Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 19

Everly POV

I watch Zoe blow out her candles. Today is her 21st birthday, and I feel blessed to call her one of my best friends. She is more like a sister to me. Zoe and Macey fill the places where my family should have been, but now I am happy with how far we all have come. We didn’t need anyone; we only needed each other.

“Happy 21st,” I whisper to her, giving her a hug after setting the cake down.

“Oh, we need napkins,” I tell Zoe before rushing off back to the kitchen. I go into the storeroom, grabbing a box of refills down and pulling a handful out before placing the box on the shelf. Just as I walk back out, Zoe rushes into the kitchen, her face pale, and a look of horror on her face. She smacks straight into me before grabbing my arms.

“What is it? What happened?” I ask her, looking around for what scared her. When she didn’t answer, I went to walk past her to investigate myself. It must be bad for her to not be able to tell me. Zoe feared nothing these days, she had come out of her shell, but something happened for her to be such a

nervous wreck.

“You can’t go out there,” she blurts, gripping my arms and pulling me away from the door just as I was about to step out

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into the Restaurant. I hear Macey talking behind me in the

restaurant.

“Sir, you can’t go back there,” I hear her call to someone.

“What happened?” I ask her.

“Zoe?” I grip her arms when her eyes go wide as she stares over my shoulder. I get the strange feeling that who she feared is right behind me. I stand up straight, his scent wafting to me, and Zoe’s eyes dart to mine.

My face must mirror the same horror hers do because she grabs my hands, squeezing them tight. I close my eyes, willing myself to not break. He will not break me. He does that nearly every night, and somehow, I’ve learned to live with it. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing it.

“Your name is Everly, right?” he says, his voice soft and

serious.

I fight the urge to shiver hearing his voice. Fucking mate bond, it’s bad enough it tortures me; why does it have to affect me this way, every piece of me wanting to throw myself in his arms despite the fact he nearly ruined me. The bond wants that, not me. I am in control, I fought it this long, and I didn’t work this hard for everything to unravel right now.

“Yes, how may I help you, Alpha Valen?” I ask, turning around. My lungs compress at the sight of him, he was gorgeous, and

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he fucking knew he was, which just enraged me. Tall, dark, and handsome. What is it with men? They grow older, manlier, and more handsome while women just fucking age? Damn, my inner monologue is out of whack today. Fuck was taking up a good chunk of my vocabulary.

“You know my name and who I am?” he asks.

“I also know what you are too, so how may I help you?” I ask him. I am impressed with how calm I sound, despite screaming internally and wanting to run.

He blows out a breath and runs a hand through his hair before scratching his neck. He looks back out to the restaurant.

“How old are you?” he asks.

to know you are my mate if that’s what you are wondering,” I tell him. Didn’t I know it? Five years of agony because

taken aback by my tone, yet I hate him despite the feeling vibrating through the bond that wasn’t even forged yet. I hate what he put me through, hate how he hung up when I tried to tell him I was pregnant and laughed at me, saying he would never fuck a seventeen–year–old. Well, fucker, you did! And she raised your son

our lives.

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managing to avoid his hand as he tries to touch

that he didn’t struggle this much with women; he clearly wasn’t expecting it

escort you out,” I tell him, pointing to Macey while I checked the dessert displays

a bit of shock, but

to mark me, ah no thanks. Door is just behind you, if you just turn around, you shouldn’t miss it,

real piece of fucking work,” he snaps, looking

are here for a specific reason that isn’t about being my mate,

managed to draw half the restaurant’s attention, though we talked rather quietly. I know it must be from

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manager about holding the annual Alpha meeting here,” he

you have your own hotels to do

to hold it on

are fully booked,” I

you the date,”

make sure it is,” I tell him, placing the cutting knife

་་།

to speak to the manager,” he says,

I scraped the plates before placing them in the sink and turning around, only to almost run into him

I want to speak to

looking at her,” I tell him.

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Chapter 19

this place?” he scoffs.

five–star rating compared to your 4.5? Didn’t think a rogue woman

finish, and instead shuts

is, isn’t

wanted to book your functions room for the Alpha meeting and also check out the competition; I wasn’t expecting to find my mate though,” he says somewhat lamely.

will excuse me,” I tell him,

being like this?”

what, Alpha Valen?”

am your mate!”

well

you out or something, go somewhere with

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“No, thank you.”

you got a boyfriend, is

I don’t feel the need to fuck everything in sight,” I

my eyes, trying to step around him when he blocks me again by placing his arm

to do, please move,”

you submit. Our laws state