Traded To The Lycan King



Every scream goes unheard as the wind rips away my cries for Hayes and demands to be put down. My throat is dry and sore and my lips cracked from the icy wind as I hold the baby tightly to my chest, his warmth heating me as if I were hugging an electric blanket. It's not until I look down at him I realize he is watching me with curious, sad eyes.

"It's okay, little guy," I whisper hoarsely. Not that he can understand what I am saying, but he seems to tilt his head before his chunky fists clench my shirt tighter. Teiran makes a tight turn, forcing me to close my eyes as I squeal, ducking my head to the baby in fear before the massive wings slow and finally my feet touch the ground again.

A breeze shifts around me, and I can hear the snapping of bones as they rearrange. When I open my eyes, I see a fire burning in the corner, one of those magic dragon flames emitting little to no smoke. I whirl around ready to lay into Teiran for his shit move, only to find him not there. My mouth falls open as my brows furrow, and I take two hesitant steps.

"Teiran." I call out, my throat aching.

"There is tea over by the fire." His voice echoes from somewhere as I look up, noting the stone ceiling, the walls and as I look at my feet, even the floor is made of stone.

"I don't want anything." I bite out at him wherever the hell he is.

"Why? We are going to be here a while and your voice sounds rough" His voice echoes again and I spin to see him sauntering closer. His black shirt clings to his frame as he leans into the curved rock wall.

“Because you are taking me back to Hayes." I scoff, and he chuckles.

"That is far from what I will be doing." He smiles sweetly before he pushes off the wall and brushes past me.

"What are you doing?" I hiss at him as he hums to himself, ignoring me as I move closer to the fire, reluctantly enjoying the warmth. Teiran goes about his business, gathering tea from a tiny carved out stone cupboard and then grabs a pot, pouring water into it from a jug before he moves it to the fire.

"Teiran," I say softly, trying not to sound like a beggar, but the pleading slips through. I miss Hayes already. "Please."

"Please what, Kyra?" He asks, not looking up as he stands and moves behind me, dragging a cot closer for me to sit.

"Please take me back." I whisper, a tear slipping down my cheek.

"Sorry, but no." He grunts, then he moves over to me and reaches out, removing the baby from my arms as he lays him down in a pile of furs on the ground.

"Why the fuck-"

"Shhh," He interrupts me, pressing a finger to his lips. "We will discuss this after he has been down for a few minutes and after you have had some tea. Your voice is grating in my ears. It sounds like I'm arguing with a man."

I gape at him as he shakes his head and busies himself with other things while I stew in the anger of my sudden kidnapping and ache in my chest from being so far from someone I only just found again.

"Why am I here?" I whisper, tired of the silence, of the aching in my chest and this stupid war.

"Sip on this," He mutters, shoving a ceramic mug into my hands.

"I don't want it."

"Then I won't answer any questions until you drink it." He shrugs, taking a seat on the ground and leaning back onto his palms.

I grind my teeth together and sneer at him as I sip the hot tea. It burns my throat as I swallow it down, a hint of amusement in his eyes as I make sure

to stare at him. After I empty the glass, I place it down and move to the ground, away from the sleeping baby.

"Better?" he asks, arching a brow with a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Why did you leave Hayes behind?" I ask, getting straight to the point. He sighs heavily and rolls his head from shoulder to shoulder like he is stretching.

"I don't need him." He finally says, choosing his words carefully.

"And you need me?" I snort in disbelief.

"Yes." the word slips from his lips with ease and I scoff a disbelieving chuckle.

"What, you need a babysitter?" I ask him, rolling my eyes.

When I look back at him, he is leaning forward, his eyes trained on me, causing me to shy away. He moves onto his knees, crawling in my direction as I scoot back, unease growing in my stomach.

"No," he mutters, as I put my leg out, trying to create space as he infringes on mine.

"Could you stop stalking me like I'm a meal?" I grind out, grimacing as I look him up and down. It's not that Teiran isn't attractive, and for anyone else, not madly, hopelessly in love with someone they were never meant to have. This would work.

"I need a mate in order to make this all work." He says, stopping his advance.

"I

"Then go fucking find a willing one." I grunt.

"That is part of the problem, Kyra. I don't get to choose, the circumstances found me and I didn't choose you," he says, growing inpatient.

"Oh wow, that's a great way to win a woman over." I snort.

Teiran stands, his hands going to his hips as his tongue presses to the inside of his mouth.

"In order for this plan to work we need to be mated, Kyra." he says, determined to convince me that there is no world in which I will ever willingly mate with anyone while I am mated to Hayes.

"Hayes is my mate." I tell him and he laughs.

"The guy has every intention of rejecting you and then dying." He says as if each word doesn't stab me in the heart. "I will make you a queen."

"Rule a kingdom of the species that killed my original mate?" I ask, but it's less of a question and more a laugh. "Teiran, I have no desire to be a queen or mate with a dragon."

"Then be a mother." He blurts.

"One day I will be again." I whisper, and I watch the way confusion dances over his face.

"You don't understand, dragon younglings bond with their mother once that bond is initiated there is no going back."

"Then what about him?" I ask, looking at the chubby baby happily sleeping. "His mom is dead. What will happen to him?"

"You are his mother." He says the words as if I am the one lacking any common sense.

"Like hell I am."

"He imprinted on you!" he hisses. "You broke the egg and the first damn thing he saw was you and your maternal instinct to protect. By a child's standards that makes you mom!"

"So what you are saying is I am suddenly the mother of a child. I didn't birth of a species I am not?" I scoff. “And I'm not the one that broke the damn egg."

"Yes! And that means that you are now the best way to end this war."

"I'm going to need you to explain this in a little more detail. How the hell am I the best way?"

"That baby, he needs you in order to survive. Okay? That means taking him to my father, with you in tow, a Lycan who saved him who he is imprinted on, he can not kill you. But-"

"But what?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"He will try to take you as a mate, the mother to his child." He sits back on his knees.

"Oh, hell no!" I bark out a laugh. "I'd rather-"

“Mate with a deformed, mentally unstable ex beta who doesn't really want you?,” he grumbles, “yeah I gathered as much. Am I so much worse looking than him?"

"Hayes is the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on." I say, a small smile on my lips.

Hayes' scars have somehow

become one of the things I love

most about him. The way they remind him and me of how fickle life can be, even for those of us who are hard to kill. Hayes is the reminder that we need to live in the moment and when I see him, I see a man with depth, a shitty attitude, yes, but a

man who has so much more to offer.

"Handsome or not, he will die soon,

along with your alpha and Luna, if we do not end this war. You think they were desperate before? They are barely holding on, losing numbers every day. This plan is drastic, but it is one I know for a fact will work. Come home with me, be my mate, and we can save

I

everyone."

I press my lips together, not sure what to do or how to feel.

"What exactly does a dragon mating entail? And is there a way to fake it?" I whisper, rolling my shoulders back.

"I'm not sure how long we would have to fake it." He says, making sure I understand. "And for the baby's sake, you will need to remain at my side

until he is at least old enough to understand you aren't abandoning him."

"How long will that take?" I ask, feeling my body deflate with disappointment.

"The sooner we start all of this, the faster he will age and grow."

"A couple weeks?" I ask hopefully, and he frowns at me.

"More like years," he says with a frown.

"I can't do that," I tell him, my eyes tearing up as I shake my head, standing and taking a step back. Then I spin and sprint toward the opening, Terian stalking behind me at a slow pace.

"There is no escaping from here, Kyra." He calls out behind me. "I'm not the bad guy here,"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"It sure as shit feels like it!" I growl out and he chuckles.

"I am doing this for everyone's sake. It is a sacrifice for me as well."

"I can't do it," mutter, coming to the

opening and struggling to stop before the edge as I look down, the breath wheezing from my lungs as look down at the rocky mountainside and distant There really is no way out. of

bel.

trees.

damn place and this dam this

plan.