Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

"He is baiting us." Teiran gruffs, looking around for something more than the few droplets that linger on the ground.

"Or it's someone else." I mutter, focused on the way the blood seems different. Pinker, almost like paint from the store in shades lighter than blood red.

"Both of you are wrong," Kyra murmurs in thought, scooping up a leaf with some of it on it as she brings it closer to her nose and sniffs.

"And what makes you think that?" Teiran asks, walking over to her.

"There is fur in it," she explains, but he huffs in disagreement.

"The fur could have happened before or after the blood was here." He parries.

Kyra shrugs, her smooth locks falling over her shoulder and swinging toward her face as she looks carefully at what's in her hand.

"I suppose that could be true, too. But this blood smells like a deer.

"Then why is it pink?" He frowns and I grin. It feels nice to know a little more about this than others.

"It's from the lungs. It's more oxygenated and therefore looks more pink than red. Do you not hunt deer very often?"

Teiran looks at me with a blank stare, "We don't hunt our deer the same way you do."

"Right," I mumble, remembering he is a big ass dragon under that human skin. He probably doesn't have to chase and tackle, but does more swooping and swallowing.

"Are you sure it is a deer?" He asks, as Kyra stands and walks further from us.

We follow her, watching as she processes everything in her head, her eyes focused and her mind unable to hear anything we are saying now. Until she stops and places her hands on her hips.

"I am positive." She says, looking back at us and then nodding forward to where a dead deer hangs, partially butchered.

"Ezrah?" I ask, moving closer, looking at the jagged cuts closer.

"Most likely," Kyra says.

can salvage what he left." Teiran says, moving closer and proceeding to process

eyes scanning the different ways Ezrah could have potentially gone. She moves forward, passing the deer and stepping into a tiny clearing where she places her hands

a shadow forever attached to her but always beneath her, but it feels somehow invasive

knew, the version he helped to shape, and that she loves so much. It feels wrong to admire her for it and

else you two may find, then come back for me." Teiran says from behind me.

I ask him and

for a long time." He responds

to me like you are cutting that deer like a novice."

is cut." He

scent left behind. I follow it, weaving through trees until I see her. Her fingers touch various trees before she swoops down, touching the mossy ground. Then she drops to her knees and listens to the ground, popping up with

side. My eyes stuck on the thing as

coming up next to her, my hand sliding up her lower back to alert her to my presence.

only for there to be a

Ezrah." She tells me, her

it's not."

A feminine voice calls

smile from me

certainly not when it is someone of your kind." I tell her, which makes Kyra look up

She steps forward, her blond hair reflecting the sun with flowers strung throughout

thing." She hisses. "That bastard did it, so I scared him

Kyra asks, taking a step closer. "Can you tell me

know him?" The blonde elf narrows her eyes, her teeth grinding together. I

say, placing my hands up. "He is our enemy and the

war?" She blinks.

and the lycans..." Kyra says,

and her nose crinkles. "Is that why there are so many of them around? Of

Shit, if she has seen a lot, then there is a chance we will find ourselves fighting more of them. Which will slow us down and likely mean injuries in some way for all of us. "Well, in the past year,

did the man who killed the deer go?"