Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Not Chloe

Kira slipped out of Derek’s bedroom, her fingers already flying across the screen of her phone as she typed: I married a monster.

She knew her phone had been tampered with, cloned, hacked, whatever they had done to it during the twenty-four hours Derek had kept it from her. She had sworn to herself she wouldn’t contact Jessica or anyone from her study group until she found a safe, unmonitored way to talk to them. But right now, she just needed to talk to her best friend.

Jessica’s reply came in under five seconds.

Jessica: Oh, my goddess, Kira!

A string of crying emojis followed.

Jessica: You scared the hell out of me. It’s been almost a week since I freaking heard from you! You didn’t return any of my calls or texts.

Kira’s thumbs hovered. Sorry.

Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Reappeared.

Jessica: Sorry? Is that all you’ve got to say?

Kira started typing that Jessica wouldn’t understand, but another message popped up first.

Jessica: How the hell are you?! I need to call you right now to confirm this is really you.

A small smile tugged at Kira’s lips as her phone began to buzz with Jessica’s incoming call. She swiped to the answer button and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Kira?" Jessica’s voice burst through, thick with worry.

"It’s me, girl."

Jessica let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I heard about you and the King’s visit to Moonfang the other day. Tell me about this monster. Does he hurt you?"

"No," Kira said quickly. "At least, not in the way you think. It’s just... I feel so alone here. No familiar faces, no one to talk to." For the first time since she had arrived, she let her voice crack a little, letting the vulnerability slip through.

Jessica sighed softly on the other end. "I’m so sorry, babe. I wish I could do something about it. But I’m glad you’re safe."

"Yeah," Kira agreed. "I miss you and the campus so much."

"We miss you more, Ki," Jessica said, her voice gentle now. "Why haven’t you come to campus since Monday? I thought you both agreed this marriage wouldn’t affect your studies?"

"I did. But he found out about the whip marks and demanded I heal before leaving the mansion. I’ll be on campus today, though. I’ll talk to you properly when I get there."

"I can’t wait to see you. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Kira ended the call and headed for the stairs, only to nearly collide with a striking redhead stepping into the corridor. The same one from the wedding reception, the one who had given her that sharp, suspicious glare.

The two women sized each other up for a moment with mutual and immediate hostility. Kira saw an older, accomplished woman who clearly held real power in Dravengard; she hadn’t missed the way the other women had been fawning over her at the wedding reception. Ruby, on the other hand, saw a stunningly beautiful girl who looked barely legal, a sight that made her feel suddenly old. Each woman saw in the other exactly what she feared most, and in this first moment of meeting, Kira could tell they were not going to be friends."

Another door swung open behind Kira, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Oh, Your Highness."

Kira turned to find Kai smiling at her. She remembered his dazzling charm from the reception and returned a genuine smile. "Hey, Kai."

"I see you’ve met Ruby Veyle, Head of—"

What has her life become?

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