Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Tell Me Why I’m Wrong

As they sat inside the tub, the warm water lapping gently around them, Derek reached for the bottle and poured wine into another glass.

Kira watched him do it and lifted an eyebrow. "You already have two glasses available. Were you expecting me?"

He handed her the glass with a small shrug. "Maybe."

She smiled as they clinked their glasses together and sipped at the same time. For a moment the only sound was the soft clink of glass and the faint splash of water. Kira felt the wine warm her from the inside, but her mind was already racing with questions.

Derek set his glass down and wrapped his arms around her again. "How was your day?"

Kira sighed and took another sip, her thoughts flashing back over the hours.

Kai’s mum chasing her out of the room like she was contagious. Maya clinging to her and crying about an invisible storm that terrified her.

Then those nurses gossiping right in front of her, calling her a traitor and saying Derek was blinded by love. The memory made her stomach twist.

Everyone thinks he was in love with her, but she knew what all of this was. An act that they got too well playing.

"It was good," she said.

Derek’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?"

Kira chuckled and took another quick sip, trying to play it off. "I’m not. It was fine, really."

He didn’t push, but he didn’t quite believe her either. His finger traced a slow line up the wet skin of her arm, and a silence settled over them, heavy and full.

There was so much sitting between them, so much neither of them had said, and neither seemed to know where to put the first word down.

Derek finally broke the silence. "Have you met Aunt Angelica? Kai’s mum?"

"Oh, I met her." Kira swirled the wine in her glass. "This morning. She’s a very unique woman. She made it abundantly clear she did not want me within an inch of her son’s bedroom."

Derek chuckled. "Don’t take it to heart. Aunt Angelica is one of the warmest people you’ll ever meet. She’s just playing hard to get."

"I don’t blame her, honestly. Every mother gets protective when her child is hurt."

"That’s not it." He shook his head. "Aunt Angelica doesn’t follow the crowd, that’s all. I’d put money on Nana or Kai singing your praises so loudly that she’s decided she has to be the one to make up her own mind about you.

"There isn’t a single bone of malice in that woman." He looked at her. "You’ll like her. And she’ll like you. Give it time."

Kira sighed, leaning back against him. "I hope so."

She tilted her head to look at him properly. "You look all tense. Want to share?"

Derek sighed and threw his head back against the edge of the tub, closing his eyes. "It’s nothing."

"I’m going to be your queen tomorrow." She nudged him lightly. "And you still don’t want to discuss kingdom matters with me? That’s not very king-queen relationship."

He smiled, eyes still shut.

"I don’t want you to worry your pretty little head. And besides, after tomorrow you’ll be buried under more responsibility than you know what to do with. There’ll be plenty of time to discuss the kingdom properly."

Kira snorted. "Okay, fine. Keep your secrets, Your Grace."

They lapsed back into silence, the water lapping gently around them.

And then Kira, who had been turning something over since they sat down, finally let it out.

"So... after the coronation, what next?"

Derek’s finger paused on her arm. "What do you mean?"

Kira shifted slightly so she could see his face better.

"Well." She kept her voice light, casual, like it cost her nothing. "The coronation was one of the reasons we got married in the first place. After tomorrow, it’s done."

"I bet we will stop all the lovey-dovey couple performance. The whole thing was only ever to convince Nana we were really in love."

She gave a small shrug against him. "And it worked, clearly. So."

Derek said nothing for a long moment.

Something sharp twisted in his chest. So that was what she saw when she looked back on all of it. A performance. A charade put on for an old woman’s benefit.

This is a contract, she reminded herself. You always knew it would end exactly like this. You signed for this.

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