Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
“So we convinced Alpha to let us install this in your room.” Penny is glowing, and her happiness is contagious as I look at the fountain and back at them.
No one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift. Heck, no one has really ever given me a gift at all unless we are counting the few little things Merikh has given me. I bite my lip, fighting back tears as I step forward and touch the water, playing my fingers over the top and then a sob breaks free. I throw my arms around the two of them.
“It’s stunning,” I blubber as Penny hugs me back and Percy pats me. When I pull away, I see Percy’s red cheeks and Penny elbowing him with a “we did so good’ grin. And they did. They did so well. 13:27 Thu, 2 May it Percy says.
“We are pleased you like it,” Percy says.
“No one has ever..” I pause, calming myself. “This is the most personal gift I have ever received.”
“You are going to do great things for our pack, and the whole community of our kinds, Luna.” Percy says reassuringly.
“Do you really think so?” I ask that old insecurity creeping in as 1 catch Merikh watching me with a scowl from the forest line.
“We know it.” He whispers, giving me a sweet smile. Someone taps on my shoulder and I spin to find a pretty woman holding a little boy about three years old.
“Luna,” she says, bowing her head in respect before looking up at me with a soft smile. “My son was hoping to meet you in person, and he is a persistent little guy”
I grin at him and give him a wink. “Persistence pays off sometimes, doesn’t it, little man?”
He smiles and then buries his face into his mother’s shoulder before popping back out shyly.
“1am Luna-” I stop and look at Penny and realize Colette might be too long for a little kid to say, so I decide to rename myself right here. “Letty. Call me Luna Letty. Can you say that?” “Luna Letty,” he says a lisp, making the I’s sound like w’s. His cute little baby voice makes my chest ache with how sweet he is.
“And who are you?” I ask him. He looks up at his mom, who encourages him.
“Josiah. And I’m three.” he says.
“Oh! A whole three years old?” I ask, sounding shocked, and he grins.
“Yep. Then he looks at his mom. “I’m hungry..”
She gives me a soft smile and a nod before she totes him away and I feel a hand on my back. I jump, looking up over my shoulder to see Merikh standing there with a satisfied grin on his face. “Seeing how happy you were with your gift from Penny and Percy has made me jealous.”
“It did?” I ask, confused by his whiplash. He takes my hand in his and tugs me away.
“I have told Hayes to keep the party going until we come back!
“Where are we going?” I ask him and he chuckles.
“To show you your present.”
My heart clenches as he takes me through the forest, and the sound of people and music dulls. The memory of the story Penny told me about Lauren resurfaces and I swallow. He wouldn’t kill me, would he? Just after announcing me to the pack as the official Luna? I know he must know about Grady by now, but would that lead to him being violent? He is obviously angry.
“Merikh..I need to tell you-
“Shhh,” he says, finally stopping and spinning me to face him, his hands landing on my hips as he tugs me close. I missed this closeness, craved it since last night, but it feels…forced and angry. “Are you ready?”
He spins me around, his chest to my back as he leans down, pressing his lips to my ear..
“Yes,” I say with a shiver of both fear and delight.
“Bring him out,” He calls out, and a warrior drags out a a man covered in blood. My heart stutters, my hands shaking when the man lifts his eyes and I recognize him. His face is swollen, his lip fat and busted, but I would know those eyes anywhere.
Grady My worlds collide, my past and my future. The stark reality of the monster I am mated to and the kind, gentle lost rejected me. I spin in Merikh’s arms, looking up to him, ready to beg. He leans down as he grabs my chin, anger on his face.
“You are my Luna, and you will not leave me.” He growls.
“I wasn’t going to!” I rush out, hoping he can hear the honesty in my quivering voice. All I can see is the murderous rage of his lycan barely restrained in his mind. If he makes me watch him kill Grady, there is no world in which I could ever forgive him, ever love him.
“I warned you, Colette. Did I not?” Merikh asks. A sob rips from my lips as I cover my mouth and nod in acknowledgement.
“Please, I whisper. He grips my arms.
“I WARNED YOU!” He roars. Then he steps away from me, pure anger and hurt on his face. “I warned you, and now you have forced my hand.”
“Merikh POV
My lycan lurks just beneath the surface, fighting me with every sharp inhale as my chest aches with anger. He wants out; he wants blood, and he is fixated on the fucker who is trying to take what is ours.
The only thing keeping me from throwing my head back and letting him take over and rain down his punishment is the beautiful, wide eyed, sobbing woman between us. I hate that I am the reason for her crying. At first I thought I would relish making her acknowledge the lies, but this. it’s torture.
“Merikh..”her voice is a soft whisper as she clutches her chest and looks up at me with puffy eyes, “I am begging you, please.
“It’s okay, Cole.” Grady says and I grit my teeth, biting back the monster that is begging for release. “Let the Alpha of Death show you his true colors.”