Lycan's Prey by Jessica Hall

Chapter 40

Everly POV

Yesterday was rough, last night even tougher. I didn’t get any sleep; my entire body was aching from tossing and turning. The mate bond grew stronger each time I saw him, and the pain of denying it was getting harder to ignore. I rolled out of bed and to the sound of soft murmurs. That meant Zoe was awake as I heard her trying to wake Casey in the room beside mine. Getting to my feet, I quickly opened my door to see her in all her bedhead glory. She yawns and smiles at me.

“Morning,” she says, turning her attention back to Casey’s open door before she does a double take. She steps away from me, and Casey goes to step out of her room when Zoe shoves her back inside the door and quickly shut it. Casey bangs on the door.

“Just a minute, sweetie,” Zoe says before gripping my arm.

“What happened? Did that bastard hurt you? I will fucking kill him,” she whispers with venom in her voice.

“Swear Jar,” Casey calls through the closed door while I try to figure out what had got into her.

“Huh?”

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1288 (Vouchers Zoe ushers me into the bathroom, turning me to look in the mirror, and I gasp at what I see. There’s blood smeared my face, and the dark rings under my eyes look like I got into a fight… no, lost a fight. I reach for a washcloth and quickly wash my face, but there is no bruising or sign of physical injuries.

“Must be a nosebleed,” I tell her, which was something that was becoming more frequent. Whenever I saw him, it seemed to me that something would get worse, headaches nosebleeds. I blink at my reflection before leaning in when I notice the discoloration of the whites around my eyes, no longer white but blood red.

“What the fuck?” I whisper.

“You need to figure out something soon, Everly.”

“It’s fine; I will go see a doctor,” I tell her, though I knew it was pointless.

“No, you need to see your mate. Or mark someone,” Zoe gasps, and I stare at her in the mirror. Her eyes were watery, and as she watched me, concerned.

“It’s been four and half years, Everly, and you are already deteriorating. What will it be like in another five years? How much worse?”

I shrug. I had no idea, but clearly, that wasn’t the answer she

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18 288 Vouchers was after because she stalked off down the hall. The moment I step out of the bathroom; I hear a shriek before her voice reaches my ears.

“The bodyguard right, geez, you scared the crap out me.”

Walking into the living room, I find Tatum sitting up. “You get many breaks–in to sleep on your uncomfortable sofa?” he groans, and I hear his back crack. He tosses the blanket aside before making his way to the kitchen and flicking the kettle

on.

asks, giving Zoe the once over. She is wearing her silky pajamas with kittens

glares at him. He was barking up the wrong tree if he was going to mock her socks, she had an entire collection of those toe socks, and in the wintertime, she even liked to wear them with her flip flops. She called them her winter editions flip flops. She growls at him, and he purrs back at her, which shuts her

knew each other all their lives with Valarian’s excitement. At the same

ages.

Tatum says, placing him down. Valarian

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Chapter 40

on the balls of

you came back!!” he

11 788 4wkes

promised, didn’t I?” Valen tells him, picking him up. He steps into the apartment, and the apartment suddenly

Tatum before

me.

your eyes?” he says, shoving past

and he glances at her before raising an eyebrow at me when I swat his hands away. Valen comes over and grips my face, and I jerk away from his tingling

when Valarian

says, and I press my lips in a line. Valen looks at me, and his lips part before

will take her,” he tells Valarian, and I

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worth.

19 288 Nouchers

doctor Mary at the rogue center,” Zoe says, folding her arms across her chest, and I notice Tatum’s eyes dart to her cleavage. I

going to a rogue center,” Valen states before realizing what he said to Zoe, who is also a rogue.

why is that?” she says, dropping her hands to her waist and popping her hip. Oh, careful, Valen, you may just get into an argument

should be good enough for everybody, or are you

too, because Zoe was a firecracker before her morning coffee. Never cross paths with Zoe if she is in a bad mood and hasn’t had her morning coffee yet. She may be small, but damn she got a good right hook. You only have to ask

for school Valarian?” asks Valen while walking off into his room down the small hall. Tatum hands me a coffee giving me a worried look before handing

“For the boss.”

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off down the hall to find my mate and Valarian. Stepping into the room, Valarian pulls his clothes out of the wardrobe

his mug from my hand and

look like a kid’s room,” he mumbles to me.

a mess,” I whisper back.

Valarian asks as he laid his clothes on the bed

eyes his father’s cup before going over to his little desk, pulling out two coasters,

son do many times when he found something relaxing. Apparently, coasters are relaxing. Placing mine on the coaster, I move to his

caught him making Casey’s or remaking mine. That’s one of the reasons I made sure to shut

his compulsions became a little much. I was more a roll–out of the bed every morning and made the bed before I climbed back in

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he was learning something new. It made me nervous while I gel my son’s hair and flatten his collar when Valen suddenly started unbuttoning his shirt. I just buttoned because Valarian whined about the collar not being

me.

isn’t necessary I ironed

can feel it, I know it’s there,” Valarian cries as Valen undid the last button.

tells him, giving him a worried look as

Valen states, walking out before stopping in the hall. He scratched his head

ironing board and