Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

*Kyra*

Trees blur past me as I sprint past trees, my lycan relishing every second of freedom as she drives us further from the group. This is exactly the type of fresh air I need.

The kind that is full of clues and a hint of burning wood. Someone is out here and I intend to find them before the others realize I picked up a scent before they did. Not that I think it is Ezrah. In fact, I know it's not.

No matter how I would have explained it before, Hayes would have put his foot down and demanded we go as a group, but truth be told, I travel faster on my own. Not only that, but regardless of how things have turned out since being near Hayes, I can take care of myself. It's likely I need to prove it to myself again.

I glance up, the smell of smoke tickling my muzzled face as I slow for a moment, my fur prickling as I sense someone near. The trees provide me enough cover as I hide behind them, dropping my shirt from my claw and shifting back into my human form. As I tug it down over my head, I lean into the rough bark of the tree, searching until I see the massive frame sitting near a campfire.

In the light, I can see his forlorn face and dark hair as he throws bits of a broken stick into the flames, as if lost in a daydream. He looks lonely, his demeanor all too familiar. Who ever he is, he isn't some hunter in the woods like the dragons I have come across, and he sure as shit isn't all too concerned about being found.

My head tilts to the side as I move silently around in a wide berth, my eyes watching him as I come around to his backside. There is no one else with him, just a singular dragon shifter on his own in the woods. Which means he is either exiled or strong enough of a fighter he doesn't need to travel in pairs.

I move from my foliage cover, going closer as I watch him, waiting for him to notice my presence. He doesn't seem to notice as I break a stick, trying to garner his attention.

Whether it is smart or not, I move around him, standing facing him with the fire between us. After a moment he lifts his gaze to meet mine, a slow blinking before his chest rises in a deep breath.

"Can I help you?" He asks, his voice gruff though not as demanding as his words make him seem.

"Unlikely." I admit and he smirks, just a small twitch of his lip up ticking before he goes back to throwing his broken stick. "Are you alone?"

"That's the punishment." He mutters, a flicker of anger and then indifference over his face.

"You are a dragon..." I say, looking him over as I reach back and take a seat on the ground, inviting myself to his little party.

"I am," He says warily, pausing only slightly before going about his business.

"And you are alone?" I ask, reiterating what he said as I continue to scan the area. He finally stops, a sigh breaking from his lips as he raises his eyes and blinks at me.

"That is what I meant when I said that is the punishment, yes." He tells me, his brows furrowing as if he is trying to get a read on me and my purpose without asking the question. "What is it you want with me? Have you come to try to kill me, too?" A chuckle breaks from my lips as I shake my head.

"I'm not in the habit of killing someone who isn't actively attacking me." I tell him and he nods.

"Well, I have no intention of fighting you or any others so you can be on your way, Lycan." he mutters, looking away.

"I just have one question. Any chance you have seen a fae around here with an egg?" I ask him, ignoring his dismissal of me.

There is a change in the air, his back straightening and his chin cocking to the side. He finally seems interested in me as his eyes grow more curious. Then he leans forward, his elbows on his knees and his demeanor more guarded as he watches me with interest. "Have you?" He asks, an urgency in his voice that makes me grin.

"Weirdly enough, I have." I tell him, watching as his eyebrows raise in surprise. "But I lost him as I was swept away in a mudslide."

"Recently?" He asks and I nod. "Do you mind sharing in which direction you saw him?"

"Ehhh, yeah, I do mind actually." I tell him, rubbing my hands together slightly to keep them warm. "We are kind of enemies at the moment, so it wouldn't be in my best interest to share that with you. I am sure you understand." A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, and he shakes his head.

"We are far from enemies," he says. "In fact, I am willing to bet we probably want the same thing, or something close to the same."

"Oh? The annihilation of the entire dragon race for their betrayal and crimes committed against the other races?" I ask and he looks down, picking up a bigger twig, a sly smile on his face.

"Well, perhaps not the same exact thing." He smirks, then shrugs. "I want the truth to be known and the king to be dethroned."

"What truth is that?" I ask, crossing my legs under me. As I settle in to have a longer chat, curious to know his story. He is powerful. I can feel it in the way he carries himself, his demeanor as he answers and asks questions. "That the lycans and werewolves are not responsible for all of this," He says, his gaze meeting mine with such sincerity that I find my mouth dry.

"A dragon that has sense? Kind of feels like a trap, if you ask me." I tease and he glares at me before silence falls over us, only the crackling of the coals and the heat between us as we refuse to look away from each other.

"What do you want?" he finally asks again, a little more determined for an answer and I shrug, not exactly sure what I am looking for, but knowing I need to be here right now. It feels as if, for some reason, we may be able to help each other.

"I am not sure I believe you haven't seen the fae." I tell him.

"If Ezrah were to cross my path, I promise you would not find him ever."

"You would hide him?" I ask, wondering if I somehow misjudged this entire meeting, and he barks out a laugh.

"In a fiery grave, yes." He frowns

before he stands, his body rising

higher before he takes two large steps around the fire toward me. "As much as I have enjoyed the company, either you tell me who you are and what you want or I make you leave."

To say I am intimidated feels like too weak of a word. His aura drowns me in danger, making my palms sweat and my heart race. "You could always introduce yourself," I remind him, trying to keep my composure and not show him I am scared. He clenches his jaw.

"I am not someone you want to play games with." He grits out, "It has taken much energy to not be rude, but I have hit my limit."

"I am Kyra," I rush out, "And I am tracking that Fae to end this war, well, in hopes of ending this war."

He exhales before he lifts his hand up and drags it through his black hair.

"That fae is just as elusive as the dragon king's mind." He mutters in annoyance. "I assume this is Merikh and Colette's plan? Hunt down the fae who has the egg and try to return it?" "Something to that effect." I tell him, standing from the ground, inching back so I can make a run for it if I need to.

"Can you take me to Merikh and Colette?" He asks, something coming over him, a sort of excitement, or perhaps a bud of hope. I shake my head, a frown coming to my lips.

"I highly doubt they will want to see a random dragon-"

"I am not random." He growls, "My

name is I

dragonan and I am, or was, the

dragon prince. The heir to the throne until Giselle rotted my father's mind, and he lived through the loss of a

mate. I am the

reason your

made her escape from our

hoard."

"And you are hunting for the egg too?" I ask. Everything suddenly makes sense. "So you can kill the hybrid inside it and remain the next heir."