Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 24

Valen stared around my office. It used to be Valarie’s apartment, but we converted it into office space. I found it challenging to come in here before. Memories always brought back heartache, so we revamped it, and now the place didn’t haunt me.

Yet, seeing Valen standing here in what used to be her home. made filled me with sadness. He was her son, and she loved him. Yet here he stood, unaware that this place, the hotel, used to belong to the woman who had given birth to him. What kind of man would he be if she was given a chance to raise him, I wondered.

Twatch him for a few seconds, and he stops at the shelving before rearranging it. My brows furrow as I watch him straighten the ornaments making them line up; it was one thing seeing my son do odd things like that, but a grown man? His movement is robotic and strange as he rearranges the books in Alphabetical order on the shelf below. However, OCD wasn’t a genetic probability, so it had to be a coincidence.

“Why are you here? I wasn’t expecting you to stop by,” I tell him remembering his threat to come back tomorrow, yet here he stood.

“I don’t need a reason. I own the city, or did you forget?”

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I roll my eyes at him. Typical Alpha, thinking the world owes them for us being allowed in their presence.

He stops looking around, and I notice the picture of Valarian on my desk and quickly swipe it off, placing it in the drawer just as he turns to face me. My door opens, and the night secretary walks in.

“Coffee?” Emily asks, her brown eyes sparkling. She was a cheerful woman though ordinarily shy. Despite that, Emily has lasted the longest on the night shift in the foyer. Her son was nine, and she lived in the rogue commune, working here at night to provide for her child. However, she makes her own. coffee from scratch. It tastes terrible. She grows the beans herself, and after stopping by her place when I met her and offered her the job, I refused to drink a single cup–always bringing my own.

“No, this won’t take…” I try to stammer out politely.

“Yes, Please,” Valen cuts me off, and I glare at him. Emily lingers for a second, and I nod to her. Valen smiles triumphantly when I give in, yet the joke was on him if he thought he would enjoy what she would prepare for him.

“Now, if only you would give in that easily to the mate bond,” he continues, looking at me.

“Not happening, I don’t need or want a mate,” I tell him, and he huffs before pulling out the chair on the other side of my desk. He leans back, folding his arms across his chest, and

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watches me. I fight back a shiver as my eyes roamed over his muscular frame.

“And why is that? What have you got against me? I am your mate, Everly. There is no escaping me, but why would you want to? I am an Alpha. What sort of rogue are you? Most rogues would be begging me to be their mate,” he says, and I scoff.

“Not when you keep coming around. No, there isn’t any way. of escaping you. Do I need to get the authorities involved; tell them I have a stalker?”

“Tell them what you want. As an Alpha, and the most influential one in the city, I have every right to force you to complete the bond, and there is nothing I can’t buy my way out of even if there was an issue.”

“And here I was thinking; I have every right to reject you,” I retort. Valen growls, and the door opens. Emily walks back in, unaware of the argument she walked in on, utterly oblivious to the tension in the room. She places the coffees on my desk quietly while Valen and I glare at each other.

his teeth before

seat. He looks around again. His jaw clenches tight before turning to glare at the mugs on my desk. I roll my eyes, recognizing

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my theory. It can’t

pull two coasters out that I kept here for when Valarian sometimes came

lets out a breath, and I hand him one. He quickly places his mug on it and retakes

those?” he asks like he didn’t just

I ask, looking up at him, distracted by his mere. presence. I hate the way I

just what is in the media?” he repeats, snapping me out of

won’t change

it change mine,”

him getting to

rush over

You won’t dismiss me so easily,” he says firmly, and my

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him. “It makes no sense, you should be able to resist me, yet you put up no fight at all,” he continues, cocking his head to the side and staring

“I am rogue.”

but also my mate. You should have some kind of resistance to me,” he says more to himself than me. I add

Everly,” he continues

forever,” I sneer at him, and

what?” he asks.

right, you make me, and I will make

an annoying shit; he can drink it then. Maybe I should tell him, but I shove that thought away quickly as I stare back at the

women.

force you,

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up her mind,” he says before taking

chuckle at the look on his face, and he raises an

give that crap to your guests?”

my untouched cup. Another

only,” I snorted, choking on

“What?”

the

like shit, no amount of sugar would make that taste decent,” he huffs before

fits of giggles while he continues to stare at