Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
.” I say, changing the subject, and Merikh nods,
“Yes, the vampire royals all have crimson red eyes.”
I furrow my brows, thinking of the wolves in the woods, trying to pinpoint the color of red in their hollow eyes.
“They aren’t they can’t be the reason for the red wolves, right?” I ask him and he huffs out a heavy sigh.
The wolves were spelled, or compulsion could have been used, but no, it would not explain the eyes being the color they were “So it wasn’t the vampires?”
“It very much could have been them. Or the witches or Fae. Or anyone here working with another group. There is no ruling anyone out, Colette..everyone here is our enemy. “Every single one?” I ask, biting my lip, feeling uneasy all over again. How the hell am I supposed to sleep if I know that everyone here is probably plotting against us?
“Yes, but we will make allies soon enough.”
“You just said we can’t trust anyone. So how will me make allies?” I ask, confused.
“You.” He says with a shrug before stepping further into the massive suite.
“What do I have to do with it?”
“Everything. But for starters, you clearly can keep me from killing Johannes, and that’s a huge win” He moves around the room, looking in doors and checking spaces as I watch him, shocked..
One minute he was near catatonic, then homicidal, then kissing me senseless. And now…now he is almost giddy walking around the large room and telling me how important I am. If he keeps this whiplash up, I’m going to end up with a concussion But I have to admit, it’s kind of being acknowledged for something I did right,
Merikh Colette steps out of the bathroom, her scent wafting from the steam that follows behind her. She looks more prepared, like the shower provided her with liquid courage.
Her hair is soft and wavy, falling over her delicate shoulders that are exposed in her pale blue summer dress. The soft ruffles. remind me of waves lapping at the shore as they cascade over her bust and down one side where a slit reveals a portion of her smooth skin.
She looks divine. A breath of fresh air after a lifetime being lost in the Marianas trench. My heart races as I meet her eyes, my mouth dry. Colette watches me curiously before growing noticeably nervous and she crosses her arm across her belly. holding the other arm while she looks away. I hate she feels she has to hide, like she has no idea how damn stunning she is “Don’t do that.” I rasp out, standing from the edge of the bed as I move toward her. “Do not ever hide.”
“I’m not used to dressing like this…” she frowns,
“You look beautiful.” I tell her sincerely.
It won’t be hard to make it seem like I can’t keep my hands off her in a dress like this. The lycan in me is rallying against my sane mind, begging to make me force her to change. To cover her up and not allow anyone to see her like this but us. But I want everyone to stare. I want them to look at her and gape.
Colette needs to see what she can do, what she has always been capable of. She has always been stunning, but since coming to my pack, she has flourished. I know she wasn’t being poisoned in her old pack. Not in the way she thinks she was. But she was sickly, her soul malnourished and her wolf suffered, making her thing and gaunt.
Not anymore.
A month of good food, exercise and people who treat her well. Well…most people who treat her well. I wince inwardly, hating that I’m the one who causes her stress. I am the one who hurt her and ruined us. It’s not fair to punish her for my insecurities, but yet… I can’t find it in my pride to tell her that. Not yet.
Not when I know that this is just a small amount of the hatred she will send my way when she finds out at the first meeting.
Her soft hand touches mine, and I shake myself from my thoughts, taking her in once more. Damn, she is perfect. Her lips part and I lick mine.
“You don’t have to flatter me,” she mumbles.
“I’m being honest.” I say firmly.
“Oh,” she blinks, her cheeks growing pink as she tucks some hair behind her car. I reach out, undoing it and then I look her in the eyes, making sure she can see the sincerity. “Are you ready for this?” I ask her.
“I don’t have a choice,” she says with a sigh. It pains me to hear her say that, knowing I forced her here. Forced all of this on her.
“Tonight it is.” I say, deciding to give her back a little control. “If you would prefer to stay behind, or both of us to stay behind, I can muster up an excuse.”
It’s true. It would be easy to skip this dinner with a simple lie. To them, we are recently mated, and it would be perfectly reasonable to say we got carried away or were too exhausted,
“No.” she says, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“You are sure?” I check once more.
Yes. She presses her hand to my chest, and I know she can feel my fast beating heart. Her eyes soften, but she says nothing. Instead, she hides a smile and steps past me, heading to the door. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I say, clearing my throat and moving toward her as she slips her feet into a pair of small heels “Remember, we are in love. I will be close to you the entire evening and if you need to escape, you only need to lean in and whisper. These people can be they can be a lot. You thought I was a monster being the Alpha of Death? You are about to come face to face with people who will smile while they cut you open.”
Her face pales, but she squares her shoulders and sets her lips. She is damn cute when she puts a warrior face on “I am the Lama of the Werewolves and Lycans,” she says firmly. “They don’t scare me. Not when you are at my side.”
I can’t tell if she means it or not and I chose not to dissect it 100 much because true or not, those words are what I have needed to hear from a mate for so long. My heart feels lighter and my lycan purrs with delight as I reach down and take her hand in mine, entwining our fingers.
“Well then, Luna Letty,” I give her a wink using the name she announced herself as Luna with. “Let’s go have dinner with some monsters.”
She clings to my hand, reaching over and grabbing my bicep as well, pulling herself closer as we enter the dining area. Everyone is chatting merrily, laughter floating through the large space before it stops and all eyes land on us. Johannes smirks, and Florence rolls her eyes while the others look at us with a mild curiosity.
“Oh wonderful,” Florence groans, sitting roughly back in her seat.