Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 164

“You’re not thinking this through,” Bianca hisses, her frustration evident.

I slide off the table, my bare feet touching the cold concrete floor. The chill shoots up my legs, grounding me, a sharp reminder that I need to stay alert, stay quiet. Crouching low, I scan the dimly lit room, taking in every shadow, every possible escape route. Shadows dance across the walls, cast by the single swinging bulb overhead, throwing distorted shapes around the space like ghostly figures ready to leap at me. My eyes dart frantically, searching for an exit, for any way out of this nightmare.

Slowly, I inch toward the door, my breath coming in shallow bursts. I can feel my pulse in my throat, each beat reminding me how little time I have. Outside, Bianca’s voice rises sharply, her words slicing through the silence.

“Damn it, Rhett, you’re going to ruin everything!”

I freeze, my hand hovering inches from the doorknob. Did they hear me? Have I been discovered? Seconds stretch out painfully, ticking by like hours as I wait, poised to bolt, every muscle tense. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, so loud I worry it’ll betray me.

“Shh shh, shut up for a second,” Rhett snaps, his voice laced with irritation.

hammering, I reach for the doorknob, forcing my hand to move slowly, carefully,

Chapter 164

288 Vouchers

my palm, mirroring the tremors running through my body. I twist it with agonizing slowness, willing it not to squeak.

I slip into the corridor, my body pressed low to the ground. I peer around, taking in the narrow hallway lined with doors on both sides. Each door looms like a silent sentinel, dark and foreboding. The air is stale, tinged with the metallic bite of rust and something else–something faintly sweet, but rotten, like flowers decaying in the damp. I stifle a shiver and inch forward, hoping to find a way out before anyone notices I’m

of shelves stacked with supplies. The corridor stretches on, empty for now, and I take a

of fabric. The noise stops me in my tracks, my heart leaping into my throat. Have they heard me? Are they

I have to. But no–the sound isn’t coming from beyond the corridor. It’s coming

slightly open doorway. Bianca steps out, her eyes focused downward as she rummages through an oversized handbag. She doesn’t notice me; her attention is completely absorbed in whatever she’s looking

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Chapter 164

and I freeze, every muscle tensing.