Home / Werewolf / TRADED TO THE LYCAN KING / Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

All Chapters of TRADED TO THE LYCAN KING: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

243 Chapters

101

MiguelGrowing up, Raguel had always been the better son.He had been the stronger, faster, more courageous one. Whenever we sparred, I ended up flat on my back. Whenever we raced, I was left behind before we reached the halfway mark. Whenever any of our parents spoke proudly about one of us, it was usually Raguel’s name that left their mouth.Not because they loved me less but because Raguel gave people so much to admire about him.I remembered one afternoon when I was barely ten. Father had watched Raguel knock down three older boys during training. The pride in his eyes had been hard to miss. He had never looked at me with so much pride. Strangely enough, that never hurt as much as people imagined it would.Because I never wanted what Raguel had. Not the power, not the title. None of those fascinated me. I had always wanted something, or rather, someone.Charlotte.I smiled bitterly as I leaned back in my chair.She had been the only thing I'd ever wanted. But every time her eyes s

102

LyraThe newly-installed television in my room had been on for nearly an hour, though I couldn’t honestly say I’d been paying much attention to whatever was playing anymore.We had started with a historical documentary that somehow drifted into a cooking competition before ending on an action movie Raguel claimed he wasn’t interested in but had somehow become completely invested in.I caught him watching it from the corner of my eye and smiled to myself.“You’ve been staring at that screen for the last ten minutes.”His eyes snapped back to mine. “I have not.”“You absolutely have.”“I'm just observing. The hero has made four foolish decisions in a row. I’m curious how many more he’ll make before the movie ends.”I shook my head and laughed.For someone who ruled an entire kingdom and could make hardened Alphas nervous with a single look, Raguel had surprisingly strong opinions about movies.Just then, the hero walked nonchalantly into an explosion.Raguel sighed. “See what I'm saying

103

LyraThe horror that flashed across his features lasted only a few seconds before it slowly gave way to something else entirely. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and the horrified expression on his face softened into surprise, like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just heard.For a few seconds, he simply stared at me.His lips parted, but no words came out. He looked completely caught off guard, and for someone who always seemed to have an answer for everything, seeing him this speechless was amusing.When he didn’t say anything, I continued talking, not seeing any reason to dance around the issue.“I’d like to have a child with you,” I said.I didn’t stop there because the thought had already taken shape so clearly in my head that it almost felt real.“I think it’d be nice if we have a little Raguel with your amber eyes and stubborn streak, a little Lyra with my hair and my smile running around in the house.”The words hung gently between us.I found myself smiling without meani

104

HabeelaI had started looking forward to the end of every week far more than I wanted to admit.At first, I had convinced myself it was nothing more than a harmless routine. Zevran and I would meet, watch whatever movie caught our attention, argue over whether it was actually good or not, then wander into a café afterward where we’d stay much longer than either of us intended. We’d talk about anything that came to mind, laugh over the smallest things, and somehow manage to never run out of conversations.Somewhere along the way, what had begun as casual outings had quietly become something I looked forward to with genuine excitement. I no longer had to remind myself that it was almost the end of the week because I was already counting the days without realizing it.That realization lingered in the back of my mind as I stood in front of my wardrobe, carefully deciding what to wear before leaving the palace. I had already settled on an outfit before I heard footsteps approaching my room

105

MiguelI had lost count of how long Charlotte had stayed hidden inside my house.At first, I convinced myself she just needed time. Charlotte had always been the kind of person who withdrew whenever life disappointed her. Whenever Raguel was the reason for that disappointment, the pattern was always the same. She disappeared into herself, shut herself inside her room, or wandered deep into the forest in her wolf form until the pain became easier to bear. It had been that way for years, so I told myself this time would be no different.Except weeks had passed.As I walked through the hallway that afternoon, the house cc was quiet. Even the servants had become quieter, knowing well to avoid the upstairs corridor where Charlotte spent nearly all of her time. Meals were left outside her room even though they were mostly uneaten often, and the curtains remained drawn day after day. Sometimes I wasn’t even sure she was still inside until I caught the faint scent of her lingering beneath the

106

LyraThe outing had taken far more effort to organize than I had expected.For days, I had quietly worked around both Miguel’s and Raguel’s schedules, speaking to each of them separately until they had finally, and very reluctantly, agreed to meet. Neither of them had shown even the slightest bit of enthusiasm when they accepted my invitation, but I had still counted it as a small victory.They were brothers, and no matter how distant they had become, I couldn’t convince myself that the bond between them had disappeared completely. Whatever had happened in the past had clearly left wounds that neither of them wanted to touch, yet I kept believing that if they could spend enough time together without anger or conflict getting in the way, then maybe they would eventually find a path back to each other.That hope was the only reason I found myself sitting across from them that afternoon.The restaurant was cozy, filled with the soft murmur of conversations and the faint melody of music d

107

LyraThe drive back home was quiet. I sat in the passenger seat with my hands folded tightly in my lap, staring through the window as the familiar roads slipped past us one after another.The silence between Raguel and I wasn’t the comfortable kind we often shared. This one carried a weight that settled over the car, pressing against my chest until even taking a deep breath felt difficult. There was simply too much to think about, too much that had happened in such a short time, and neither of us seemed capable of finding the words to break the silence.My mind refused to leave the conversation behind. Every moment replayed itself over and over again, refusing to leave no matter how hard I tried to make sense of it. Miguel’s weariness, Raguel’s bitterness, and the way they had looked at each other with years of unresolved resentment in their eyes made it impossible to believe this was nothing more than a disagreement between two people who had drifted apart.For the first time, I fina

108

LyraFor a few blissful seconds after I woke up, I remained tucked beneath the blankets, my eyes still closed as I listened to the low sounds filtering through the room. The crackling fire in the hearth had burned low overnight, leaving only soft pops every now and then. Beyond the windows, birds chirped somewhere in the estate, welcoming another morning.I opened my eyes and stretched lazily.An envelope rested neatly on the small table beside my bed and my brows furrowed in confusion.A knot settled in my stomach as I thought back to the letters I had been getting after Raguel introduced me to the werewolf world and publicly acknowledged me as his mate. The strange anonymous letters had stopped and weeks had gone by without another one appearing. Eventually I'd convinced myself whoever had been sending them had finally given up.Apparently not.I pushed the blankets aside and reached for the envelope. The seal was blank as always. No crest, no signature, nothing.I sighed before bre

109

LyraI found Raguel exactly in his room.The council chamber had finally emptied after what had apparently been another exhausting meeting, and he was standing near one of the open windows in his bedroom with several documents spread across his desk. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled to his forearms.He didn't notice me immediately.His attention was fixed on the report in his hands, his brow drawn together in concentration as he read through the page.I leaned against the doorframe and folded my arms."You know," I said, "most people take breaks after working for so long."Without looking up, he answered, "Most people don't rule kingdoms."I smiled. "Fair point."He finally lifted his head, and the serious expression he'd been wearing softened almost instantly. He set the report aside and walked toward me."I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten I existed."I laughed. "I've been awake for hours."He stopped in front of me, slipped one arm around my waist, and pressed a

110

RaguelI knew it was a mistake the moment we arrived.I stood beside Lyra outside the entrance of the mountain lodge, my overnight bag hanging from one shoulder as I stared at the large wooden sign that welcomed us.Moonridge Couples Retreat.Beneath it, written in much smaller letters, was another line.One unforgettable night of romance, games and adventure!Lyra rested her head briefly against my shoulder. "I'm sure we'd have fun."I looked toward the entrance again where couples were already checking in. Some were taking pictures together. Others were laughing while staff handed them welcome bags.This was exactly the sort of place I avoided.Too many people, too many opportunities to embarrass myself, too many humans."I still think this is a terrible idea.""I know.""And I'm still blaming you for whatever happens.""I know. But you'll survive.""I'm less confident than you are."She laughed again before tugging me toward the entrance. "Come on."Before I could protest any furth

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