Traded To The Lycan King

"I don't know what to say," I admit, his honesty catching me off guard. Since the second he laid eyes on me again, he has been nothing short of rude and cold. Every word has been a stab at me in one way or another. But now he suddenly racked with guilt and

apologizing?

"There is nothing to say, Kyra. You asked for your apology and I gave it to you," he says matter of fact.

"And that's it? We go back to constant fighting and bickering?" I ask, arching a brow. He pauses, then lets out a low sigh, his good hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know," He admits. "What do you want from me?"

I scoff. "For starters? Maybe you not trying to sabotage me at every turn."

He frowns like I am speaking some untruth, and I give him a stern look.

"Fine. But in my defense, I wasn't the one to drug you." He says.

"Did you tell Marcos to do it?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. He looks away and shrugs, refusing to answer, and I roll my eyes. "Of course you did."

"I didn't want you to get hurt." He tells me, and I see how sincere he is, but sincerity doesn't matter when you mess up.

"Yeah, that worked out really well." I scoff, throwing my hands up in frustration, and he winces.

"Dragons are not known for being in this area, even scouts. We are still close to the

That's not just a bad decision, it was a near fatal one and I know I am here in one piece, but it was very, very close to being me in multiple pieces." I say, my voice

is that I want to know why he thinks so little of me. Was loving

his voice matches mine in volume. "All I can do

in defeat. "And

swallowing hard as

you envision that happening?" I ask him, my hands finding my hips

my body nearly

I hiss, "The girl you remember and the woman standing in front of you are very different people. I do not cower and I do not run. You need to find this Fae? I am your only hope of finding him. I can promise you that." His eyes meet mine and for a moment the air grows thick, the forest around us silent as I get lost in

open. All his actions and reactions point to one thing: hatred. Hayes has learned to not only hate life, but he has locked everyone out, and I am the furthest on the outside than even Merikh. "I don't hate you,"

hitches, his closeness catching me off guard as his warm breath

feels like it." I murmur, cursing myself as my eyes flick to his lips, watching

have helped you if I hated you." He says. His presence is damn near overwhelming. The scent I didn't pick

face. My breathing hitches and I can feel the heat in my cheeks. I need to cut this tension, obliterate

beating Marcos and accusing me of having sex with him, helping me?" I ask, my mouth still dry, my body light as if it is floating. It doesn't matter how much I want

He says his words full of bite as if remembering the moment in his mind. What he thinks he saw must

down his face. "Marcos was helping me, Hayes. Just like you had instructed him to do." "Why are you still here?" He asks, the gentle Hayes I remember disintegrating in a puff of annoyance.

that." I tell him, and he watches me expectantly.

breaking from his deformed, yet somehow still handsome

when to give me space," he says, then he points at me. "You clearly don't remember