Page 64 of Lycan Prey
Absently, I run my fingers on the cold silk sheets beneath me, a stark contrast with the warmth that Soren’s body emanates behind me. I let my eyes flutter closed, surrendering to the insistent tug of exhaustion.
As we both drift off to sleep, I’m restless.
It creeps up slowly at first, then intensifies when I’m suddenly awoken by pains in my stomach, feeling the infidelity and knowing Rhett is with Bianca once again. I just want a night off from this torture. The weight of his infidelity grows heavier within me, causing me to groan in despair and agony.
Carefully, I attempt to climb out of bed without waking Soren, my movements slow and deliberate as I try to reach the bathroom. Just as I feel the cool air on my legs as I swing my legs out of the bed, an arm wraps tightly around my waist, pulling me back into the warmth of the bed.
“One day, you will give me his name so I can end this,” Soren whispers softly, tugging me back against him until his body lines my entire back.
His hand slips under my top to my stomach, his warm hand holding me to him. At that moment, his calling slips out, and as the pain intensifies, his calling becomes even more powerful, his purr vibrating through my entire being.
“Perhaps,” I whisper.
He will eventually figure it out. His arm tightens around me, comforting me against Rhett’s betrayal.
His lips touch my shoulder gently. “I just need his name. If he won’t reject you, I will end him and break the bond for you,” he promises. His tone is steady, a controlled anger simmering. .
“And yet, I fear that day,” I confess softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Why? He causes you pain. He clearly doesn’t care for your bond.”
I’m silent for a moment, wrestling with my fears and desires. “It’s complicated,” I start, hesitant. “I’m… afraid of losing what I have here.”
“Why would knowing his name make you lose everything here?” His question is direct, searching for truths I’m not ready to reveal.
I bite my lip, struggling to articulate the fear that knots my stomach. “You might see me differently,” I admit, my voice a whisper of vulnerability.
“And how do you want me to see you?” he asks, a softness edging his voice that makes my heart flutter with uncertainty.
“I know it sounds stupid, but... my bond is all I have. I gave up everything for him,” I confess, the admission feeling both freeing and terrifying. Mostly, I feel naive; I should have listened to my parents.
Soren shifts, his presence enveloping me as he pulls me closer.
“What if it’s not all you have?” he murmurs against my hair. ”What if you can have Max, have a life here? What are you hiding, Bree? What has you so scared?”
“I’m scared that once you learn the truth, you won’t want me here anymore.”
He’s silent for a moment, his grip loosening a little. Then he pulls me even closer, his breath warming the back of my neck. My heart hammers in my chest, my breaths shallow and shaky.
“Please, just drop it. I... I can’t say,” I confess, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Bree,” he says, his voice low and insistent. “You can trust me.”
The silence stretches out between us as I ponder the cost of this trust. I trusted Rhett once, too.
“Maybe one day,” I finally respond, hoping it’s enough.
His arm around me tightens just a fraction before he sighs softly. His calling grows stronger, sedating even. As sleep starts to tug at my consciousness again, Soren softly whispers, “One day is better than never.”
Chapter 26
• Aubrey •
The next morning
The clink of cutlery against China is loud in the morning stillness as I nibble on a slice of toast, my mind replaying the conversation with Soren last night. The tension from our exchange lingers when Maribel’s voice punctures the quiet.
“Damian will be joining us for shopping after breakfast,” she says, her eyes bright with plans and excitement. I had completely forgotten about going shopping. She doesn’t notice how my hand pauses, toast halfway to my lips, or the way my stomach tightens at the mention of Damian’s name.
