THE LYCAN KING’S SECOND CHANCE MATE

ASHANTI'S POV.

"Why did you suddenly get so eager to get into the car?" Asks Reagan as he straps on his seatbelt. I nearly roll my eyes at him. "I know it isn't because of what I said."

"Are you blind? Didn't you see the amount of people who were already giving us weird looks? Some even stopped in their tracks to watch our banter." "And is that a bad thing?" I lean against the chair and shoot him a fierce glare.

“Are you seriously asking me that question right now?" My voice is a tone higher than it should be. The driver sitting in front, who has no interest in our banter, ignites the car engine and starts pulling out of the driveway. I'm still glaring at Alpha Reagan like he's lost his mind, while he's smiling.

He's fucking smiling as though there was anything funny in what I said.

"Nothing is funny. I don't see what's making you smile."

"This..." He points his index finger at my face and starts circling it before me. "All this drama you're creating right now is funny. And cute."

My face goes dark with a frown. I huff and fold my arms over my breast, my piercing gaze never leaving his face. He suddenly burst into a light chuckle as if my piercing gaze is caressing him instead.

It's so annoying.

"Did you bring me here to mock me?"

"Not at all! Why would I do that?"

"That's exactly what it feels like right now."

“Ashanti.” His voice is smooth and low. I nearly melt when his right hand reaches out for my mine and wraps around it. My gaze, which should be on our intertwined hands below, plasters on his face instead and he captures it, never to let go.

His deep brown eyes are staring into the depth of my blue ones, searching for what I do not know. I can feel the intensity of his stare in my bones and I'm so shaken that my zeal to put up a fight with him evaporates from my body like steam.

“Ashanti." I nearly moan out a response when his voice sounds my name again. He calls it like he means it... like there's no other word in the world he'd rather say right now than that name.

"I heard you for the first time." My rude ass replies.

e

"I'm sorry if my laughter made you feel like I was mocking you. It wasn't my intention to make you feel that way. I only laughed because I'm happy you're back here with me. And I know... oh I know we're not in a good płace right now, but you're here, where I can see you when I please, talk to you..." He lifts my hand to his lips and leaves a gentle kiss on the back of my palm. "I can touch you with my lips, like this. All of this gives me tremendous joy, Ash. Joy which I know you do not share with me right now, but it's there regardless and I know one day,

you will. Not long from now."

“One day?” My voice is less than a whisper. “Not long from now?” I ask again and he nods his head.

I shake mine.

"You know what. I don't want us to dive deeper into that right now.” I calmly withdraw my hand from his hold and place it on my lap. It's not something I want to do. I mean, miss him as well and I like it when he touches me like this, but there's point I need to prove to this man and I'm going to prove that point.

"If you don't want to, I won't force you."

"Hmmm." I simply mumble and look straight ahead. What vindicates me from the awkward stretch of silence that would have followed that reaction is the buzzing sound of my phone in my handbag. I quickly fetch it out to see who's calling and my teeth sink into my bottom lip when I see that it's Ryan.

I left without letting him know.

Damn it!

I calmly answer the call and hold the phone against my ear.

"Hello Ryan."

"You left." Two words.

Two dry words and a tone that tells me everything I need to know about his mood right now.

"Yeah I..." I draw in air through my joined teeth. "Ryan, I'm sorry. Something came up and I had to leave real quick."

"This is not how we planned to do things when we got here."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"I know. I know. I'm so sorry." My forehead creases, my teeth are biting my lips in regret.