Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236: The Only Beautiful Thing

Kira wondered why she hadn’t caught his scent when he came.

She let out a deep breath and glanced around, not in fear, but genuinely puzzled, trying to work out how on earth Derek had gotten into the Crystal Moon packhouse and found his way to her here in the garden, of all places, without a single warning prickle along her senses.

Derek just stood there, saying nothing at all.

Kira finally found her voice and cleared her throat to get rid of the nervous squeak. "How did you get in here? And why could I not perceive you?"

"Braxton let me in," Derek said. "And I masked my scent."

"What are you doing here, Derek?"

"I came to see you."

"I explicitly told you at the council building that I would speak to you when I am ready," Kira said, her voice cooling. "And I am clearly not ready."

Deciding that looking at his handsome face was doing terrible things to her resolve, she attempted to side-step his frame to walk away and leave him standing there among the roses.

But Derek reached out, and his arm came to rest gently across her stomach, wedging her in place, stopping her without force.

The moment his arm made contact with her body, an electric jolt of tingling shot up Kira’s spine. Her lycan, Lux, let out a very loud, happy cheer in her head, which Kira immediately suppressed with embarrassment.

She glared up at him with all the fury she could muster.

"I’m sorry, Kira," Derek said. "For everything."

"I’m sorry too," Kira replied taking a step back. "But that doesn’t change a single thing."

She tried to leave again. This time he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He did not squeeze hard enough to bruise, but he held her tightly enough to ensure she could not just wiggle away.

"I couldn’t just sit and wait," he said quietly. "Knowing that I’d hurt you. I couldn’t do it, Kira."

Kira only stared at him for a long, long moment, saying nothing.

Then, she sighed and said, "You have ten minutes."

***

A few seconds later, the two of them sat on a bench in the garden.

Kira had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, staring straight ahead at a perfectly ordinary bush, and sitting as far away from Derek as the physical length of the bench would allow.

The main problem was that she could still feel the intense warmth radiating from his body.

Every primal instinct in her body was urging her to close that gap, to lean into him, to bury herself in that warmth she had missed more than she’d ever admit. Lux practically purred at the nearness of him. But Kira held herself perfectly still, using every ounce of her mental willpower to remain completely detached.

Derek cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable with the forced distance.

"How have you been?" he finally asked after a few moments of silence.

She did not turn her head. "I’m fine, as you can see."

Derek nodded and fell silent for a moment, staring down at his own shoes. Then, he let out a heavy sigh.

"I know a simple ’sorry’ is never going to undo what I did to you. I know I completely ruined things."

He slowly tilted his head up, looking into the darkening evening sky, and for a while he said nothing more. When he finally spoke again, his voice was lower, quieter than she’d ever heard it.

"From the very first day I saw you," he said, "at that riverbank in Moonfang, I knew you were special to me. Somehow. Even then."

Kira kept her gaze locked forward, but her ears picked up every single vibration of his voice. She said nothing, letting him speak.

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