Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
When I look back at him, he is leaning forward, his eyes trained on me, causing me to shy away. He moves onto his knees, crawling in my direction as I scoot back, unease growing in my stomach.
“No,” he mutters, as I put my leg out, trying to create space as he infringes on mine.
“Could you stop stalking me like I’m a meal?” I grind out, grimacing as I look him up and down. It’s not that Teiran isn’t attractive, and for anyone else, not madly, hopelessly in love with someone they were never meant to have. This would work.
“I need a mate in order to make this all work.” He says, stopping his advance.
“I “Then go fucking find a willing one.” I grunt.
“That is part of the problem, Kyra. I don’t get to choose, the circumstances found me and I didn’t choose you,” he says, growing inpatient.
“Oh wow, that’s a great way to win a woman over.” I snort.
Teiran stands, his hands going to his hips as his tongue presses to the inside of his mouth.
“In order for this plan to work we need to be mated, Kyra.” he says, determined to convince me that there is no world in which I will ever willingly mate with anyone while I am mated to Hayes.
“Hayes is my mate.” I tell him and he laughs.
“The guy has every intention of rejecting you and then dying.” He says as if each word doesn’t stab me in the heart. “I will make you a queen.”
“Rule a kingdom of the species that killed my original mate?” I ask, but it’s less of a question and more a laugh. “Teiran, I have no desire to be a queen or mate with a dragon.”
“Then be a mother.” He blurts.
“One day I will be again.” I whisper, and I watch the way confusion dances over his face.
“You don’t understand, dragon younglings bond with their mother once that bond is initiated there is no going back.”
“Then what about him?” I ask, looking at the chubby baby happily sleeping. “His mom is dead. What will happen to him?”
“You are his mother.” He says the words as if I am the one lacking any common sense.
“Like hell I am.”
“He imprinted on you!” he hisses. “You broke the egg and the first damn thing he saw was you and your maternal instinct to protect. By a child’s standards that makes you mom!”
“So what you are saying is I am suddenly the mother of a child. I didn’t birth of a species I am not?” I scoff. “And I’m not the one that broke the damn egg.”
“Yes! And that means that you are now the best way to end this war.”
“I’m going to need you to explain this in a little more detail. How the hell am I the best way?”
“That baby, he needs you in order to survive. Okay? That means taking him to my father, with you in tow, a Lycan who saved him who he is imprinted on, he can not kill you. But-“
“But what?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“He will try to take you as a mate, the mother to his child.” He sits back on his knees.
“Oh, hell no!” I bark out a laugh. “I’d rather-“
“Mate with a deformed, mentally unstable ex beta who doesn’t really want you?,” he grumbles, “yeah I gathered as much. Am I so much worse looking than him?”
“Hayes is the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on.” I say, a small smile on my lips.
Hayes’ scars have somehow become one of the things I love most about him. The way they remind him and me of how fickle life can be, even for those of us who are hard to kill. Hayes is the reminder that we need to live in the moment and when I see him, I see a man with depth, a shitty attitude, yes, but a man who has so much more to offer.
“Handsome or not, he will die soon, along with your alpha and Luna, if we do not end this war. You think they were desperate before? They are barely holding on, losing numbers every day. This plan is drastic, but it is one I know for a fact will work. Come home with me, be my mate, and we can save I everyone.”
I press my lips together, not sure what to do or how to feel.
“What exactly does a dragon mating entail? And is there a way to fake it?” I whisper, rolling my shoulders back.
“I’m not sure how long we would have to fake it.” He says, making sure I understand. “And for the baby’s sake, you will need to remain at my side until he is at least old enough to understand you aren’t abandoning him.”
“How long will that take?” I ask, feeling my body deflate with disappointment.
“The sooner we start all of this, the faster he will age and grow.”
“A couple weeks?” I ask hopefully, and he frowns at me.
“More like years,” he says with a frown.
“I can’t do that,” I tell him, my eyes tearing up as I shake my head, standing and taking a step back. Then I spin and sprint toward the opening, Terian stalking behind me at a slow pace.
“There is no escaping from here, Kyra.” He calls out behind me. “I’m not the bad guy here,”
“It sure as shit feels like it!” I growl out and he chuckles.
“I am doing this for everyone’s sake. It is a sacrifice for me as well.”
“I can’t do it,” mutter, coming to the opening and struggling to stop before the edge as I look down, the breath wheezing from my lungs as look down at the rocky mountainside and distant There really is no way out. of bel.
trees.
damn place and this dam this plan.
*Hayes*
My heart pumps fury through my veins as I enter pack territory, soaring through the trees, waiting for the border warriors to catch my scent. I have looked for six long days and there is nothing of Kyra anywhere. Nothing but the memory of her and the little moments I stole. And now I have reached a level of desperation I never knew I would find.
I shift as I reach the pack house, swooping by the dead stump for a pair of basketball shorts and a shirt. The second I tug them on, I hear the warning from the border about my intrusion and frown to myself. Have things here truly been that bad?
I stride toward the pack house doors, letting myself in as I make my way down the hall and straight to Merikh’s office. It’s eerie how quiet it is in here, no warriors guarding the door or workers preparing breakfast like they usually would at this time. What has my skin prickling is the lack of noise or movement, especially with the alarm going off informing everyone of an intruder.
I spin around, looking up and down. The floor is clean, and there is no dust, so someone must be keeping the place up. But the question is, where is Merikh if he is not rushing out of the house to protect his pack? When I make it to his office doors, I hesitate, thinking about knocking. I decide against it, though, when I lean forward and smell a hint of coffee.