Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 6

Quietly sneaking up the side of the house, I stop at my sister’s bedroom window. Looking in, I see her asleep in her bed. I tap on the window before I see movement; she flicks her lamp on, squinting around the room before looking at the window. Waving at her, my sister’s mouth opens, and she becomes immediately alert before she rushes over. Ava throws her window open, and I pass her my bag, which she places on the floor before taking Valarian from me, so I can climb through the window.

“Sis!” she cries, hugging me. I inhale her scent, tears flowing down my cheeks, before pulling back to look at her. She clutches her mouth before a sob escapes her. “I was hoping you would come back.” She looks at the baby. “He’s beautiful,” she chokes out.

I gently close the window, and she hugs Valarian close, smelling his tiny head. I am soaked, my hair dripping from ne rain.

“Gosh, I have missed you. Dad wouldn’t let me look for you; he has me on a tight leash,” she says, tears streaking down her

cheeks.

“Grab some dry clothes, take whatever you want,” she whispers while pointing at her dresser, and I rummage through her drawers. I find some warm clothes trying to be quiet, so I don’t wake my parents down the hall. Putting on

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some of her pajamas, I have to roll the pants to hold them up. My sister watches me before she breaks down again.

“You’re so skinny,” she sobs, sitting on her bed and looking at my body. She is right. You could see most of my ribs, my hip bones jutting out, I had lost so much weight, and this is the smallest I have ever been.

“I’m fine, Ava. I’m okay,” I try to reassure her. But she shakes her head, looking at my son rocking him. Rummaging through my bag, I retrieve him a diaper. Thankfully, between my shirt and the blanket that’s wrapped around him, he was able to stay dry.

She moves over, leaning on the wall, and watches my son fáll asleep in her arms. I sit next to her, laying my head down on her shoulder before breaking down. Ava tries to soothe me, and I can feel her crying silently beside me. How things had changed, Ava was my best friend, and I loved being her sister. It is almost impossible to beat a sister bond, someone who knows your hardships, knows what it is like to grow up wit! the parents you have, someone who shares every milestone with you and every heartbreak.

I missed having someone to talk to. The only interaction I’d had were judgmental glares or a few words to show their disgust of me. Nobody asked anymore how I was, nobody cared, and I was stupid enough to believe Beta Marcus would be able to help, stupid enough to think my mate would accept

me.

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mom?” I ask her, and she shakes her head.

she asked dad for a divorce when he kicked you out. But you know mom, she would

from being separated. It weakened them, two souls, together, or that’s how it is supposed to be. I

son on

up and grab his

passes my son to me before grabbing his bottle from my hand.

“How much?”

I try to muffle the noise and soothe him by giving his binky, but he spits it

and bangs against the wall, causing Valarian to scream even louder. My father walks in. He looks

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father.

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my arms as I try not to drop him. My reflexes want to pull his hands away. Instead, I hold my son for

my sister starts screaming frantically before I hear

rushes in, her mouth open in shock as my

him “John, please let her go; she has

father. My mother is also frantically trying to stop him.

begs, tears in

not my daughter,” he growls, his canines protruding.

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please, it is freezing outside,” Ava

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no, I will not have a rogue whore for a daughter,”

will stay outside; just don’t put him out. Please, Dad, he is your grandson,” I choke out. He growls at me, his hand shoving me out the

Dad. He will get sick, just one night, then I will leave,” I

looking down at my son before staring at my mother, who was sobbing her hands outstretched

says before walking off. My mother rushes over to grab Valarian before hugging