Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 166

Every door I pass is locked, the handles cold and unyielding as I test them in vain, my panic mounting with each one. I can hear the pounding of footsteps behind me, fast and relentless, drawing closer with each passing second. Rhett’s anger crackles through the air, his voice echoing down the corridor.

“You think you can escape me?” His voice drips with rage, each word a promise of retribution. “You’re only making this worse for yourself, Aubrey!”

I ignore him, forcing myself to keep moving. My lungs burn, my muscles screaming in protest, but I push through the pain, willing my legs to carry me faster. Every step feels like an eternity, but I can’t afford to slow down. I round a corner and spot a staircase at the end of the hall, the metal steps spiraling up into darkness. My chest tightens with hope.

An exit. There has to be an exit.

I throw myself at the stairs, my feet pounding against the metal as I begin to climb. The sound echoes through the stairwell, loud and frantic, and I know Rhett can hear every step, can feel every beat of my desperation. But I don’t stop. Up and up, each step taking me further from his reach.

“Aubrey, don’t be stupid!” he shouts, his voice closer now, vibrating with fury. “If you come back now, I might go easy on you. Make this easy on yourself!”

jaw, blocking him out, focusing only on the next

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Chapter 166

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if he catches me, the twisted plans he has in store. And I’d rather die than let him mark me, let him turn me into a pawn in his

leading to another, the air growing colder and damper as I climb. My legs feel like lead, the initial burst of adrenaline beginning to fade, replaced by sheer, aching exhaustion. But I can’t stop. Not now. I force myself onward, lungs burning,

will only

desperate breath, thick and sour in the back of my throat. My muscles scream with exhaustion,

echoes through the hall, tinged

savage, carrying an edge that makes my blood run cold. The sound of his heavy footsteps pounding against the concrete grows louder, and I know he’s gaining on me,

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