The Lycan King’s Second Chance Mate by Sumi

ASHANTI'S POV.

"Ashanti..." He whispers my nand reaches out for my left hand. I rear back angrily, ripping my hand away from his hold. If I let him hold my hand, a torrent of butterflies will take flight in my stomach, my heart will go soft and I will not address this issue with the severity I had planned to address it with. He won't take my point seriously.

"Don't " I release a shaky breath and try to steady my voice. "One minute we were happy and everything was fine between us and the next, everything had gone down the drain. You started treatinglike sworthless creature who wasn't deserving of your affection." I cry out with tears burning at the back of my eyelids. He's shaking his head, trying to deny everything I just said but I know he's lying. "You are not a worthless creature and I most certainly didn't treat you that way." "You did!" I insist, raising my voice and he opens his mouth to say something, but it seems like words fail him because he doesn't. He shuts his mouth and heaves out of exasperated breath. My heart is pounding as I watch him turn around and run his fingers through his hair, groaning and cursing under his breath and looking just as frustrated about the situation as I am. When he turns to faceagain, he looks like he's about to cry.

"I got confused. Scared. Frustrated as well. The elders..." His voice breaks. "They kept asking to know if you're the one I've chosen to be my second chance mate and I didn't know what to tell them. I didn't even know what my answer was. That's why I started being such a jerk to you. I know saying sorry doesn't change how hard I've been on you lately, but I'm sorry." "I was hurt by your sudden change of attitude towards me, but what toreapart was your lack of communication. You were mad about something, but you wouldn't even share it with me. I felt worthless. Am I just a whore to you like every other girl? Can I be replaced by just anyone out there?" I ask with a broken voice and he starts shaking his head again.

"No." He whispers painfully. "No. No. Of course not. You're not a whore and I don't see you as one. You are irreplaceable!" "Liar!" I call out angrily, almost raising my voice. I feel sick to my stomach. His misty eyes lock into mine. "I'm not telling lies, Ashanti." He steps closer and blood heats beneath my skin. I draw in a loud, deep breath and swallow the snakes in my throat. The fluttering sensation in my stomach makesangsty and memories of all the harsh words he said toare threatening to take over my tear ducts. I just need to blink and my face will beca waterfall. He takes my left hand again and this taround, I don't pull it back. I let him bring it to his mouth and he plants a kiss on it. A kiss that makesburn. "You are important to me." His voice is a nervous, shaky thing. "Very important." He emphasises. He's staring at me, unblinking, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

He's not lying.

He means those words.

"I'm not going to lie to you that I'm ready for..." He sighs. "That I'm ready for our next move. I'm not." He closes his eyes and heaves out a shaky breath. He's nervous.

His hands are vibrating like there's current buzzing through him. His eyes are searching my face for what I do not know. His voice... it keeps breaking as he talks. That is not something I have ever experienced with him.

He's always very fluent. He always knows what to say, when to say it and how to say it. He always has everything under control, but right now his emotions have overshadowed him. He cannot control them.

He's scared.

"I still need tto figure everything out, but I promise to treat you better from now on." His eyes are calm and humble. My heart is about to fall out of my body. I cannot believe he just said that. I open my mouth to speak but fail. "Things will be better between us from now on. I promise to be better." I drop my eyes. Pretend heat isn't fighting it's way up to my face. Pinch myself for no reason. He steps forward, leans in.

"Ashanti. Can you please look at me?" He begs with that honey coated voice of his that's irresistible. I peek up at him. His lips are apart, they falter and form an incredible smile that disarms my security. "Aren't you going to say anything?" He whispers.

"I... I don't even know what to say.. This argument isn't going the way I thought we would. I thought I'd smack you at spoint and then you'd get upset and order your guards to throwin the dungeon, after which I'll be hanged in public for raising my hand against the Lycan King." I say carelessly and his body shakes with soft laughter. I can't stop staring at him. Marvelling at him. I'm pinker than the summer sunset.

"Move in here with me." He says out of nowhere and my eyebrows touch the ceiling.

Did I just hear him right? No.

I must be trippin.

"I want you to move in with me." He repeats the statement and my heart twists suddenly.

"What?" I ash, aghast. "You can't possibly mean that."

"Look at my face." I do just that and the look he has on makesm understand that he is very, very serious. I shake my head. "No." I refuse.

"Yes."

m "No. You said you're still unsure about our next move." The content is of novelenglish.net! "We'll take things slow." "This is not taking things slow."

"I don't care what it is. All I know is that you are moving in withand that's final." He "I'm going to take walks past me. Th to a C He trails off but I don't hear anything he says because my mind is about to explode with the idea ofmoving in with him. Things have suddenly escalated between us.