main databases, no hits but that isn’t uncommon for rogues.” he tells me.
“Well, keep digging. I need you to find out more about her. Discreetly. Surely, there is something on her. Where are her parents? Which pack did she come from?”
“Understood, Your Highness, though I am not sure of her last name. Marianne did tell me but it doesn’t exist which is worrisome. She should at least have a birth certificate.”
“She gave a fake last name?” I ask curiously.
“Unsure, Marianne didn’t exactly check her credentials. Brielle told her she was a rogue and came back to look after her grandmother. Her grandmother I found records for, but hers are a dead end, too. I can’t even find a listing for her daughter, who she is estranged from. I only have what I found out from Marianne.”
“Try reaching out to other packs in the area. See if they know anything.”
“I’ve already started on that, Soren. Don’t worry, I’ll find something.” I hang up the phone and lean back in my chair, letting out a sigh of frustration. As much as I want to gather information on Brielle, there’s also a part of me that shies away from it. It feels like prying into her life, uninvited and unwelcome.
Deep in thought. My eyes roam around the room, falling on a photo of my late wife and our son. The pain still feels fresh, raw. She was taken too soon, and the void she left behind is too gaping to fill. My heart is heavy.
Despite the cloud of suspicion around Brielle looming now, I cannot deny the connection I have with her. It’s not just physical, it’s something more profound, something I haven’t felt since…
I sigh deeply and glance at the clock, I have an appointment soon. Another zoom call.
As the day wears on, I find myself increasingly distracted, my duties as king blending into the background of my thoughts. When my phone rings, it’s Damian. “Your Highness, I’ve found some information,” he reports. “She is here looking after her grandmother as she claims. I checked the pharmacy, and went and visited her grandmother, but her grandmother seemed nervous.”
“Nervous?” I ask.
He hesitates. “Yes, like she was hiding something. I was going to order her to answer, but I worried I may kill her if I used my command on her. The woman is quite frail, but that’s not all,” he tells me.
“What else?” I ask.
