Page 20 of Lycan Prey (Little Secrets Duet #1)

· Aubrey ·

I should have headed home after finding Max’s hoodie, however, Marianne insisted I drop it back off with a plate of cookies.

As we walk through the grand halls of the castle, Max chatters away about his day in his father’s office, his excitement and energy contagious.

Despite my reservations and slight discomfort at being in such a place, I smile and laugh along with him.

When we reach the courtyard, Max immediately makes a beeline for the swing, dragging me with him, his laughter filling the air as he pumps his little legs back and forth. I push him higher and higher, his dark hair bouncing with each arc, his giggles growing louder.

King Soren is watching us from the upstairs window, his phone pressed to his ear. Damian watches too, as if he is afraid I will kidnap the King’s son and hold him for ransom.

I quickly avert my eyes and focus on Max, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It’s a strange situation but seeing Max so happy makes the walk feel worthwhile.

I push him once more, as high as he dares to go.

He squeals with delight, and I can’t help but beam back at him.

Peering up, I see King Soren has disappeared from the window, much to my relief.

As the afternoon sunlight slowly fades, the castle’s stone walls take on a warm, reflected glow.

Max slows his swinging, eventually stopping, and hops off to chase a red and gold leaf spinning in the light wind.

His laughter echoes through the courtyard, bringing life to the silent stone surroundings.

I feel the sharp chill of being watched and turn to find King Soren entering the courtyard.

“My King,” I acknowledge before turning my attention back to Max. I follow Max who has chased the leaf taken by the breeze into the rear of the castle where a massive tree sits as the centerpiece.

“Did you finish your meeting, My King?” I ask Soren as he catches up with me.

He nods. “It wasn’t a meeting, just my parents checking in on me,” he says with a faint smile on his lips before one of his maids comes out behind us.

“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.

“Don’t worry, Bree. I’ll catch you if you fall.” His words are light and teasing, though I feel a pang of warmth at his sentiment.

Determined not to let myself get carried away with all these strange emotions swirling inside me, I begin to make my descent.

“You’re taking forever,” Max whines from a lower branch waiting for me.

I glare at the boy who sticks his tongue out at me.

Max leaps from the tree, and Soren catches him effortlessly.

“Are you sure you’re not part monkey?” he asks Max, tickling him while I try to unlodge my heart that has leapt into my throat at his actions.

Max laughs and wriggles free and peers up at me.

“I think she is stuck,” Max snickers.

“I’m not, I’m calculating where to place my feet,” I tell him though right now I have become one with the tree, my hands not wanting to let go of my current branch, the ground seemingly getting further away.

“Just be careful,” King Soren calls up. “And remember, if you fall… try to land on your feet.”

“Very funny,” I retort, but my heart flutters at his concern and then at the distance to the ground I am not even halfway down yet. I’m gonna die, I’m gonna fall and break my damn neck all because Max thinks I’m part feline.

“Admit it, you’re stuck, aren’t you?” Soren chuckles, staring up at me.

“And if I am?” I call down, trying not to fall to my death.

He moves closer to the tree. “Do you want me to come up and get you?”

I laugh. “You, come and get me? And risk hurting your royal self? Definitely not.”

He folds his arms across his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. “Suit yourself, then. Don’t say I didn’t offer.”

As I attempt to descend, Max and Soren laugh at my expense. But then, as I step onto a branch, Soren suddenly yells, “Bree, not that one!”

I glance at him, only for the branch to give way. I fall, my hands scrambling for something and I just manage to grab a branch lower down leaving me dangling, my heart racing.

“Let go, I’ll catch you,” Soren calls up to me.

“I’ll crush you. I’m not a small child, My King. Maybe get a ladder?” I suggest panic setting in.

“Daddy is strong, he can catch you,” Max calls out and I scoff.

“Max, go force her down,” Soren instructs and my eyes widen in horror when I see the boy start climbing the damn tree with a mischievous grin on his face.

Max starts climbing toward me. “I think you’re right, he is part monkey,” I say, watching him approach with a mix of admiration and terror.

Soren laughs. “Max.” King Soren nods his head toward me.

“No, you stay right there, Max, while your father gets a ladder!” I shriek when he starts walking along the branch.

“Max, no. Go play on that branch.” I urge but he just smiles while I panic. I’m gonna fall. I know I’m gonna fall.

But Max doesn’t listen and comes toward me and starts prying my fingers off. “Max, don’t you dare,” I warn, but it’s too late.

My blood curdling scream echoes through the courtyard as I fall and I see Max peering down at me like he thinks this is funny.

I brace myself for the impact of the hard unforgiving ground, my heart leaping into my throat and my stomach out my ass at the sensation of falling.

At the last second, Soren catches me. His arms are strong, warm and secure.

“Told you I’d catch you,” he murmurs, and I become dead weight in his arms with relief I am alive.

“You’re an asshole,” I tell him before I can stop myself only to jerk myself to my senses. I just called the King an asshole. Yet why is he smiling like he finds this amusing. Shouldn’t he be screaming ‘off with her head’, or ‘to the dungeons’?

He steadies me against the rough bark of the tree, his strong hands gripping my hips.

I can feel the heat radiating off of his body, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

His face is inches from mine. He leans in, his breath hot against my cheek, and I feel a jolt of electricity shoot through my body.

His thumb brushes my cheek. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice soft and kind.

I hastily nod, my heart pounding. “Yeah, I’m okay,” I say, trying my best to convince him… and myself.

He doesn’t seem to buy it, his eyes still full of concern. He steps back, his hands still lingering on my hips, as if he’s afraid I’ll suddenly collapse. His touch stirs something in me - something dangerous and wild. But it also feels safe, which is a feeling I haven’t experienced in far too long.

I’m too stunned to form another coherent reply. He looms over me, his blue eyes holding a curious light in them. My heart flutters as I realize for the first time since Rhett, I’m feeling something - an unexpected pull to King Soren, one I only felt when the mate bond was playing havoc.

“Good,” he says, his hand rising to my face. His fingers trace down to the edge of my jaw, sending waves of energy through my body down to my toes.

He stays there for a moment longer, just gazing at me. I don’t know what he sees in me - a desperate runaway, a woman half-broken by the man she’d planned to marry. Except the way he’s looking at me doesn’t reflect pity or indifference; there’s something in his gaze that’s… tender.

A sudden chirp from above catches our attention and we both peer up to see Max displaying a triumphant smirk from his perch. Soren chuckles lightly, breaking the tension between us and quickly withdraws his hand.

Our moment is broken by Max’s voice. “I told you my dad is strong.”

I pull Max down from the branch, feeling Soren’s hands steadying me. “You’re lucky he is, Max. You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I scold him lightly.

Max hugs me. “You’re lucky, you’re so cute,” I tell him.

“Or what?” he challenges.

“Or I might not forgive you,” I reply, meeting his mischievous gaze.

“How can you say no to this face?” he bats his lashes.

“Easily when it’s being the spawn of Satan,” I retort.

“I could get my father to order you to play with me,” he says, looking over at Soren.

“Your father is just as bad, telling you to pry my fingers off,” I state.

“I told you I would catch you,” Soren says, close to my ear.

“And if you dropped me?” I challenge turning my cheek to look at him only when I do I find him right there over my shoulder, my nose bumping his. He smiles and his eyes flicker black for a second, making me gasp.

“Well, you wouldn’t be able to leave now, would you? Max would have a new best friend to play with until you healed,” he laughs, pulling away.

“Very funny,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Wait, really, can you order her up the tree? I want her to stay, I’ll push her again just don’t catch her. She can sleep in my room,” Max suggests excitedly.

I scoff.

“Please, please, Dad?” Max begs.

“Oh, you are being quite the brat today,” I tell him, moving back to the picnic blanket.

As we begin to clean up the picnic, Soren receives a call. “You have to take it, don’t you?” Max whines. I chew my lip watching as his father nods.

“Maybe I can take Max with me to check Granny?” I suggest. Soren looks at me, then his phone.

“Please, Dad?” Max begs and he sighs. He looks conflicted but eventually agrees to let Max come with me to my place as he has a meeting.

I remind him I need to make dinner for Granny but he can swing by picking Max up or I can drop him back.

Packing the rest of the picnic paraphernalia, I steal a glance at Soren. The lines on his forehead deepen as he talks into the phone, his voice carrying a stern authority. Max huddles up to me, staring at his father with concern in his eyes.

“He’s always so busy,” Max sighs. A pang of sadness courses through me, making me hug him closer.

“I’m sure he would rather spend time with you if he could,” I assure him, patting him gently on the back.

Seeing Soren’s furrowed brow and tight-lipped expression, my heart sinks. Even though we’ve only interacted briefly, I can already tell it pains him to be dragged away from his son.

I turn my attention to Max. “Let’s get going,” I say cheerfully, trying my best to lighten the mood.