Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 3

2 weeks later

11 288 (Vouchers

Tap, Tap, Tap. I look up and see a man tapping on my car window, his flashlight shining in the window of my car before he moves it around, looking in the back of it. I put my hand up when the torch flashes across my face blindingly. He quickly moves it to the side.

“Ma’am, you can’t stay here,” the middle–aged man tells me; he must be council security because of his uniform. My son, who I decided to name Valarian, stirs, the bright light waking him, and he lets out an irritated cry. The man moves his torch away entirely, shining it at the ground, and Valarian stops.

“Look, I have noticed your car here for nearly two weeks; this is a train station,” he sighs as I pick up my son out of his fruit box bed and roll down the window a bit so he doesn’t keep yelling, thinking I can’t hear him.

“You really have no place to go, no family?” he asks.

“No, the council kicked me out of the park,” I say matter–of- factly.

He runs a hand down his face before glancing around the parking lot.

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“The baby’s father?” I shake my head, knowing that wasn’t an option. He didn’t even believe me, refused to see me even when I begged him to let me on his territory so I could show him the scan. Every other time, he hung up the moment he heard my voice, after a while, I gave up.

out there that would take him, then you could

abandoning my baby like my parents did me,” I tell him, outraged he

a normal life. Something to think about. I will give you another week to find somewhere else. After that, you need to move on,” he says, and I nod before winding

have always been paranoid of rolling on him while asleep, tugging the blanket up over both of us before trying to get comfortable. A single tear runs down my cheek as I think of his words. “This was no life for a child.” Was I being selfish? Yet, the thought of giving him up broke my heart. He was mine. I loved him and would give my life for my little man, wasn’t that enough? I

up the following day, I groan; it is pouring with rain. It is still early. I rummage through the back for my umbrella before slipping my shoes on. Making sure my son

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warm, I grab my bucket in one hand and pop the

before shimming my pants down to pee. One thing I hated about being homeless was holding my son while going to the bathroom. I couldn’t place him down anywhere, making it hard to use the toilet while making sure not to drop him. When I

the tricky part. Holding an umbrella, a baby, and a bucket of water. Somehow, I manage it and make it back to the car before placing the bucket down and quickly opening the hatchback to my wagon. I set my son in his bed before hauling my tiny bucket in. I then used soap to lather my washcloth, and gave him a

I miss showering, something I definitely took for granted. I would use the rest stop ones occasionally, but I had no fuel

I also worked at the Chinese Restaurant on the main drag while pregnant to keep saving. But now, since he

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on formula, bottled water, and diapers. The savings didn’t last long with buying baby clothes and non- perishable food. My car looked like a mini supermarket, and I am starting to get low on the formula again. Rummaging through my wallet, I

back; I tried that. My parents weren’t an option, and

mission that was. He laughed and said there was no way he would sleep with a seventeen–year–old. Well, he did, and now I have his son. To be fair, I was not supposed to be in that part of the club at the hotel. We wanted to meet the older Alphas, not the young ones that hadn’t even reached puberty. So with a fake ID, my sister and I snuck in while the meeting was going ahead in the conference hall. Alpha Valen was just as drunk as I was, so it was no wonder he couldn’t remember me. What I do remember was how I felt that night, this pull to him for some reason and he must have felt it too. I know I didn’t imagine

vague memory away, I grab a granola bar out and eat it. My belly is rumbling. What I would do for a home- cooked meal. I loved mom’s cooking. She was the best cook. A tear slips down my cheek, and I check my phone, yet I know I will find no missed calls. My father disconnected

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my little sister and wished I could see

once more.