Page 54 of Lycan Prey
As our lips collide and the kiss deepens, a soft whimper escapes my lips. My mind is no longer filled with thoughts of Rhett, but instead, it’s consumed by the man who holds me in his strong arms. His scent permeates my senses, intoxicating me, and his kisses ignite a fire within me I can’t ignore. Soren’s presence engulfs me entirely; his overwhelming masculinity sends a jolt of desire straight through me that leaves me craving more.
As Soren groans, his lips trace a path down to my jaw and further down my neck, causing me to gasp when his teeth graze where a mate mark should lay.
He must notice my hesitation because he pauses briefly before whispering reassuringly into my ear. “I won’t mark you,” he says gently but firmly, misinterpreting my hesitance as fear of being marked. That wasn’t the fear at all; rather it was a sudden awareness - my wolf side recognizing his scent and teeth - growing excited despite him not being our mate or even belonging to our species.
His lips find mine again in a fervent kiss that consumes every ounce of my attention. The taste of him is intoxicating and draws a moan from deep within me—a raw and primal sound that makes Soren growl in response, his own desire mirroring mine. His hands explore my body with a sense of urgency, stoking the flames of desire that burn brighter and hotter with each touch. His scent - a heady mix of woodsy and masculine - fills my senses, stirring my wolf side further into a frenzy.
Everywhere Soren touches feels hot, set ablaze by his caress. A soft moan escapes me when he moves lower yet again;his lips tracing across my collarbone when suddenly the door bursts open. We both freeze as Max rushes into the room, stopping at the side of the bed as his wide eyes move from his father to me.
He’s wearing dinosaur pajamas that seem too innocent for what he just walked in on. “What are you doing?” Max asks innocently while heat floods my face with embarrassment.
“We were just waking up to come get you,” Soren states quickly, ruffling his hair as if to feign sleepiness. Max’s eyes narrow suspiciously at his father.
“Quick, you head down, and we’ll be down for breakfast in a minute.” Max rushes back out the door, leaving the door wide open, and Soren sighs, moving to shut the door when we hear Max’s high-pitched voice call out to his grandmother.
“They’re awake, Grandma. They were giving each other cooties!” I groan, bringing the pillow over my face, wanting the bed to open up and swallow me so I don’t have to face his parents. Soren snickers, shutting the door.
“Seems we were being checked up on,” Soren states casually, but I can hear the hint of amusement in his voice. “We are going to be busted for lying,” I tell him as he moves toward his walk-in closet.
“Doubtful, knowing my mother. She’ll be too excited about planning our wedding to notice anything odd between us. So get dressed before she comes barging in here,” he tells me, his tone filled with lightheartedness.
“Doesn’t it bother you? Especially if she goes to all the trouble of planning everything. It will be a waste of her time,” I respond, my voice tinged with concern.
Soren pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment before responding.
“No, but it buys me time. Then we break up. That will buy me more time to get over the supposed heartbreak,” he laughs. Idon’t. I know the only one who will be heartbroken in all this is me.
“And what happens then, Soren? When your mom has pieced all the scraps of your broken heart back together?” I ask him, my voice barely a whisper. The words hang in the air, heavy with the unspoken truth of our shared past, of the pain we’ve both endured.
“I guess we’ll see when we get there,” he replies, his eyes never leaving mine. His voice is steady, resolute, but I can see the cracks in his façade, the vulnerability hidden beneath his bravado. And I know when the time comes, when we’re forced to face the consequences of our actions, it’s not just my heart that will be at stake, but also the very essence of who I am. How does Max play into all this?
“What about Max?” I ask. He says nothing and I know that is what he is mostly worried about.
He pulls a shirt over his head and runs a hand through his unruly hair. He looks effortlessly handsome in the morning light, which only further pangs my heart.
“Come on,” he says, throwing me one of his shirts. It’s oversized and smells heavily of him, comforting and intoxicating all at once.
Soren watches me as I pull on some jeans, his eyes darkening with every move I make. He remains silent, his gaze burning into me as if he’s trying to memorize every inch of me. There’s something predatory about the way he looks at me, and it sends a shudder of anticipation down my spine, wondering if he likes what he sees. Or does he just see an intruder he has to share a room with since his son likes me.
Finally tearing his gaze away from me, Soren heads for the door before pausing. “Brielle,” he starts, his voice low and husky. He doesn’t turn to look at me as he continues, “If… when thiswhole charade is over… remember you’re still free to keep your actual job here.”
His words hang in the air, and echo in my mind, leaving me reeling with confusion and uncertainty. They sting more than I can tell him as I wonder if I will be able to handle that. I’m already attached to his son and the more I’m around Soren and the closer we get… There is no going back to how things were when we’ve blurred too many lines.
“Crap, I almost forgot my shoes,” he mutters, moving to the closet again. Exactly how does he plan for that to work out, that we will go back to normal? Pretend nothing has changed?
Soren emerges from his walk-in closet, dressed completely now, his scent still lingering on me, leaving me in a whirlwind of confusion. He brushes past me without a touch, but I can feel the heat radiating off him. It feels good, but it also stings with the reminder of what just happened and what can never happen again.
We head down the stairs in silence. My hand grips the banister tightly, my knuckles turning white. My chest feels heavy with emotion, my heart thudding loudly in my chest in sync with my steps.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pancakes wafts through the air, making my stomach growl in hunger. However, my senses are too preoccupied, as the scent of Soren’s cologne mingles with my own, a lingering reminder of the intimacy we shared moments ago.
As we enter the dining hall, I can feel Soren’s family’s eyes on us. His mother’s eyes light up as she sees us together - a sight that brings an ache to my heart. She is a sweet woman, always welcoming and kind to me. I feel like I’m deceiving her by being here, pretending everything is normal when it’s far from it.
“There you two love birds are!” his mother exclaims, and I smile awkwardly as Soren pecks my cheek, moving to take his seat at the head of the table.
I slide into my usual seat beside Soren, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone.
“I’m so excited, I’ve been up since 4 AM. I’ve already started making arrangements for the engagement party, and oh, I have so many things I found.”
