Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
But he is too distracted rushing down the hall to care about what he is doing to me. We twist and turn down the halls; the air growing colder and damp until we finally break into the prison cell area again.
“Someone is calling your name,” I whisper, and he nods in acknowledgement.
“I am aware of that.” He grumbles, shoving me into my cell. I stumble, tripping over my feet as I grunt and land on the hard ground. I spin to scowl up at him just as Jennifer comes running in, out of breath, like she had been chasing us.
Tieran turns and looks at her, arching a brow like he hadn’t been expecting her.
“Are you looking for me?” He asks her and she grins.
“It’s time to punish them,” she grins. “The king himself said I could take it as far as I need to in order to make this one do what we want.”
Jennifer’s eyes land on me with an eerily giddy grin.
“You think the other one can handle more? She is healing much slower these days.” He reminds her and she rolls her eyes.
“You no longer outrank me prince Tieran, so how about instead of questioning me, you round the bitches up and bring them to the torture room, okay?” she pats him on the chest as I watch in awe. Prince Tieran? Yet he is stuck down here, escorting prisoners around like a lowly prison guard.
Jennifer prances off like a kid, excited about getting their way as she goes to wait for Tieran to bring me and my mom back to her to do whatever the hell she wants to get me to cooperate.
He turns and sighs, moving to unlock my mother’s cage first. As she walks past me with her head held high, she meets my gaze, reminding me of what she told me earlier. To just cooperate so that Merikh at least knows I am missing.
When Tieran walks back for me after delivering my mom to the other room, I look around and then up at him.
“Prince?” I whisper and he frowns, looking away.
“That was a long time ago,” He sighs. “I questioned my father’s judgment, and now I am working my way back up to his side.”
“And how does offering to help me get you there?” I ask, meandering.
“I’m not sure yet…” He says in a hushed tone.
Then he pushes me through the iron door and into the room that smells of blood and stale dirt. My body shivers involuntarily as I look at my mother strung up, preparing for the pain.
“Ah, the lady of the hour. I have this special little chair for you.” She grins, pointing to a silver chair. “Come, have a seat…”
*Merikh*
The air is warm and sticky, only adding to my already heightened irritation. I miss her; I miss her so damn much and I am angry every second of every damn day. What I want is my mate back at any costs and that is a dangerous thought to have. To give up my life to know she will be okay would be well worth it.
But I want a life with her. One with adoration and singing her praises so she understands how amazing she truly is. I want to give her everything, including a new me, a better and more improved version. The version who is better at communication and listening. She deserves a mate who will just sit in awe of her and let her be exactly who she is.
All I want is another chance even when I have had so many. But I’ve learned, I have grown and I am ready to alpha up and be everything she needs. Including a hero or a sacrifice to ensure she gets away from the assholes who have her.
“Merikh,” Hayes hollers out my name, running toward me. Panic is written all over his face as he stops in front of me and my stomach drops.
“What is wrong?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Did something happen?”
“Caspian received a box that was sent for you,” He says.
I give him a confused stare.
“And?” I ask.
Hayes clears his throat and looks away before he exhales and shakes his head.
“It is…it smells of her.” He mutters, unable to look at me.
“It smells like Colette?” I ask, my heart skipping a beat.
“Yes,” he mutters. “It smells like her blood.”
He clears his throat, and it feels like the world shakes beneath my feet. My mouth falls open to say something articulate, alpha like, but instead a shocked, pained groan tumbles out.
Then I break into a sprint, tearing through the garden, bounding over the pristine green bushes and breaking through the door. The second I hit the hallway to the kitchen, I freeze, picking up the faint scent of her blood.
Bile rises in my throat, my lycan howling and hiding in the back of my mind, too heartbroken at the possibility of what this might mean. I clear my throat, running both hands through my hair as I suck in a deep breath, preparing myself for the worst.
If it is confirmation she is dead, then I will stop at nothing to kill every fucking dragon and the last standing phoenix before allowing myself to meet her in the moonbeams.
“Merikh…” Caspian says as I walk into the room, unable to remain calm as my hands shake, pointing to the small box on the table.“
Is that it?” I ask him and he nods.
My fingers tremble as I take the little box, a streak of blood on the outside, and tear open the top. As I pull the flaps open, her sweet scent flows out, bringing tears to my eyes when I see a ribbon tied around a chunk of her soft hair. I lift it out, holding it to my nose and inhaling as my eyes fall closed, relishing this little piece of her.