Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

*Kyra*

My heart stutters in my chest as Hayes dives out of sight behind the tail that swings toward me. I try to twist, protecting myself from the hit as the heated scales crash into my side. A grunt of pain huff out of my mouth, my lungs expelling every ounce of air in them as my bones creak against the hit.

The pain blossoms up my ribcage as I brace for the hit on the ground, but it never comes. Arms wrap around me, a heavy groan in my ear as I wheeze and look up. Teiran frowns down at me before he releases me, taking a step back as if my lycan form disgusts him. Then he spins on his heels and walks toward his father's massive snout and lifts his hands.

"Enough," He calls out, but even I can see how his father disagrees with his statement. "Father, this war is over, the hoard has been conferred and I have been elevated to the new king. Surely you felt the shift already?"

The dragon rears up on his hind legs, massive wings opening wide as he roars, a blue flame barreling down on Teiran as he stands there expectantly. I try to limp away, getting further away from the heat as I trip over the wrecked trees and my lycan retreats.

All I think about is getting to Hayes and Tiago and how, at that moment, the one where Hayes had to choose between me and Tiago, he chose me through Tiago. He trusted my abilities and saved the one who needed saving. How hard of a choice had that been for him? For someone who felt for so long that he wasn't enough, that he had failed so save another?

"Hayes?" I cough out, my lungs burning and side aching as I search for him.

He doesn't respond, his presence in my mind quiet and it sends a shiver through my body. There is no way he and Tiago didn't make it. Hayes is injured, but he had to have saved him...there is no way he didn't. Unless...unless he sheltered Tiago, but it wasn't rough to save them both. A sob breaks through my determination. My lips dry and cracked as the wind whips around me, hot and filled with ash and embers. "HAYES!" I scream out, frantically searching around me.

Merikh looks in my direction, his eyes wide with worry, but he is drawn away by a roar and strange cracking of bones. My eyes remain focused on where I knew Hayes and Tiago had been moments before. Would I feel the moment I lost Hayes like I felt it with Tyler? We aren't fully mated, but it feels like my chest is unable to function every second I don't see him, making it impossible to not assume the worst.

"Kyra..." his voice mutters, my name weak and to my right as I stumble to stand and rush toward it, holding my arm to my side. I fall to my knees as I see his head pop up from rubble, a little child tucked tight to his chest as he sits before. A small sob breaks from my lips, the relief flooding me so quickly it feels as if I might vomit..

"Oh," I blubber out, fighting the bitter bile in my throat as I suck in a hiss of air. Ignoring the pain in my side, I crawl to them. "You scared the shit out of me."

Hayes grins, ash and splinters peppering his hair as Tiago turns to look at me, a smile on his chubby cheeks. How he grows will never not startle me, and truthfully, it makes my heart ache to miss so much time with him. But at least he is safe now and there is still more time to be had. All because of Hayes.

burns as if he is painting on a canvas. "Hey buddy, it's mama. You want to go see mama?" "No," he mumbles, his eyes looking heavy before they grow wide and he

the fuck..."

looking up in the sky as wetness drips on my face. For a moment

tear at each other above us. The sick sound of pained groans and tearing flesh as blood rains down from the

from behind, tearing it off completely as it tumbles down toward us. I launch myself over Hayes and Tiago, protecting them with my body as the massive body part propels toward us, only for a quiet thud to land off in the distance. The once formidable and feared dragon king follows his arm to the ground, landing in his human form with a grunt of pain, dirt billowing around him as Merikh

his prey, his eyes glowing gold, his face set in murderous

known it was time for you to step down long before you took that lying bitch as a mate."

you can actually kill me?" His father spits

the room to breathe

finishing

drops to his knees. A sick cackle rattles in his chest before he throws his head back, and he fall over in a fit of laughter, holding his stub of an

his face. I force myself to stand and slowly make my way to Teiran, reaching out for his arm as I pull him away

with zero hesitation as I turn him to look at me. There is pain in his eyes, not of the physical nature but his heart. It is breaking. And how can it not? He looked up this shell

to manage." He rolls his

the blame." I whisper, reaching up and turning his head to make sure he sees my sincerity. Teiran protected me in his

poor excuse of a dragon king

and opens my palm. He presses a kiss there for me, startling me as I freeze, wide

as I try to make sense of his words. "I cracked the

my heart racing as I look over at Hayes, who still sits, unable to move due to his leg, his eyes blazing in

one who will do anything to not only protect our kind, but protect the balance between the species. I woke up Tiago, I cracked