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.

giving Zoe the once over. She is wearing her silky pajamas with kittens on them and rainbow toe

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

other all their lives with Valarian’s excitement. At the same time, Tatum scooped him up, there was a knock on the door.

ages.

Tatum says, placing him down. Valarian moves to the door

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Chapter 40

on the balls of his little feet.

came back; you came back!!” he squeals eagerly.

11 788 4wkes

the apartment, and the apartment suddenly feels smaller, with two bulky

to Tatum before Tatum turns to

me.

eyes?” he says, shoving past the table and knocking a chair over.

raising an eyebrow at me when I swat his hands away. Valen comes over and

he questions when Valarian

I press my lips in a line. Valen looks at me, and

he tells Valarian, and I go to object when Zoe adds her

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worth.

19 288 Nouchers

Mary at the rogue center,” Zoe says, folding her arms across her chest, and I notice Tatum’s

not going to a rogue center,” Valen states before realizing what he said to Zoe, who

hands to her waist and popping her hip. Oh, careful, Valen, you may just get into an argument you

enough for rogues. It should be good enough for everybody, or are you admitting that this city is discriminative?”

from her, choosing not to answer. Good thing, 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 the

we get you ready for school Valarian?” asks Valen while walking off into his room down the small hall. Tatum

“For the boss.”

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mate and Valarian. Stepping into the room,

he takes his mug from

a kid’s room,” he mumbles

a mess,” I whisper

you, right?” Valarian asks as he laid his clothes on

going over to his little desk, pulling out two coasters, and sitting them on his bedside

his son do many times when he found something relaxing. Apparently, coasters are relaxing. Placing mine on the coaster, I move to his wardrobe, retrieving his shoes from the bottom and placing them beside his perfectly made bed. It was one

I had even caught him making Casey’s or remaking mine.

was more a roll–out of the bed every morning and made the

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hair and flatten his collar when Valen suddenly started unbuttoning his shirt. I just buttoned because Valarian whined about the collar not being completely wrinkle–free. How either of them could spot the tiny crease was

me.

necessary I ironed it the other

can feel it, I know it’s there,” Valarian cries

do it,” Valen tells him, giving him a

the world; it can be fixed,” Valen states, walking out before stopping in the hall. He scratched

your ironing