Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
All I want is him, me and peace. And in order to have that, we need honesty. I have his loyalty and he has mine. But where we lack is truth and openness.
“Our relationship will be perfect.” I murmur, speaking into existence the way I want it to be between us. “We trust each other, and we share our expectations. There is nothing we don’t share as we rule together.”
I move my hand down his neck, his head stretching to the side, seeking my touch. I drag it down his arm, stroking it up down until I finally hear his lightly snoring. A smile dances across my lips and I watch him as he sleeps in peace.
-Luna. Caspian asked to speak with you – Penny says through the mind link -Tell him I will be there soon, please–I shoot through the link. I can feel her acknowledge my request.
and I don’t move right away, instead I lay for a few minutes longer watching Merikh, not wanting to disturb him by removing myself from his side. Then I lean forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.
“I will be right back. I’ve been summoned.” I whisper.
I extract myself from the bed carefully, watching him the entire time to see if the pain comes back and is too unbearable for him. When I make it to the door and notice he hasn’t moved, I exit and rush to my father’s office.
I pass by the open hole in the ceiling and wall where the conference room used to be, careful not to his the new construction that is already in place to secure the building to prevent further damage.
As I make it to his door, he exits, looking surprised for a brief moment before giving me a gentle smile, Caspian motions toward the doors leading outside and I walk along beside him in silence until we exit the building and the doors close behind us. I can see how tense he is, the nervousness in his stature.
“Everything alright?” I ask him, and he chuckles dryly,
“That is a loaded question, dear daughter” He shakes his head. “My leadership has led to the downfall of the very thing protecting everyone.”
I frown. “Your leadership is the only one that wants unity.”
“For ryou. I wanted unity if it meant you were safe.” He sighs. “I was selfish, and now many lives are on the line.”
I blink, my chest tight as his words sink in. He regrets choosing to protect me.
“I see.” I murmur.
He pauses and looks at me, his eyes growing wide. “I don’t regret my choice, Colette. There is no shame in admitting I would choose you above all else. I would do it all over again if I had the chance. What I need is to be realistic with myself right now. Every innocent life lost is in my hands.”
I sigh, looking up at the sky, taking in the cool breeze that dances over my face.
“You led the council,” I say, looking back at him. “You were not the one who made the decision for them. Caspian, you call yourself selfish. I call the others weak minded. Their fear caused them to make an enemy of us, not the other way around. Fear and jealousy are divisive points. Not a father’s love or the desire to make everyone equal in the council.”
He huffs out a puff of air and looks at me, pride in his eyes.
“You are already such a wise Luna.” he smiles. “Your mother would be so proud.”
I look down, watching each step as I wring my hands.
“Will you tell me more about her?” I ask. “I want to remember her, to imagine her smile and the way she loved me.”
“I actually wanted to discuss something with you first,” He says, clearing his throat. “How would you feel about coming back with me to my world?”
I’m not surprised by his question, given the conversation that he had with Merikh. “Uh, after everything settles down?”
“No, I mean when we all leave in a few days‘ time.” He explains, his hand going behind his head to scratch an itch. “I already brought it up to Merikh,”
“He hates the idea,” I tell him without even have to address it with Merikh first.
“Naturally, but you would grow more powerful, and I could teach you-”
“You mean you could keep me safe, hidden away there because you know no one else can get to you there?”
“That too,” He agrees. “There is so much you could learn, so much strength for you to unlock so you can use it to protect your pack, your mate.”
“And where would I stay?” I ask him, arching a brow. “I can’t remain underwater forever.”
“We don’t know that,” He shrugs.
“Uh, hello. I am half wolf. Remember?” I ask him. “I may be half siren, but I don’t have a tail or scales for extreme swimming abilities when I get wet. Hell, I don’t look like you do when you are in the water. I look..human.”
He seems to grow sad and shakes his head.
“I’d have a cabin for you to stay in at night and during the day you could be in the water, learning, growing.”
“But I would have to leave my injured mate.” I remind him. “Something I would never feel right doing. I refuse to hide.”
He shakes his head, convinced that I am not understanding him,
“Colette, you are not hiding,” he clarifies. “You are learning, training. You will be getting stronger, strong enough to protect those you love and care about from attacks from the dragons.”
“And what happens if an attack happens when I am not there?” I ask him with a raised brow. He says nothing, just stares at me before he shakes his head, looking disappointed.
“We need to hope that doesn’t happen.” He whispers “You need this, Colette. Your pack and even Merikh need it. I just need you to think. Don’t answer me right now. Discuss it with Merikh, think about it. This is something I feel like would be beneficial to the whole of our cause. You need to do what is best for your pack, not just your relationshits“.