Page 4 of Lycan Prey
I tighten my fingers on the contract. Turning my gaze to those who stop what they are doing to stare so rudely, I find everyone’s gaze is still on me. I nervously glance down to ensure I have my skirt on—I definitely do. My clothes aren’t inside out, and glancing into the glass of the conference room, there’s nothing on my face that could earn their stares, so nothing out of the ordinary warrants this sort of undivided, silent attention. I knit my brows and I shake it off as pre-wedding jitters, I tell myself as I head down the corridor to his office. My eyes instantly go to Bianca’s desk, only to find it empty, and I fight back the urge to yip with joy.
Maybe our argument last night made him finally see some sense. I smile and hope Rhett has finally terminated her employment. However, my relief is short-lived as stomach cramps suddenly grip me, making me stagger and grip the wall as I gasp for breath.
Jeez, not again. These cramps always come at the most unexpected times. I rest a hand on my belly, sucking in a breath to fight through the cramp that has me doubled over. It doesn’tpass. If anything, it grows worse as sweat beads and rolls down my neck.
Gritting my teeth, I regain my composure and smooth back my hair, pasting a fake smile on my face. Thankfully, no one witnessed it, and I don’t want Rhett to worry about me. It’s probably nothing, come to think of it. The full moon is coming up, so it could be that. Not that I had ever suffered such effects from a full moon before. However, there is a first time for everything, and I have found my mate now, so full moons will be more intense.
Passing one of Rhett’s friends who also works here, I wave as I usually do. Only instead of waving back, he glares. Him, too? Did I kill someone’s puppy? I keep striding with my head held high. It’s the best I can do until Rhett tells me what has everyone so frazzled and unfriendly; surely it’s not all over this Lycan King coming here?
When his office door comes into view, excitement courses through me as I clutch the venue contract in my hand tighter, eager to show him the perfect place I found for our wedding. My fingers tremble, as if all the excitement is going to burst out of me. I know he’ll love the place I picked out.
Bracing myself, I reach for the door handle to Rhett’s office and push open the door, ready to greet my mate, when the sickeningly sweet scent of perfume reaches my nose, making it burn.
I’m eager yet apprehensive about presenting the wedding venue details to Rhett, especially now I know he is in a terrible mood and owes the King money.
“I’m so sorry I’m late, you won’t believe what happened on the way here!” I exclaim as I turn and shut the door, only to turn back and have my heart seize in my chest. Time seems to slow as I take in the heart-wrenching sight, my hands tremble and my eyes widen with shock and disbelief.
“Rhett, what—” The words die in my throat as my world shatters into jagged shards of betrayal, deception, and regret.
Chapter 3
• Aubrey •
I take in the sight of Rhett at his desk, not alone but with a woman on his lap. Her blonde hair cascades down her back, her red dress bunched up in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination. Her flushed face and intimate posture with Rhett shatters any illusions I still hold.
A faint blush tints Bianca’s cheeks, and I can see her hand resting on Rhett’s shoulder, her fingers playing with his hair as she bounces up and down on his lap with a look of euphoria on her face.
I have sacrificed everything for this man, chose him over my family, and uprooted my entire life to be here with him. Is this how he repays me? I stand frozen, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene. Those jagged shards splinter and pierce through the bond, mutilating it and destroying everything.
I had been so enamored by the fairy tale of finding a mate. Dazzled by the allure of shimmering promises and the warm, electric thrum of the mate’s bond, its warm and tingly feelings. The fairy tale was that he would love me in a way no one else could. What a harsh way to learn; not all that glitters is gold.
No one ever warned me about the dark side of a mate’s bond, the heartache, and the devastation that can come with it, too. Mates are painted as sacred, bound by love, and destined to be together for eternity. They never told me about the gut-wrenching pain of betrayal. No one ever talks about how bad this can hurt.
Everything starts to make sense. For the last few weeks, I’ve felt sick, the spontaneous cramps. Rhett kept telling me I had a bug or something is wrong with me. Now, the pain makes sense. It isn’t that at all; it is the scorching betrayal of his infidelity and his brutalizing of our bond.
She moans, his hand moving to cover her mouth as he moves quickly, shoving her into his desk.
Rhett’s gaze finds mine as the documents symbolizing our future slip from my fingers, scattering like the shattered pieces of my heart. I try to speak, to demand an explanation. No words come out. My throat is tight, and hot tears fill my eyes.
“Aubrey, what are you doing here?” His tone is dismissive and laced with irritation.
His eyes flicker with annoyance as if my presence is nothing more than an inconvenience to him. Bianca quickly pulls her dress down and sits on the edge of his desk.
“Wh-what, do you mean? You invited me,” I stammer, the words tumbling from my lips as I struggle to make sense of the situation. I want to yell, to scream, to attack him, however all I can do is just stand here, the events before me still registering in my brain. I step back, shaking my head in disbelief. How could he do this? The man who promised to love me forever and be faithful has betrayed me in the worst way possible.
“Did I?” he smirks, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. “I don’t recall sending you any messages.”
My gaze darts between him and Bianca, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. It feels like they’re all in on some sick joke, and I’m the butt of it. “You sent me a message asking me to meet you here for lunch,” I say, my voice cracking.
Rhett’s gaze narrows, and his face hardens. “I didn’t send you any messages,” he states flatly. Rhett’s denial hits me likea punch to the gut, and my world seems to spiral even further out of control. I turn to Bianca, searching for any kind of confirmation or explanation. She just shrugs, a smug smile on her face, and I know she’s behind it.
Tears well up in my eyes as I fumble to retrieve my phone, showing him the message. “But… I received this from your number,” I stammer.
Rhett takes a step closer, snatching my phone and smashing it on the floor, his voice dripping with condescension. “Aubrey, you’re so desperate to see me you’d make up lies just to come to my office?” he mocks in his efforts to humiliate me.
Anger surges within me as I struggle to hold back tears. “I thought… You wanted to talk; maybe you wanted to make things right after last night.” My voice quivers in pain.
Rhett’s eyes remain cold and unyielding. “I told you after the incident last week you’re not allowed at my office.”
