Page 30 of Lycan Prey
“Afternoon tea is ready, My King,” a servant announces, approaching us with a respectful bow.
Max dashes toward us hearing his father addressed, his energy seemingly endless.
“Can we have a picnic with Brielle?” he asks his father, his eyes shining with hope.
I start to excuse myself. “Max, I should get home…”
“Or you could join us?” King Soren interrupts, his voice unexpectedly gentle.
“Please, please,” Max begs, tugging at my hand with those big, pleading eyes.
“Fine,” I relent, feeling a mix of guilt and warmth.
Max fist pumps the air and drags me toward a huge tree in the rear yard. We settle on a patch of grass under the large tree, with a picnic spread out in front of us. Max chatters away, pointing at the different foods and explaining what they are to me. King Soren looks on with a fond smile, occasionally joining in the conversation but mostly content to watch his son’s happiness.
As we eat, Max bombards me with questions about my life outside the castle walls, his curiosity never-ending. I try to answer as best as I can, without giving too much information away. I don’t need them prying more into my past.
King Soren listens intently, occasionally offering his own stories from his childhood. I’m surprised by how natural and easy our conversation flows.
After finishing our meal, Max begs for a game of hide-and-seek and King Soren joins in. As they run around the courtyard, laughter fills the air once again. Next, Max decides he wants to climb the tree.
He peers down at me.
“Come on, Bree!”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m not a cat, Max. I’m no good at climbing trees.”
“C’mon! It’s easy!”
King Soren chuckles at my side, his eyes crinkling at our interaction. “He thinks we can all do anything,” he explains, before suddenly standing and extending a hand to me.
“I’ll help you,” he offers, and I feel a sudden rush of nerves.
“Uh… okay,” I agree, glancing at his outstretched hand. After a moment’s hesitation, I place my hand in his larger one and allow him to guide me to the base of the massive tree.
His touch is warm, surprisingly tender for such a large and powerful man. His hands are gentle as he helps me find footholds and clamber up after Max.
I carefully climb higher, Max cheering from above before I realize King Soren is still on the ground.
“Wait, I have to break my neck on my own?” I tell him. He laughs, taking a seat back on the picnic blanket and watching. I shake my head.
“Come on, come on, higher,” Max calls out. I look where he is perched on a branch high above, then back at the ground, this is high enough for me.
Yet Max refuses to take no for an answer. Sighing, I relent, thinking about how much Max just wants someone to play with. “Fine, but if I fall and break my neck, you’ll have to come look after me,” I warn him.
“Deal!” he shouts from a branch.
Climbing the tree is easier said than done.
“See, Bree! You’re doing it!” Max crows from above us, his excitement infectious. Before I know it, I’ve reached him in the high branches of the tree, our laughter echoing around us.
Once I’m up, though, I realize getting down is going to be a lot harder. “What’s wrong, Bree? You didn’t get yourself stuck, now, did you?” King Soren calls out from below, a hint of amusement in his voice.
I glare down at him, noticing Max’s giggling on a lower branch.
“You could have said you were afraid of heights,” Soren laughs. I stare at the ground, a wave of fear washing over me.
“It’s not the height I’m afraid of, it’s the fall,” I reply, watching as King Soren tips his head back, his eyes shining with laughter. He’s enjoying this too much.
