Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 1

-Aubrey-

The chill of the morning hasn’t quite lifted, despite the sun being high in the sky, I navigate through the crowded. sidewalk, my boots click against the concrete as I stare down at my phone.

The sharp scent of car exhaust and the warm aroma of street vendor food and coffee fill the air; it would usually comfort me any other day. Today, however, the city’s pulsing life is just background noise to my own racing thoughts.

Rhett’s words from last night echoed in my head, each one laden with a weight that pressed coldly against my chest. “You think it’s so easy to just cut someone out of your life? Bianca and I have a past; we were together for years, Aubrey!”

“As my fiancé, yes! How can you not see she still has feelings for you?” I yelled back at him, and he just shook his head and laughed, making me feel even smaller than I had moments before. I couldn’t believe what Rhett had said to me, clearly forgetting that I cut everyone out of mine for him. I gave up my position as the next alpha of my father’s pack to be with him, and he can’t give up his ex for his mate. His words sting still, but not as much as his following ones.

“Look, I didn’t ask for this bond any more than you did. Bianca and I built something real over the years. You can’t just step in and expect to replace all that history. You need to get over this jealousy, Aubrey. I’m not going to fire her just because you feel threatened. That’s not fair to her or to me.” He had

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later apologized, but the apology was empty, devoid of warmth. It is just another reminder that things between us are fracturing, the bond we shared disintegrating because he refuses to acknowledge that Bianca is the root of all our issues.

But there is still hope, isn’t there?

A part of me clings to that possibility like a lifeline–a thin, fraying thread that I am terrified to let go of. The idea of fixing what has been broken seems like a distant dream, but I have to try for the sake of our mate bond. It has to work out because I have nothing left to go home to since my father declared me rogue if I chose him, but how could I not?

with how much

am excited about the opportunity to see my mate, and I am also afraid of why he asked me to meet him at work in the first place. Especially after our argument last night when he forbade me from coming here after

just a fraction, allowing the past to play out vividly in my mind’s eye. Rhett’s smile, once so easy and genuine, now seems forced at the best of times. His touch,

my phone and can’t help but smile.

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Chapter 1

lunch with me

myself, the words barely audible. over the sound of honking horns and chattering pedestrians. Perhaps today, we could

could look into those piercing blue eyes and see a glimmer of the man I once knew–the alpha who had declared me his. Yes, a fresh start would be good. We are due to wed in a couple

turn. green at the pedestrian crossing. Tucking my phone in my handbag, I double–check that I have everything, like the venue contract for the wedding and the seating arrangements, which I need his help with since I don’t know any of these people and no one from my side will be attending when a commotion breaks out behind me.

urgency in the shout cuts through my reverie, making me jump. My gaze snaps away from

commotion.

city’s concrete jungle. Desperation and defiance

nears the curb, a cold spike of fear pierces me. His feet are not stopping as he runs straight for the bustling street.

out!” My voice is lost in the screeching of tires and

PAO

seems to decelerate; each second slows, and then it feels as if

my throat as the vehicle