Traded To The Lycan King

We creep toward the main area of the pack, where I know we have at least a defense of some sort. Well, I hope. In theory, once we hit pack grounds, we should have been under the safety of my pack, but clearly, things are a little more complicated than I hoped for.

I try to listen closely to the forest for sounds or lack thereof. The chittering of a squirrel or the silence of even the tiniest of insects to determine where the enemy is placed. But I hear nothing more than my heavy beating heart and the way my lycan seems to scream inside of me.

He feels locked away, as though he has been placed in an internal cage and we can't fully reach each other. It's strange and as much as I hate to admit it, the realization that Lauren's bite may have fucked us over is downright scary.

The vampire bite should have killed either me or my lycan. Whatever Ezrah did stalled the process, but if it had already started...if for some reason he stopped it after we began the separation of our soul, then I will always just be out of reach of my beast.

-Can you reach out to Hayes using the mindlink?-- Colette asks through ours. I frown, trying, but all I get is a static noise pulsing in my head that causes a stab of pain to my temple. I wince as I slam my eyes shut and shake my head.

-I can't-I tell her. Our eyes meet in the silence of the woods and I see the worry buried beneath the problem solving she is doing.

-It's not just you. I can't reach out to anyone in the pack-She says through our mate bond link.

-That just means Lily is close-I tell her and she nods, placing her hand on a downed tree as she propels herself over it.

There is a deep growl as I follow suit and land just in front of her. My eyes narrowed at the mangy wolf preparing to pounce on us. Its eyes rage in their telltale red as I inch forward, ready to fight him with bare fists if need be.

He lunges for me, gnashing teeth and drool hurling in my direction as I bob to the side, reaching out to catch him by the front paw. His back end lifts as I tug his front down, causing him to go down hard on his back with a thundering crack as his hind legs and lower back crash into the tree we had leapt over.

heavy whine as he realizes how unfortunate he is to have come across us alone. I saunter over to him, stooping low with a groan before I lift his head and quickly snap his neck, dropping his limp

in a hiss, her body stumbling into mine with a surprised groan as we both fall

get up, catching a furry figure as it crashes into my side and I thud into a tree trunk, my shoulder popping like a balloon in a dart game. There is no room for crying out or whining as I immediately drop to my knees as the wolf flies for me again, colliding with where I was seconds earlier. My lycan screams, looking for a way out as I try to release him, begging him to somehow break

A groan of frustration tears from my lips as I reach out with my good arm, gripping the

in my face as I lean back, then parry his attack with a fist to the muzzle. He whines before jumping at me again, this time taking

my thumb looped into the eyes socket. The wolf whines, trying to tear away from me, the whipping of his head back and forth popping my shoulder back into place with a jolt of pain

him forward, gripping his furry face with both hands as I slam my hard forehead to the

thick. fur and skin before I yank with all my might. Flesh tears

like. It's strange, having someone fawn over you as

asks, a lilt of

her face, the way

like I needed my lycans' help?" I ask her with a small

would allow us to move faster." She says, making complete sense, which only

me.

to focus on getting us

to be fast and fighting

I have a choice right