Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

My shoes squelch from the water that fills them. The cold of the mud mixed with the soggy fabric makes me

shiver. No amount of running hot could warmfrom this icy chill as it settles into my bones. | knew the second

Hayes made us go back to the others that we "Shit, it's an endless fucking stream of rain," Dean growls with a

shudder, his arms clutched to his chest.

were screwed. Everything on this mission has a way of going sideways.

"We should try to wait it out," Nisha yells, her voice barely audible over the droning sounding of hard, heavy

droplets pelting us from the sky.

Hayes drags his hands through his hair, droplets running down his cheeks before he meets my eyes, and a frown

grows on his lips. He knows there is no way | will willingly stop. We have already lost so much valuable tand

likely important clues. Maybe this explains their lack of finding Ezrah all along. Do they even want to find the

guy?

"Waiting it out is the difference between a quick mission or two years of wandering aimlessly." | yell over the

noise. Marcos' eyes widen in shock, but Hayes doesn't seem phased by my comment. "I have no intention of

resting or losing what little trail we have left." | pick up my speed, moving faster as Nisha falls behind with Koda

at her side.

"Kyra," | hear my nbeing called, but | can't in good conscience slow down. If they can not keep up, then they

will have to findon their own later.

"Kyra!" | hear Hayes roar loudly, and yet all it does is cement my stubbornness as | keep moving. His hand

clutches at my elbow as he whirlsaround. Hayes' lips purse together, droplets raining over them as he huffs

out an exasperated breath, spraying the water away as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"It's gone already," he finally says. "I fucked up by heading back. | can admit that. But slogging around in a

fucking rain storm isn't going to get you anything but wet and more lost."

| yank my arm free, my pride and anger swelling in my chest. He knows nothing about my abilities. All he has

done is severely undervalue what | can do, admittedly things have been off to a rough start, but that isn't

entirely my fault. | trusted too easily when | should have known better that the worst kind of enemy is the one

who knew you.

"Right now, | am trying to cling to whatever closeness we have to him." | throw my hands up, "Of course all the

clues and trail are gone. Ezrah is traveling with an egg. One, he must keep warm at all costs, Hayes. That means

he is not moving, he is hunkered down, keeping warm and staying somewhere dry."

He scoffs, shaking his head.

"I'm calling it. We have passed the furthest point you were at earlier. It is tto find shelter and wait this out."

He demands.

"You are not my alpha, and as luck would have it, you are not my beta either. So you may find the others shelter,

and sing cute songs around a fire and cuddle. | am doing my job." | snap, turning to run away from him. His hand

wraps around my elbow again and he yanks hard, pullingaround and into his hard chest.

| can only help my eyes carry the anger | feel about him manhandling and demanding | follow his stupid orders.

Orders that will mean | am stuck here with him for longer and | need to be rid of him and this fucking bond I used

to beg for.

"My priority is everyone's safety." He says, glaring down at me.

"Well, | relieve you of that priority." | say, looking up at him as he growls in his chest.

| can feel the way it vibrates in his vast chest that is pressed against me. My body shivers, the warmth of his

body remindingjust how cold the rain actually is. Damn my traitorous involuntary movements that only help

convince him he is in the right. "Enough of this back-and-forth shit, Kyra. | am not here to bicker with you. Merikh

asked you to do this but with my permission you were allowed to join us. | take others' safety fucking seriously. |

will not fail another person the way | failed her ever again."

The bitter resentment and hurtful words sit at the tip of my tongue, which I bite down so hard the twang of blood

colors my mouth. What | want is to make him mad enough he letsgo, but something tellshe won't be

dropping this issue anytsoon. What a drastic change from the the leftfor the fucking dragons,

drugged and alone.

"The second the rain lets up, even a little, | am gone to track. Is that understood?" | sneer at him, and he arches

a brow down at me.

"Weird. It sounds like you were asking permission all while you were tellingwhat you were doing."

I roll my eyes, stepping away from him.

"Yes, well, | listen to orders to the best of my ability. Doesn't mean | have good hearing, though."

We walk back in silence, not really sure which way we are headed in, until | catch a whiff of smoke and a little

glimmer of light. To my left, sheltered in a corner over a massive overhang, sits a small rundown cabin.

| scrunch my nose at it as we move closer. Tyler had a love for the human world's horror movies. They weren't

really something I liked at all, but of the few | watched, | am fairly certain this is a scene from one.

Hayes lets out a bird call and | smirk, amused. The guy couldn't so much as whistle when we were growing up.

Now he is tweeting like a bird. A similar sound comes back, and | watch his shoulders roll back as he motions for