Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

The second we land, my palms grow sweaty and I exhale the nervous breath I continually find myself holding. Tiago is propped in the arms of the dragon female we were told we had to bring along. After all, how am I supposed to do the ceremony with him in my arms the whole time? When the doors open to the air carriage, I grip my hand, pinching the skin, reminding myself to stay calm.

But calm is impossible when I enter the sunlight and see the people I know, the ones I care about waiting for me in their best outfits. Merikh and Colette stand proud in their deep pine colored garbs and there next to them is my jaded beast.

Hayes looks stunning as I let out a small squeak, biting back the excitement in my chest. His black tux is nothing special and yet, he still outshines everyone in the room. Teiran's dad chuckles to himself, leaning into Teiran as he shares a joke and then shoots me a sinister wink. Teiran grumbles but doesn't seem to share the same excitement for the joke.

"Remember, we are here for peace, Father," He bites out, shooting a worried glance in my direction.

"We are here for you to fuck a dog and make a claim on her. If peace follows that, so be it." He grumbles, glaring at me before he tucks his hands into his pockets and shuffles to Merikh first.

"Ah, it is so good to see you in person." Merikh says, extending his hand to shake it.

"Let's not pretend you don't all want me dead and that you all didn't harbor my child from me," Tieran's father says loudly as he spins, arms extended. "If it weren't for this misfortune, you would all be dead by now."

"You forget that we have already been proven innocent of taking your child," Colette chimes in. "In fact, it was us who reunited you with him, considering Kyra was under our orders, yes?"

Teiran smirks and his father scoffs, looking away annoyed, but Colettes' eyes glitter with excitement, her soft brown hair curled in loose waves tumbling over her shoulders as she reaches to greet her old friend.

"I apologize for my father," Teiran says, shaking hands and kissing the top of Colette's with respect. Then he turns to Hayes, extending his hand to him.

"It's been a short time." Hayes says, shaking his hand, his demeanor uninterested. I know he is being forced to be here, but he seems so distant. Is it wrong for me to have hoped he would show some hint that he cares? Does he know the circumstances I am under and is trying to make it easier, or does he hate me?

"Indeed, it has," Teiran says, reaching out and taking my hand in his. He clutches it tightly, his father grinning with delight as he looks expectantly at Hayes, who looks as if he can barely be bothered by the slightest thing.

"I am glad you are home and well," I say to him and he nods.

"It is nice to be home and feel...like me again," he says, his eyes meeting mine for the first time.

My heart stutters, my breathing hitching as I look into the eyes that are screaming so much while the rest of him says absolutely nothing. My lycan cries out, begging for me to leap into his arms and never let him go, but a tight squeeze from Teiran has me breaking eye contact and tearing my heart in two as I am dragged away.

I follow silently, checking on Tiago a few times as Merikh and Colette walk us to our rooms and inform us the ceremony will start shortly. Before leaving, I am pulled aside as Colette reaches out and takes both of my hands, giving me a reassuring smile, but I can feel the pity behind her face.

"You are giving up so much." She whispers as tears form in my eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I snort and shake my head.

"Want has nothing to do with this, Luna. I am doing this for our kind-" I whisper, looking down at the ground. It is hard to describe the weight I feel on my chest, how every breath feels like a struggle in this damn gown that doesn't suit me.

"Trust in yourself and what you feel is right." She says, tilting her head as if trying to get a better look. "No matter what happens from this moment on, we will support you. Both the Lycan and the sirens."

My brows furrow in confusion as she releases me, and Tieran saunters over, his arm extending out over my shoulder. He bows his head respectfully to Colette and Merikh as they head to check on progress for the ceremony and I head into the room, dropping into the chair by the door.

"My father will be next door," He says, heaving a relieved sigh. "I do think he is becoming more and more of a problem."

"Oh, you think?" I mutter, running my hand down my gown. "I've known the whole time."

"I am sorry that you are the one in the middle of all of this, Kyra." He says more sincerely. He moves closer, dropping to his knees before me, his hand resting on my thigh. "If there was another way, or if I could bewitch you to think only of me, I would."

I can see the way it torments him.

n. שי

Teiran has been nothing but patient and kind with me, but I can see the way he looks at me and how it changes. I don't know when it happened or how, but lately I him and that he is actually looking for other options than this forced mating bond. I think he would rather take me than be lonely any longer.

"It is what it is, Teiran." I sigh, a stray tear running down my cheek.

His thumb is there to wipe it away, his hand cupping my cheek as he looks at me. I watch as his eyes dart from my lips to my face and dread builds in my gut. In all this time, we have never truly been alone together. Tiago has always been with me and even now I wish I had him here as my buffer.

"Your makeup is coming off." He whispers, leaning in closer, his lip tugging down at the corner.

"It's fine," I murmur.

"I prefer when you look perfect." He says. "These freckles...they show imperfection."

A jolt of anger hits me in the chest as I chuckle and shake my head, pushing his hand away.

"I am imperfect, Teiran. This is what you are stuck with. A lycan who can never truly love you. This is what you chose. Painting my face like a porcelain doll to make me more perfect won't negate that I am not the one for you or that you are just using me for the crown. Please don't pretend you see me as anything other than a stepping stone."

I tear away from him, moving toward the door.

"Kyra," His eyes are wide in shock before he drags his hand over his face. "Go, get some fresh air and come back when you have calmed down."

"If I come back," I snark at him and his eyes grown orange, his lip twitching in anger. I instantly put my hands up to calm him down. "Bad joke, I am kidding. I will be back."

"You damn well better." He grits out before I stomp out the door.

I make it no more than two steps

before I am gripped tightly on my arm and dragged three doors down and into a dark room. My body a

slams into a wall with a jolt, my net

teeth shattering with the force as I grunt in pain and wince. The sparks explode up my spine and every nerve ending as fingers entwine with mine.

"Hayes," I breathe his name as if it had been a secret prayer, relief and heartache mixing with the sheer pleasure of being able to smell him, touch him.

"Are you okay?" he whispers, his lips brushing my earlobe. "I just need to hear from you that you are okay, that you will be okay, and then I can let you go." "Let me go?" The words feel like torture to choke out, the thought of him letting me go...

"I will accept your rejection, but I have to know this is what you want, this is you choosing this because you can be happy-"

"No," I rush out, my voice hoarse as I feel through the darkness of the room and slip my hands around his neck. "No, don't let me go. Please, don't let me go."

His body shudders and suddenly his forehead is pressed to mine, his hot breath panting over my lips.

"Say it again," he demands, one hand gliding behind my lower back and the other gripping the side of my face. "Fucking say it again."

"I don't want to do this, Hayes." The tears spill from my eyes as a sob breaks through me, my voice cracking. Then he silences me with his lips, warm and so much softer than I imagined he could ever be.