Page 3 of Lycan Prey (Little Secrets Duet #1)
· Aubrey ·
The café is quaint, and I take a seat next to Max while his father orders drinks.
I sit awkwardly, debating if I should just get up and leave while the man isn’t looking.
I quickly toss the idea away when I find Soren approaching us.
He holds a tray with three cups and takes a seat across from me instead of the other side of his son.
For a few moments, Max clutches a cup of hot chocolate like a lifeline, his earlier panic subdued to quiet curiosity.
He studies me over the rim, blue eyes wide and searching.
“Max was supposed to have a fun day at the park,” Soren says, his voice tinged with a father’s guilt as he ruffles his son’s hair. “However, work called, and plans changed.”
“Seems to be a theme today,” I murmur, more to myself than to them. Rhett’s accusations, his insinuations that I was just being jealous, echo in my head.
“Max thought I was choosing work over him again,” he says, his voice tinged with regret. Shadows play across his face, revealing a torment that resonates with my own inner turmoil. “I’m trying to make it right. Thank you for stepping in today.”
I glance at Max, his tiny fingers curled around the paper cup, a chocolate mustache painting his upper lip. The fear from earlier in his eyes has faded, giving way to a child’s curiosity.
A shiver runs down my spine at the boy’s probing gaze; he is a child, yet he has an aura? Soren notices, his brow furrowing with worry. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asks again, his voice low and laced with an accent I still can’t place.
I glance down at my leg, which was grazed and bleeding, to find it is healed now. I let out a breath, checking my ribs and hip. Relief floods me, knowing I won’t be a limping mess walking into Rhett’s office and embarrassing him.
“Fine, all healed, see?” I show him, only to realize what I’m doing and quickly shove my shirt back down, forgetting we are in public. He chuckles.
My phone vibrates in my handbag. I pull it out and see the wedding planner wants to know if Rhett is okay with the new wedding venue. I sigh, knowing I need to leave, and I rise from my seat; Rhett will already be angry with me for being late.
“Sorry, I need to go, I am so…” I trail off, not wanting to reveal too much. No one likes rogues; until Rhett marks me, that’s what I am. Soren watches me closely, “Thank you for the coffee,” I tell him, grabbing the cup.
Max stares up at me with a pout, and I can tell he doesn’t want me to leave, either. “It was nice meeting you both; really, it was.” Soren stands with me. “Before you go, may I at least know your name?” He extends his hand again, and I take it gingerly this time.
“Bree,” I gave him my nickname.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Bree,” he nods. I give Max a small wave before rushing out the door, wanting to see my mate.
I hurry to Rhett’s office, which is a block away, hoping against hope Rhett didn’t wait too long and that our lunch can be salvaged.
However, I know if he smells another Alpha on me, it will spell disaster, even if nothing nefarious had gone on.
Rhett tends to be possessive and controlling, though it’s probably just part of his nature as an Alpha.
I still don’t want to anger him when he is finally no longer giving me the silent treatment.
I pray we can work things out because I hate to think of what will happen in the future if we can’t.
If he hasn’t changed his mind about Bianca working for him, I worry it will be my breaking point.
She has caused so many issues between me and Rhett, and I just hope he has come to realize that.
It needs to work; I gave up everything for this man.
Without the mate bond, I have nobody. My parents won’t take me back, and even if they did, the shame that would bring me, I could never live with.
As I reach Rhett’s office building, my thoughts still linger on the earlier incident with Soren and his son, Max.
Despite the chaos, Soren’s composure and concern had been a breath of fresh air compared to Rhett’s recent coldness.
His warm, reassuring presence adds a layer of confusion to my already turbulent emotions.
Was it possible someone could show more care in a few fleeting moments than someone I have devoted myself to?
Striding into the foyer, I muster whatever confidence I can, clutching the venue contract and wedding details like lifelines.
I’m fueled by a mix of dread and hope. As I offer a nervous wave to Nathan, the security officer, his usual warm smile is replaced by a cold, unwavering stare. Something is off.
Confused by his unusual demeanor, I step into the elevator, and Nathan’s gaze lingers on my disheveled appearance—a result of my earlier run-in with the car.
His stare is unsettling, deepening the knot of anxiety in my stomach.
I press the button for the top floor, my mind racing as the doors close.
Weird.
However, the look he gives me has my brows furrowing.
He is still glaring at me as the doors close, making me wonder what has gotten into him.
He’s not usually this unwelcoming. I shake off the bizarre thought, putting it down to him having a bad day.
With only two weeks left until my wedding to Alpha Rhett Miles, I can’t shake the storm of emotions brewing within me, fueled by last night’s heated argument over Bianca.
She has been a constant thorn in my side since I met him, and Rhett’s refusal to distance himself from her has sent our lives into a dizzying spiral.
He accuses me of being jealous, and I am.
He is too blind to see she isn’t as forgiving of their breakup.
We’ve done nothing except fight for the last two weeks.
It’s clear to me she still has feelings for him, even though he found his fated mate in me six months ago.
Rhett, however, refuses to believe she still has feelings for him.
The fact he can’t see it—or even trust I can see it—drives me nuts.
I’ve sacrificed everything for him: I uprooted my life, defied my family, and abandoned my birthright as the next Alpha of my father’s pack for him.
Even after finding his mate in me, Rhett seems unwilling to cut ties with the woman who continues to haunt our relationship.
Knowing the sacrifices I’ve made while he’s done nothing except make excuses to keep her around stings.
As the elevator doors open, I step out onto Rhett’s office floor, a scene of bustling activity that contradicts the tensions simmering beneath my surface and the conflicting war in my head.
Employees huddle around computers or engage in animated conversations.
However, I notice something odd as I pass the first few tables.
One by one, the voices fall silent as they catch sight of me, and everyone’s eyes seem to shoot at me like moths to a flame. The weight of their stares is suffocating, and I stop in my tracks. What is going on? Why on earth are they staring at me like I’ve done something wrong?
Navigating the corridor toward Rhett’s office, I overhear snippets of a conversation that makes me pause, and my blood runs cold. “...especially with the Lycan King visiting. Rhett’s in a foul mood today. Heard it’s about that missing money,” one employee whispers to another.
The Lycan King is here? And involved with Rhett somehow?
Oh, this can’t be good. Anxiety twists into dread.
Shit, I hope Rhett won’t get in too much trouble, and what was he thinking borrowing money from the Lycan King?
I didn’t even know that was a possibility.
Their voices cut off when they notice me staring and eavesdropping.
“Is everything okay, Sarah?” I ask, and she scoffs, giving me a glare as the woman she was talking to hurries off. The deeper I move through the corridors, the more anxious I become.
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’t pass. 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.