Page 17 of Lycan’s Hunt

Chapter 7

• Aubrey •

Soren has been acting strange since he spoke to Damian yesterday. Quieter than usual. I’ve asked him what is going on and he said his mother is pestering him about the wedding being postponed. But I have a nagging feeling it’s something else. Although I’m glad to be getting away from the castle today, hopefully spending some time with Max and me will lift his mood.

We’re driving into the city, Max practically bouncing in his seat beside me, buzzing with excitement. His eyes are glued to the passing buildings as he chatters away about the movie we’re supposed to see. It’s all he’s been talking about since we left the castle. Soren’s hand rests casually on my shoulder, his fingers absentmindedly playing with my hair, his expression focused yet calm, though I can tell his mind is elsewhere.

“Do you think there’ll be popcorn?” Max asks, turning to me with wide, hopeful eyes. Damian whose driving chuckles in the front. I pay him no mind since he has done nothing but cast angry glances at me all morning.

I smile, ruffling Max’s hair. “Of course there will be. A movie without popcorn? That’s unheard of.”

Max grins, already planning his snack orders, then Soren’s voice cuts in, dampening his parade.

“There’s a quick stop I need to make before we head to the theater,” he says. His tone is casual, yet I catch the seriousness behind it.

“What, why?” Max whines loudly and jutting out his bottom lip.

“I have a meeting with some Alphas and the council. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“A meeting?” I ask, glancing at him. “Is it serious?”

“There’s a brewing conflict,” he admits, his eyes still trained on the road. “A couple of packs are about to go to war. I’m going to see if I can diffuse it before it escalates.”

My stomach knots at the word war. Max, oblivious to the tension, keeps babbling about the movie, my attention shifts entirely to Soren. He doesn’t show any outward sign of concern, but I know better. I’ve been around him long enough to sense when something is more dangerous than he lets on.

After an hour of driving we pull up in front of a tall, imposing building in the heart of the city. It looks like any other council building—a grand structure of glass and stone. This is no ordinary government office though. It’s a neutral ground, a place where human officials and supernatural councils meet to hash out agreements and keep the uneasy peace between our worlds. Humans and the supernatural coexist in fragile harmony, each keeping their own secrets from the public, this is the first time I’ve been to the central council.

I follow Soren and Max through the grand entrance. The air inside feels different, tenser. The lobby is sleek and modern, all marble floors and towering pillars. But it’s the people who catch my attention. Some look human, but I notice small details—eyes that are too sharp, teeth that glint unnaturally in the light, the strange shift of energy around them.

“Soren,” I whisper, sticking close to him as I notice a figure with pale skin and glowing red eyes. “Who… who are they?”

“Hybrids,” he says, not breaking stride. “And that one over there… is a vampire.”

I stop in my tracks, staring. Vampires? I’ve always known about werewolves and Lycans—my kind—but vampires and hybrids? That’s another world entirely. “I didn’t know… they existed.”

Soren gives me a small, knowing smile. “It’s hard enough for humans to comprehend us. Imagine what they’d do if they knew about all the others. It’s easier to keep certain truths hidden.” He shrugs. “Besides, when werewolves started attacking on full moons, it was kind of hard to hide us.”

“How did I not know this?” I mumble.

“It’s not werewolf knowledge either, only the governments. When I mentioned other kingdoms the other day, this is what I meant. I am the last Lycan King, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have rivals.”

I nod, trying to absorb this new reality. I feel like a child again, learning the world is far bigger and scarier than I ever imagined.

We head into a conference room, where Soren takes a seat at a large, dark table. Max and I sit beside him. I try to distract myself by helping Max with some coloring in a book we brought, but my nerves are getting the better of me. The room is thick with tension, the kind of tension that makes my wolf stir uneasily beneath my skin like my wolf side is expecting something. It doesn’t take long for me to realize why I have the jittery feeling when the door opens, and in walks Rhett.

My blood turns cold. Alpha Rhett Miles. The man I once thought would be my future, the man who framed me and left my life in shambles. I freeze, horror gripping me as his eyes land on me for the briefest of moments. He stares, his expression unreadable, but there’s recognition there, no doubt about it, and I notice the way he hesitates like he is just as shocked as I am at seeing him here.

“King Soren,” Rhett says, giving a bow. Soren waves him and introduces me calmly.

“This is my fiancé, Brielle.”

I wait for Rhett to say something, for him to acknowledge what we both know, instead, he simply nods. “Pleasure to meet you.” He holds out his hand for me to shake. My fingers tremble as he grips my hand, bringing it to his lips, yet his eyes don’t leave mine. I see the spark of fury behind them as they flicker briefly to his wolf.

He lets go, and I retake my seat, waiting for him to out me. Yet, he doesn’t. Why? Is this part of his game?

Max stumbling with his pencils scatters them across the table, Damian and I move to help scoop them up while Rhett takes his seat.

Gathering the pencils, I sit up and pretend to help Max with his coloring book, but my ears are attuned to every word Soren and Rhett exchange. The tension is suffocating, and I can’t stop my hands from shaking as I pass Max a new pencil. I force a smile, trying to hide my nerves, my thoughts racing too fast to focus on anything except the conversation unfolding around me.