Page 66 of Lycan’s Hunt

Chapter 29

• King Soren •

I stand by Aubrey’s side as I place her on the bed after drying her off as best I can, my gaze fixed on her writhing form. Every convulsion of her body sends a spike of guilt through my chest.

“Aubrey,” I whisper, reaching out to brush a damp strand from her forehead. She flinches at my touch, a low moan of pain escaping her lips.

Her heart pounds wildly, each beat echoing in my ears. I can sense her pain, feel it as if it were my own. Her breaths come in ragged gasps, her chest heaving with the effort to breathe through her pain.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, though I know she can’t hear me. “It has to be done; you don’t understand right now but you will,” I promise her. For what I have planned, she can’t be vulnerable, she can’t bear his mark.

The memory of Rhett’s smug face flashes in my mind, and I clench my fists. That monster had no right to claim her. But now, watching Aubrey suffer, I wonder if I’m any better.

Her body arches suddenly, a scream tearing from her throat. I reach for her hand, holding it tightly.

“Stay with me, Aubrey. You’re strong. It will end.”

Even as I say the words, doubt gnaws at me. The blood-laced wine was supposed to ease her transition, make the bonding smoother. I miscalculated, and now she’s paying the price even with me feeding her my blood. I should have given her more beforehand.

I watch helplessly as another spasm wracks her body. What have I done to her? She’s becoming something new, something tied to me in ways I don’t fully comprehend. And it’s killing her. Killing who she used to be. A worry I didn’t even know existed forms. What if she hates me for what I’m making her into? What if she doesn’t want me? Even as those thoughts flit through my mind, I dismiss them. Even through her pain, she is looking to me for comfort.

“I won’t leave you,” I promise, squeezing her hand as I lay next to her.

Her eyes flutter open for a moment, unfocused and glazed with pain. Does she even recognize me? Or am I just another hurting her.

I know the danger she’s in. I can feel her life force wavering, struggling against the change. She needs me – my blood, my strength – to survive this.

As I watch her suffer, my heart constricts. I bite into my wrist, reopening the wound I’ve been using to feed her. The sharp pain is nothing compared to what she’s enduring.

“Aubrey,” I whisper, pressing my bleeding wrist to her lips. “You need to drink. Please.”

Her eyes remain closed, but instinct takes over. She latches onto my wrist, drawing my blood in desperate gulps. I stroke her hair, trying to soothe her.

“That’s it,” I encourage. “Take what you need.”

As she drinks, I wonder if this is truly saving her or just prolonging her agony. The bond between us pulses, raw and new, but it’s not enough. Her body is fighting the change, rejecting what should be healing her.

“I won’t lose you,” I murmur, more to myself than to her. “Not like this. Not after everything.”

Aubrey’s grip on my wrist loosens, and I gently pull away. Her breathing is labored, each inhale a battle. I press my hand to her forehead, feeling the fever raging beneath her skin.

The hours drag on, each moment an eternity of agonizing uncertainty. Aubrey’s whispers of pain pierce the air, her pleas for release tearing at my soul as she begs me to kill her. I hold her hand tightly, my thumb tracing soothing circles on her skin.

“I’m here,” I murmur, leaning close, forcing more of my blood into her.

Her eyes flutter open, unfocused and glassy with pain. “Soren, it hurts. Please…”

My heart clenches. “I know, love. I know. But you have to endure this. Not much longer.” The gashes caused by Bianca are now completely gone.

I brush a damp strand of hair from her forehead, trying to ignore the guilt gnawing at me. This is necessary, I remind myself. She’s mine now. This pain, as excruciating as it is, is freeing her from Rhett’s hold.

“You’re doing so well,” I encourage, even as another spasm wracks her body. “Just a little longer.”

Suddenly, the door creaks open. I tense, my protective instincts flaring. Damian storms in, his face a storm of emotions - anger, concern, and unmistakable fury directed at me.

“You marked her, Soren?” he demands, his voice low and dangerous. “Changed her?”

I meet his gaze steadily, though my grip on Aubrey’s hand tightens. “Yes, you knew I was going to,” I snap at him. She kicks the blanket off revealing her naked body to him. He instantly turns while I try to keep her covered.