Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Daddy Dearest

The shrill ring of Kira’s alarm sliced through the quiet of her room and jolted her awake. She groaned, reached out with one sleepy hand, and fumbled to switch it off. Mumbling something that made no sense even to her, she rolled over and tried to sink back into sleep.

It was Saturday, after all.

But the phone buzzed again. This time, it was not the alarm; it was a call. Kira let out another long groan, snatched the phone from the bedside table, and answered without even glancing at the screen.

"Can’t a girl get five minutes of sleep?" she grumbled.

"Kira!" Jessica’s bright, urgent voice burst through the speaker. "Don’t tell me you’re still in bed?"

Jessica was Kira’s best friend and the only other girl from Moonfang Pack who went to the famous Aethelwulf Centralis University. Everyone just called it "The Central" for short.

Kira sighed heavily. "Where else am I supposed to be, girl?"

"At The Central! We’ve got the practice session for our group presentation on Monday!"

Kira shot upright in bed, sleep vanishing in an instant. She cursed under her breath three times when her toe slammed into the leg of her study table. Limping and muttering, she hobbled into the bathroom for the quickest shower of her life.

She dressed in a rush, tugging on jeans and a simple top, then headed toward the kitchen. As she hurried down the long hallways of the pack house, snippets of whispered conversation drifted to her from a cluster of omegas gossiping near the laundry room.

"...heard he’s coming to take a bride from our pack," one said in a hushed tone.

"I wonder which poor girl he’ll pick," another replied.

"I heard he has already asked Alpha to hand over Miss Chloe. He threatened another war if Alpha did not agree to the contract. He wants the heir to the pack."

The others gasped. "But why?"

Kira hurried away from the gossiping omegas, a spark of anger rising inside her chest. The Lycan King was coming to their pack to pick a wife? She almost scoffed, remembering all the Lycans she had had the pleasure to encounter at university. They were all the same: closed-off, mysterious, and cold. They rarely spoke to werewolves and always carried themselves like they were better than everyone else, despite the fact that they attended the same prestigious university which their ancestors had built for peace and equity between werewolves and Lycans.

So why, after only two years of uneasy peace, was the Lycan King suddenly marching into Moonfang again to pick a bride like she was just another item on a shop shelf? Point, pay, and take home. He must be a sick bastard for wanting a wife who was not even his true mate.

Kira pushed through the side door and stepped into the crisp morning air before her Daddy Dearest could spot her and ruin what was left of her day.

***

"No single picture of him anywhere," Jessica muttered, her thumb still flicking down the screen. "The man doesn’t exist online."

They were sitting in the busy university café, waiting for the rest of their group to arrive for the practice session. Steam curled from their cups, and the low hum of student chatter filled the air. By now, the whole Moonfang seemed to be whispering the same question: why was the Lycan King suddenly demanding a bride from their pack?

"Those Lycans," Kira said quietly, cradling her cappuccino. "I mean, why would their king decide out of nowhere to take a werewolf bride and threaten war if he doesn’t get one? We’ve had peace for years. Why pick Moonfang of all packs?"

Jessica grinned, leaning in. "You’re the Alpha’s daughter. You ought to know the gossip before the rest of us. Aren’t you the firstborn? The proper heir?"

Kira scoffed. "Don’t say that too loudly, or my father will have you skinned. In Alpha Rolf’s world, Chloe is his only daughter and his chosen heir." She shrugged. "Maybe the Lycan King wants a strong alliance with the most powerful werewolf pack. That’s the only reason that makes sense."

Jessica’s eyes narrowed, her teasing smile fading. "This doesn’t feel like a simple alliance—"

The buzz of Kira’s phone cut her off. The screen lit up with the contact name she had saved years ago: Daddy Dearest, with the rolling eye emoji to indicate the sarcasm.

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