Traded To The Lycan King



*Kyra*

"It still has an umbilical cord..." I whisper, dragging myself closer to the sweet-looking baby, ignoring the way my leg seems to hurt worse than it did. "What does that mean?" Hayes asks, his brows furrowed and lips pressed tightly together as he assesses the tiny little being as it sleeps soundly. "That thing on it's belly...It's attached still. That usually comes off after they are born." I muse, an air of confusion coming over me as I look closer and observe how tiny the little thing is.

"Do you think...is that from the egg?" Hayes asks, looking around, his hand carefully peeling back layers of leaves and moss as he follows the still moist umbilical cord.

I watch him closely, the inside of my lip trapped between my teeth as I watch anxiously. That is, until something warm and soft slides over my hand and I look down. The tiniest little hand waves, the baby starting to squirm and fuss.

Everything around me seems to slow down, my heart pounding and my chest aching, longing for the baby I lost. Would it have been as beautiful as this one? As frail and innocent looking. A sob shakes me violently as I reach down without thinking. The little goosebumps dot the poor child as he shivers and the sweetest little whimper fills my ears.

"Oh, it's okay, sweetie," I blubber, tucking it into my arm with a half sob, half laugh. The baby's eyes remain closed as he whines and tucks in, as if telling me it likes it. "Oh, look at that sweet little nose."

"Ky..." Hayes says my name softly as I stare at this baby, my baby now as its little finger wraps around my pinkie finger, laying its claim on my heart. I'd forgotten how much I wanted this...how much being a mother meant to me, how much I had craved this unconditional love and relentless trust. "Kyra," Hayes calls my name again and I sniffle as I look up at him, a heavy frown on his face, as he stares at the baby in my arms. "Yea?"

He slowly lifts the remnants of a black shell, one looking incredibly like the oner we have been chasing all along. Then he holds up the bottom shell, the long umbilical cord leading to it as a placenta connects to it, providing the baby with nutrients.

"So it is..." My voice falls away, cracking as I look at this baby. This potential hybrid and breeder of chaos in an already chaotic species.

"I believe so, yeah." He whispers.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

My nose crinkles, "Then Ezrah..."

"He was trying to get out. I think for once, we caught him entirely off guard." He says, coming over next to me.

"So Teiran and Flora only have Ezrah..." I whisper, "And we have Giselle's baby."

Hayes exhales, dragging his bloodied hand down his face before he stands and paces away. He doesn't have to say what is on his mind. I can feel what is coming as my lycan grows territorial.

"No." I grit out, causing him to pause mid step, his back to me as his head drops and his shoulders slump.

"I know." He mutters, as I lick my lips, ready to fight him on this to the death.

"This is a baby, it needs protecting and how do we know what it really is—"

"Kyra." He spins, looking at me before he looks back at the baby again.

"I know." He repeats his words, making sure I hear everyone and feel that he means it.

"You do?" I blink at him, shocked.

"For fuck's sake. I may look like a damn monster, but I am not one entirely. I have killed many things, but one of them will never be a baby. Not after I have seen the way you looked at him."

Tears fill my eyes and I nod, wordlessly, unable to speak.

"What do we do then?" I whisper, lost for what to do other than hold and protect this little thing.

He looks around.

"Well, for starters, we wait for you to heal. When you can walk, that is when we will discuss what to do next."

"Did you say 'him'?" I ask his words, hitting me just now as I peek down and chuckle. It blossoms into a full-blown laughter out of happiness and he looks at me as if I am losing my mind.

"Are you feeling ok? What is so funny about him being a boy?" Hayes asks, stepping closer like he is concerned and may reach out to touch me.

"I feel fantastic. Teiran mentioned males are always dragons." I tell him, shoving his hand away. My heart is full as I feel a giddy glee through me. This sweet baby is just a dragon, a tiny helpless baby dragon shifter. Hayes gives me a skeptical brow and shakes his head grimly.

"Unless it is different with hybrids." He says.

"That is what I said, but he said a Dragon can not exist with another thing in its mind. Where Colette can be of both world sea and wolf, dragons will kill any counterpart to prove dominance. This little guy, he is going to be a dragon." I smile down at him. "Aren't you buddy?"

“Unless a Phoenix is the stronger species," Hayes interjects, and his words make my veins run cold. He has a point.

“Right. But until then..." I mutter, making faces at the sleeping baby. It doesn't matter if I look like an idiot. I can't help it. This is fueling my drained and tired soul, filling it with hope and want.

Hayes says nothing as he moves away, going in search of something while I stay rooted, easing down to my side onto the soft moss, the baby in the crook of my elbow.

He stirs, an adorable little squeaking like noise as he nuzzles around at me, looking for something to eat. I can't help but wonder if Ezrah knew the baby was born or if it happened during all the fighting.

Will he come back and try to take him from me? Will Teiran actually get him to Merikh and what happens when they realize that Ezrah doesn't have what they are looking for? But that doesn't matter at this moment. What does matter is that right now We are safe and we both need some rest.

net

I fall into sleep, an easy slipping away as the little boy snuggles in my arms. Until the nightmares come. My pulse quickens, my chest burning in effort as I clutch at my side. The pain is unbearable as 1 cry out for help in the darkness. No one comes, like they hadn't until it was too late that day.

My legs tremble and my cramps wrap around my abdomen with a vice grip, squeezing the life out of me. I snap my teeth together, gritting through the pain as I breathe through my teeth, spit flying everywhere as I stagger along.

It's happening, but it's too early. It's not the right time. I did everything right, or so I thought. After Tyler gaze himself to protect me, to protect us, I promised to pour my heart and soul into our child. The one I can no longer feel moving inside of me.

"Help." I say weakly, the word stuck in my throat as I sob and tumble to my knees, crawling back to the pack as quickly as I can. I try to ignore the wet, sticky liquid between my legs, but the air is cold and with each breeze, it brings me closer to the reality of what I have already lost and hopelessly cling to.

"Kyra," my voice is called softly and I open my eyes, and for a moment I see him. Tyler, my sweet loving mate. I look down, seeing the little baby and my heart soars. It was all a bad dream. He is here. We are here.

"Tyler." I shake my head, holding up our baby to him. "Look at our sweet boy."

His face distorts, as if an extreme heat is before him and his face melts away, a panicked scream tearing from my lips as I yank the baby away and scuttle back.

"Kyra," My name is called again, and the person touches me, those telltale sparks making me gasp as I try to blink, but my vision is blurry. "Shit, you are burning up. How the fuck did you get an infection?"