Defying the Lycan King (Kira and Derek) novel Chapter 260

Chapter 260: Aftermath

Derek stayed exactly where he was on the ground, still in his beast form, watching as the brilliant white glow that had surrounded her began to dim, fading like the last light of a setting sun.

Every single person still alive in that courtyard stared at her, frozen, mouths hanging open, completely forgetting there had been a battle raging only seconds before.

Then, the moment the last of that suffocating power lifted off everyone, Kira’s Lycan form wavered and dropped to its knees.

Derek was up, still in his massive Lycan form and moving before his brain had even finished processing what he’d seen. He rose to his feet, snatched his discarded jacket off the ground where he’d tossed it earlier, and crossed the space between them in a few long strides.

By the time he reached her, she was already shifting back, fur receding into pale skin, and he wasted no time draping the jacket over her, tucking it round her properly before scooping her up into his arms.

Declan came bursting out of the pack house first, hair completely dishevelled, a faint bruise on his forehead, and he was panting heavily. He looked like a man who’d sprinted the length of three corridors, which, to be fair, he probably had.

"Oh, goddess!" he breathed, clutching his head where a trickle of blood was trekking down. "I tried stopping her, but she was too damn powerful and gave me a very hard shove."

Derek said nothing as he walked past Declan. But Connor appeared beside him, still stark naked from his shift, and stretched his arms out expectantly.

"Here, hand her to me, I’ll carry her in, you’re still—"

Derek’s beast did not even glance at him as it shoved past him too, leaving trails of blood on the floor.

Connor blinked, arms still half raised, looking faintly ridiculous standing there starkers in front of half the summit. "Right. Okay then. Just thought I’d offer."

Derek’s beast didn’t stop walking, didn’t so much as slow his pace, cradling Kira tightly against his chest as he moved past the wreckage of the courtyard.

Every survivor was still on their knees, shaky and dazed from that overwhelming aura. They kept staring, still too dumbstruck to even react. They were still trying to process what they had just witnessed.

Declan called out sharply to one of the Pinewood gammas. "Get a doctor. Now!" He jogged along behind.

Derek carried her straight into the room he’d been given for the summit, kicked the door shut behind him with his heel, and laid her gently down on the bed, pulling the duvet all the way up to her chin like she might catch a chill from the night air alone.

Only then did he shift back into his human form, crossing quickly to grab a sweatshirt and a pair of trousers from the wardrobe, yanking them on in record time.

A soft knock sounded at the door before he’d even finished dressing.

"Come in," he said.

A maid slipped inside, a small bundle of folded clothes in her trembling arms, clearly still rattled from the attack outside. "These are from the King, Your Grace... I mean, for the Queen. For her to change into. Before the pack doctor comes to check on her."

Derek crossed the room and took the bundle from her shaking hands. "Thank you. That’ll be all."

The maid bowed hastily and hurried straight back out, clearly relieved to be out of the room.

Derek returned to the bed and began carefully dressing Kira, easing her limp arms through the sleeves with far more patience than anyone would have guessed a man like him possessed. Halfway through, she stirred beneath his hands, her eyelids fluttering open.

The first thing she saw was Derek, sitting right beside her, his brows drawn tight with worry.

"Hey," he said softly, his hand coming up to brush the hair off her forehead. "How do you feel?"

Kira blinked slowly, then offered him a small, sleepy smile. "I’m fine. Honestly. Just a bit dizzy, that’s all. I’ve never used that much power at once before, so my body’s clearly still working out how to cope with it."

Derek stared at her the way a man might stare at something he’d read about in old legends his whole life, but never actually believed was real. Then he reached out and took her hand in both of his.

"You’re the Nexus," he said quietly. It wasn’t a question, but he clearly expected an answer.

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