Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
But instead of finishing his father off like it seemed he might, he releases him and he drops to his knees. A sick cackle rattles in his chest et before he throws his head back, and he falls over in a fit of laughter holding his stub of an arm as it asit gushes blood down his chest, puddling around him in the dirt.
Teiran hovers over him, a sneer on his lips before he drags his hands over his face. I force myself to stand and slowly make my way to Teiran, reaching out for his arm as I pull him away from his father.
He follows me with zero hesitation as I turn him to look at me. There is pain in his eyes, not of the physical nature but his heart. It is breaking. And how can it not? He looked up this shell of a king once, before his mind was warped and played with using magic and trickery.
“Let me do this,” I whisper, and he shakes his head.
“This isn’t for you to manage.” He rolls his shoulders back, forcing himself to block the emotions away.
“I am your friend. We spent long enough stuck together to know that doing this will hurt you. There will be no undoing what you do here. Let us finish this. Let us take the blame.” I whisper, reaching up and turning his head to make sure he sees my sincerity.
Teiran protected me in his own way. This is how I return the favor and make a clean cut form him. It has to be.
“I get it now.” The poor excuse of a dragon king coughs. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?”
Teiran looks down, grabbing my wrist before he lifts it and opens my palm. He presses a kiss there for me, startling me as I freeze, wide eyed and confused.
“Yes.” He says, his eyes trained on me as I try to make sense of his words. “I cracked the egg.”
“You what?” I rasp, my heart racing as I look over at Hayes, who still sits, unable to move due to his leg, his eyes blazing in anger, but he says nothing. Instead, Hayes holds back, trusting me yet again.
“It is time for a sane ruler, one who will do anything to not only protect our kind, but protect the balance between the species. I woke up Tiago, I cracked his egg, and I left him behind with Kyra.”
“You planned it all out?” I whisper, taking a step back. “But you knew I was already mates with Hayes.”
Laughter rings out as his father shakes his head.
“Like father, like son, see what you want and you make it yours in any way you can,” he says.
“The end goal has always been the same, regardless of how we got to where we are now. We all wanted the war to end, to solve the issue. It was the most efficient way to ensure peace-“
“No need for any of that now.” I grit out, facing his cackling father and throwing myself at him, my claws drawn out as I drive them into his chest. Silence surrounds me, not a word or breath uttered as I draw my hand out and turn to face Teiran, who watches me with shock and curiosity. “And what of Tiago?” He arches a brow.
“I will no longer be manipulated by others’ plans. Thissed at him, moving over to Tiago and Hayes. Tiago still clinging to Hayes as I support his injured side. “Tiago will be raised here with me and my et mate. I dare you to try to tell me otherwise, Teiran. There is not a damn thing you can say to twist me to your will anymore.”
Terian glares at me, his jaw clenching like he wishes to refute me, but he says nothing. Instead, he looks at his father, who cackles before him, then he reaches down and grips him by the throat.
“You are no different than me,” his father chokes up, a bloody grin on his face.
I don’t need to see his eyes to know the man has been mad for a long time. His brain slowly whittled away by the magic and heartache of losing more than one of his mates. Dragons may be different in how they choose a mate, but the bond is just as ironclad as ours.
Love is the strongest of weapons, especially if wielded by someone undeserving and manipulative. I find, even after all of what has happened, I pity the once great king. Toppled by the need for love, killed by his own child’s hand in front of his other child, he will never get the chance to see grow.
“I am now what you once were as a king, and I refuse to let anyone break me the way you were so easily broken.” Then Teiran thrusts his hand into his father’s chest, blood oozing over his wrist as he fights back tears, his face in a broken grimace.
He drops his father, allowing his body to tumble to the ground as he holds his heart in his fist, tears streaming down his cheek as his chest heaves. My side stomach churns at the sight and my body aches for his loss, but only long enough for me to look over at Hayes as Tiago throws himself at me. He buries his face in my neck, a wail breaking from him as if his own heart is breaking.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I murmur in his little ear, then kiss his cheek. “Mama’s got you.”
An intense amount of heat hit me, taking my breath away as I snap my head up and watch as Teiran falls to his knees and breathes a flame of blue light at the heart in his hand, then he chants in a language I can not speak. When he stands again, his face is pale and his eyes heavy.
Each footfall looks like he is dragging a brick of cement along with him before he stops before me and looks me in the eye. Then he touches Tiago on the back and my sweet boy jumps in fear, turning his head shyly to look at his brother.
“We are born of the ash, and our king, our father, has returned to it. Your title will be waiting for you when you are ready, little brother.” Then he takes his blackened hand and reaches out, drawing a symbol on Tiago’s cheek. One that looks like a smudged dragon.
“Teiran…” I mumble, unsure of what to say to him after everything that transpired. He pauses, looks at me before his lips tilt down and he looks at the ground.
“When he is of age, I will take charge of him, teach him how to rule, as he will now be my heir.” Then he stalks off, alone and back into the woods, leaving us all flabbergasted and injured.
“Well…that was…not how I expected that to go,” Colette says, startling me.
“I kind of expected you to be the one to get the kill, Hayes.” Merikh admits and Hayes scoffs, leaning on me a little more as he shifts his good leg. “You are the Alpha of death,” Hayes reminds him and Merikh shrugs. “I sort of switched that title out for the Alpha of Hope.”
“Can we maybe get you to a healer before we start teasing each other about useless things?” I glare at the two brothers who are acting like the last few years they hadn’t been on the outs with each other.
“Luna!” I hear a voice behind us and I turn to see Percy, the gamma who has dedicated his life to the throne, his cheeks as red as his hair.
“The kids?” Colette rushes out, fear on her face as she steps toward him.
“The twins are fine but, but…” He pauses and looks down at the ground. “Tiago has disappeared. He exploded into a ball of fire and we turned away for just a second, to make sure Harmony and Dylan were okay and well…”
“He is here.” I say softly and he whips his head around, his nose scrunching in confusion before he exhales and rolls his eyes. Percy places his hands on his hips and looks at Colette.
“Is this some weird dragon thing?” He asks, “Just like how Dylan can manipulate water?”
“He can do what?” Merikh screeches and looks at Colette, who makes an “oh shit” face.
“I think maybe Kyra is right. We should probably tend to the wounded.” She hurries over to Merikh, stopping to take a pair of shorts out of a bag Percy has in hand.
Colette hands them to him as he net glares, but he doesn’t fight off her hands when she wraps her arms around his waist and looks up at him. Then he sweetly gives her- kiss on her forehead and turns to walk with her under his arm, offering support if he may need it, but by the looks of it, he seems much better off than Hayes is.
“Do you have any other clothes in there?” I ask Percy and he reaches in, tossing me a top and shorts.
“Can you help?” I ask Percy, who rushes over and helps Hayes. “Oh, I thought you might take Tiago, actually.”
He winces and swallows roughly before he clears his throat.
“No offense, but I’d rather carry Hayes by myself the whole way than take the little guy again.”
I chuckle to myself, lowering Tiago for a moment as I quickly toss my shirt on and slip into my shorts before lifting the little guy up on my hip a little higher, smiling at him brightly.
“Come on buddy,” I mutter to him as Percy helps Hayes.
“Walk in front,” Hayes demands in a soft voice. My brows furrow, and I tilt my head as I look at him.
“Why?” I ask.