Chapter 187 Desperation

Chapter 187 Desperation
Lyra’s POV

I immediately turn around and push Kai away from me with all my strength.

He barely moves an inch. He stands tall in the dim moonlight filtering through the window, looking so ruggedly handsome and huge. His dark hair is wildly messy, falling slightly over his forehead, and his broad shoulders completely block out the rest of the room. He looks like a dangerous predator cornering his prey. I move backward until the edge of the mattress hits the back of my legs, trying with everything inside me to ignore how his last words make my chest flutter. I won’t let him touch me. He can go meet his new girlfriend whoever the fuck she is.

"Why are you here, Kai?" I demand, my breathing already shallow as I cross my arms tightly over my chest. "What do you want from me?"

A chuckle vibrates from his chest as he takes a slow, deliberate step closer to me, his heavy boots clicking softly against the floor. Instinctively, I take another step back even though the room is only so small.

"Didn't I tell you in the arena that you would repeat everything you said earlier to my face?" Kai murmurs, his green eyes twinkling with mischief as he watches my frantic movements.

I lift my chin, forcing a cold expression onto my face. "So? Aren't you supposed to be out there with your brand-new chosen mate? Since Princess Rina isn't the one anymore, I guess you had to find a quick replacement."

The amused look vanishes from his face in a split second. Kai doesn't smile. A scowl twists his features, and he glares at me with a sharp intensity. 

"I already explained exactly what happened through our mind link, Lyra. Why the fuck are you still holding that against me?"

"Because that's the whole damn thing, Kai!" My voice cracks as the built-up frustration finally boils over. I throw my hands in the air, unable to contain the anger swirling inside me. "You don't ever tell me a single thing about your plans! You just spring new surprises on me every single day and expect me to play along! It just feels like every single time we are finally happy and together, something else comes up to rip us apart!"

Hot tears burn the back of my eyes as I speak, my vision blurring slightly as I glare up at his massive form.

Kai's expression softens for a fraction of a second and a shadow crosses his features. His voice drops into a rough whisper as he steps closer. "There is a very specific reason why I am unable to tell you everything right now, Lyra."

"What reason?" I ask, wiping a rogue tear from my cheek with the back of my hand. "Tell me!"

Kai lets out a long, heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I can't tell you right now. It is entirely for your own safety, flower. Please trust me."

A bitter laugh escapes my lips, and I turn my head away from him. "Of course. Your favorite excuse. Is there anything else you want to say to me, Lycan Prince? Because if not, you can get the absolute fuck out of my room."

I stand there, fully expecting him to snap back or turn around and leave through the window. But I don't even see him move. In an absolute instant, a rush of air hits my face and he is standing right in front of me, completely killing the space between us.

His large hands grab my face, forcing me to look up into his dark green eyes. The intensity in his gaze is completely suffocating.

"Listen to me very carefully," Kai growls, his voice shaking with a raw, desperate emotion that makes my chest ache. "If anything ever happens to you because I was careless, I wouldn't live without you, Lyra. I wouldn't survive it. It is not just the simple fact that you are my fated mate. It is the fact that I cherish you more than my own life. I want to protect you from the evils that keep trying to chase you down in the dark. I am fighting a war to keep you alive, and I will never apologize for doing whatever it takes to keep you safe."

I look deeply into his eyes, and my breath freezes in my throat. The sheer desperation swimming in his eyes is completely undeniable. He is terrified of losing me. A heavy warmth spreads through my chest, and my stubborn heart begins to soften against my will as the love between us surges through our mate bond.

I let out a sigh, my shoulders dropping as I look down at his chest, feeling completely confused and overwhelmed by everything. I love him. I’m just so scared he’ll one day pick someone else over me. I don’t want that to be my constant fear. 

Kai gently tips my chin up with his thumb, forcing me to meet his eyes again. "I'm sorry, flower. I'm sorry for making you go through that in the arena today. I know what it felt like for you, because I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to stand seeing you with another guy, even if it was just for a fake show."

I glare at him for a moment. Of course he wouldn’t take what he dished out. That’s why a wicked idea suddenly forms in my head. 

"Well, you better start preparing yourself to stand seeing me with someone else then," I say, my tone dripping with a fake, casual sweetness.

Kai’s eyebrows furrow, his grip on my jaw tensing. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Well... I have a date tomorrow with one of the cutest guys in my level one class," I lie smoothly, crossing my arms over my chest. "He has been asking me out for a while now, so I finally decided to give him a chance. I think it'll be nice to spend time with him."

Of course, I am lying. There is absolutely no guy, and the level one class is full of people I barely even look at. But I want Kai to feel exactly what I felt today. I want him to know the torturous burn of watching their mate with someone else.

Apparently, my little game works entirely too well because in a single fraction of a second, Kai's face goes completely hard with a terrifying, murderous fury. 

Before I can even think about escaping or moving back, his hand roughly grabs the front of my neck and his fingers lock around my throat as he pulls my body into his hard chest.

A choked gasp escapes my lips. His green eyes are beginning to turn red, which means Vlad is pushing to the surface. I feel completely breathless as his heavy Lycan aura and power swirl aggressively between us, suffocating the air in the small room. The mating heat inside my veins suddenly spikes to a dangerous, blinding level. Kai's extreme fury has just made our bond flare into absolute overdrive. My body starts to tingle with excitement even as I feel scared. 

"Say what you just said again," Kai commands in a low, lethal whisper that vibrates directly against my lips. "I fucking dare you, Lyra."

I hear the sharp, dangerous edge in his voice, the raw beast snapping just beneath his skin. Wyndra trembles slightly, but the stubbornness in my blood refuses to back down. I know it is incredibly dangerous to poke a Lycan when his eyes are red, but the heat between my thighs is throbbing so heavily that I can't think straight.

I swallow hard, my voice shaking slightly as I open my mouth. "I said... I said that I have a—"

I don't get to finish my words.

Before the rest of the sentence can leave my tongue, Kai squeezes my neck harder, completely cutting off my air to the point that I can't breathe. In the next split second, he lifts my entire body off the floor.