The Lycan King’s Second Chance Mate by Sumi

ASHANTI'S POV.

"Alpha Reagan." My voice comes out as a miserable whisper. Tears well up in my eyes as I turn to face him fully.

He's here.

It's seven am in the morning and he's here.

"Ashanti." His voice is almost inaudible. He looks so sad, so broken. The devastation in his tone is almost palpable. Just the sight of him has triggered my tearglands to start producing tears.

God, I hate that he has the power to make me so emotional.

"Good morning, Alpha Reagan." Tessa's quiet greeting breaks the awkward silence in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Tessa." He returns her greetings.

Tessa bows to him before turning to face me again.

"I'll give you two some privacy." I start shaking my head and holding her back.

"No." I whisper with a shaky voice. "I don't want to be left in here alone with him. Please don't go."

"I have to." She gives a gentle pat on my hands. "You two have to talk. I'll be right outside." I try to hold her back, but she peels my hands off her arm and walks out of the kitchen, leaving just Alpha Reagan, me and my ragged breaths.

I don't know why I'm so nervous, but God I'm nervous. I run haphazard fingers through my hair. It's useless. I'm standing there like a lump of nonsense. I flush a glance at him. I'd like to die a little. My heart jumps in my chest when he darts towards me. Soon, we are standing barely inches apart, facing each other. My heart is pounding in my ears. My knees are about to break.

"Ashanti." His baritone voice utters the letters of my name again. I feel oddly warm and numb at the same time.

This is a man I know inside out. I have slept with him. Spent good times with him. We've had our ups and downs in our past relationships. The last thing he is to me is a stranger and I should not be feeling all these things I'm feeling now, but I am anyway.

look and pray in my heart for my facial muscles

and serious. It comes out like a

His voice is low. His usual powerful and domineering demeanour is nowhere to be found. He looks broken... devastated and there is something lurking in his deep brown eyes. Some emotion I cannot even begin to identify. "To know how you're

you can see, I'm doing alright. You can

am not going

She surely needs you." At the mention of the name Selena, he exhales

pitch rises and so do

no sign. We're still carrying out an investigation

I have caused you nothing but problems, I even left you at a very crucial time. I went out of sight for two good years. That certainly angered the Moon

not how this whole mate thing works... I..." His words are interrupted by the sound of his ringtone. He shoots a glance at his jacket where the sound is coming from and waves

"That's not important."

don't know

"Ashanti it's not..."

and answers the call. I know I shouldn't pay attention to it, but I do and my mood turns even more sour when I

say to her has succeeded in getting her to calm down.

His expression is like someone who's about to burst

two halves as they burrow their way out of

She needs you.

That sounds ridiculous!

to

you to

you have to. She's your mate and you have obligations towards her. Go fulfil them,

"Ashanti please..."

dare to meet his gaze as I say that word. I couldn't. It hurts too much to

what