The Lycan King’s Second Chance Mate by Sumi

ASHANTI'S POV.

My heart is bubbling in my throat as I watch Alpha Reagan give his speech from the dais. The dry smile which formed at the side of his lips during our Intense eye contact a while ago awakened something in me. Flowers bloomed in my stomach, their soft, delicate petals tickling my organs and making me feel the things I used to feel two years ago when we were together.

I am dissapointed in myself for feeling this way. This man hurt me. He treated me like his subordinate instead of his equal given the fact that we were mates. I left him because of all that, but here I am, staring at him, marveling at the ease with which he addresses the people gathered in here. This is what he was born to do. To address people, to lead them, to rule over them and he does it so well, it amazes me.

A shiver runs down my spine when I feel a warm palm graze over my hands that on my lap. I quickly look down to see a familiar, masculine hand covering mine and follow the arm up and meet Ryan giving me a concerned look.

"You're going to rip that dress apart if that grip on it gets any tighter." He cautions and I look down at our hands. Indeed, I have the poor fabric in a tight grip that could ruin it any time soon. I quickly let go of the dress and shot Ryan a tired smile. He takes my hands in his and the gentle feeling of his thumb dusting over the back of my hand soothes me. I lean back against my seat and exhale heavily. The speech Alpha Reagan is giving from up there is like a distant echo in my mind right now. I can't even make out any word he's saying because of the fog of worry and nervousness clogging my mind. "Calm down."

"I can't."

minutes you two

again. "What if he doesn't come to talk to me after this. What if he just just leaves and pretends as though

the chasing if speaking with him again is

I can't do that. It'll make me look

with raised brows and I pause in shock. His question makes the bile in

just nervous." I flatly

his attention on Alpha Reagan who's still talking to the crowd, but his hands never leave mine and his thumb never stops stroking the back of my hands. I take quiet deep breaths in an attempt to calm my raging heartbeats

need to

I need to relax.

to me after this meeting. I need to look confident

Relax Ashanti... relax.