Page 32 of Lycan Prey (Little Secrets Duet #1)
· Aubrey ·
Soren leans closer, brushing my lips softly with his, and I’m stunned for a second. I’m frozen when he does because I expect it when his family is around, but not something I expected when we can drop the facade and are alone.
Soren pulls away but doesn’t move from between my legs. “Give him a dose of his own medicine,” he whispers, his lips grazing mine as he speaks.
I stiffen, my heart pounding in my chest. His words echo in my ears, an interesting premise that holds the potential for sweet revenge, one I never thought of before.
My mind fills with images of Rhett’s face, imagining him receiving the same punishment he forces me to endure each night, his jealousy flaring when he realizes what is causing it.
Then reality sets in and I realize how dangerous this could be.
If Rhett found out about Soren and me, there’s no telling what he would do.
He has a quick temper, and I’m sure he will come hunting me again, and if the King believes his lies, I may find myself locked in his dungeon or worse…
dead. Soren’s hands move, his fingers finding my wrists as he pins them above my head.
“Is that a good idea?” I ask Soren tentatively, not wanting to confuse this entire situation even more than it already is.
He places a hand on my cheek, his touch gentle and reassuring. “Do you not trust me?”
“It’s not that… It’s…”
“I’m not your mate, Bree, I won’t hurt you, not like that, anyway.
” His lips caress against my jaw. And just like that, all logic flies out the window and I want what he is offering.
He won’t hurt me, not like Rhett. He couldn’t even if he tried.
Rhett has destroyed our bond, he obliterates it every damn night, so anything Soren does will never compare to that pain.
Despite the nagging voice telling me to say no, I want to.
It’s not just about revenge. There’s a need stirring inside me, a hunger Soren awakened, and now it screams for connection, to feel wanted even if it means nothing to Soren.
A flash of pain strikes through me, pulsating with the bitter reminder of the rejection that still tears at my soul.
But then something else bubbles to the surface - a primal need for retribution, a desire to make him feel a fraction of the torment he has inflicted upon me.
As Soren’s mouth meets mine again, I surrender, sinking into the kiss with an unexpected ferocity.
His lips move against mine, drawing out a side of me I barely recognize but can’t deny. A piece of me I don’t want to deny, either.
His mouth moves against mine with a slow, deliberate rhythm that sends shivers cascading down my spine. My fingers tangle in his hair as he deepens the kiss, his tongue exploring the contours of my mouth with an intensity that leaves me breathless.
Raw desire surges within me, his kiss is potent medicine and I find myself craving more. The heat between us builds until it’s almost unbearable, a sweet torment that makes my heart pound wildly in my chest.
Breaking away from him is like tearing myself from the most exquisite dream. My breath comes out in ragged gasps as I gaze into his eyes - twin pools of obsidian darkened by his Lycan side coming forward and I know mine match his.
He smiles mischievously, dipping his head. His tongue scrapes across the seam of my lips as his teeth nip and tug on the bottom one. I try to catch my breath. He groans.
“Are you sure about this?” I question, doubting my ability to play his game successfully. Soren won’t hurt me but I think I may hurt myself. Soren simply gives a wicked grin, his lips brushing against mine as he whispers in reply.
“I should be asking you that? I’m all for teaching your mate a lesson.”
My heart throbs in my chest. This is new territory for me - being so intimate, not just physically but emotionally, too and I don’t think he realizes the war going on within me.
There’s a part of me that’s still terrified, that’s screaming for me to push him away and run, knowing in the end, when his parents leave, and I serve my purpose, he’ll get rid of me and I will be the only one hurt. Except at this moment, I don’t care. I crave more.
His hands roam down to my hips, and with one swift movement, he pulls my leg around his waist. Our bodies flush against each other. He pulls back to look at me – really look at me – his blue eyes blazing with anticipation.
“So are you sure about this? We don’t have to have sex,” he breathes out, his voice barely above a whisper. “I won’t take that from you,” he tells me. “Me touching you is enough to hurt him.”
I swallow hard, staring into those piercing blue eyes filled with concern and something else – something raw and hungry. Nodding slightly, I pull him back down onto me.
In response to my silent confirmation, his kisses grow wilder - less timid and more demanding, while mine mirror his intensity.
Rhett was wrong for turning away from me. I’m not an innocent girl anymore who’s afraid of her desires. I’m a woman who knows what she wants, and right now, I want Soren. And if this is also what it takes to show Rhett the mistake he made, then so be it.
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. I don’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 facade, 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.