Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
“What?” He says, confused, looking between me and Penny. “What do you mean, it was hanging out in your room?”
“Percy is compromised.” Penny whispers. Merikh’s eyes snap to her, wide and full of alarm.
“What the fuck do you mean?” he demands and Penny looks at me, begging me to explain.
“They got to Percy.”
“Got to him how?” he grits out and I can see the way his chest heaves as he waits for more details.
“He is red-eyed.” I tell him, and he seems to stumble a little into Caspian.
“Fuck,”
“Yeah, that’s how we felt,” I mutter.
“We need to get back.” He says suddenly, a look of determination set on his brows. He hobbles, Caspian moving with him as he looks over his shoulder at Penny and me. “Now.”
We walk in silence, the speed steady, though slow, and I can sense his growing irritation with every passing minute. Then he stops abruptly with an annoyed growl and looks at me.
“This is just wasting time. Switch spots with Caspian.” He demands of me, racing out and pulling me to him.
“Why?” I ask.
“Penny and Caspian, you need to get back as fast as you can. If Percy is compromised, they can make him do anything they want, including attacking other council members to prove their point that we are dangerous and need to be eliminated.”
“Merikh…” I call to him, but he ignores me as I try to speak.
He talks over me, discussing things with Penny as my dad steps away and urges me next to Merikh. Before I can even try to get a word in, the two are sprinting off, leaving me with Merikh. I look up at him, frustrated that he didn’t give me the chance to explain anything to him before he took charge and just pushed me to the wayside.
“Percy is taken care of.” I grit out, finally getting his attention. He furrows his brows, confused.
“Locking him in a bathroom is hardly taken care of. You don’t think he knows how to break down a door or open a damn window?” He scoffs.
“Merikh…” I say slowly, stepping away from him so he can see just how angry I am with him. “Do you think I am dumb?”
He groans as he exhales deeply and shakes his head.
“Of course not,” he says.
“Oh? Then why do you assume we just closed the door and left him?” I arch a brow. “You didn’t think to ask what transpired. You just panicked and sent them away without so much as thinking that maybe I had it covered.”
“Covered how?” He asks.
“I commanded him, as his Luna. They wanted to speak with me through him, so I let them say their piece and I demanded he kick them out of his head.” I tell him, my anger morphing to pride as I stand up for myself and show Merikh I’m not the empty-headed woman he seems to think I am right now.
“Colette,” he sighs, limping toward me as he grabs the back of my neck and presses a tender kiss to my forehead. “You are stunning, and incredibly smart. But a Luna’s command is not absolute like an Alpha’s. It carries weight…but there is a real possibility that Percy is not going to have the strength to follow your order.”
I blink at him.
“I have faith in my Gamma.” I tell him, “Just like you should have more faith in your Luna.”
“I have complete faith in you.” He whispers, the truth clear in the way he looks at me, the tingle of his skin on mine and through the mind link. Then he uses his finger to lift my chin as he dips low and kisses me sweetly before pulling away.
“A kiss won’t make me less angry,” I pout and he cups my face, looking into me.
“I am not used to being afraid, Colette. And since the second you came into my life, I have felt nothing but fear and anxiety over losing you at any moment. I know you are not dumb, and I am sorry I made you feel that way. You have to understand, to them, you are a weapon. If they have you, they have complete control over the Lycans and the Sirens.” He says with a soft frown.
“You control the Lycans and werewolves, Merikh. Not me.” I remind him, trying not to be swooned by his sweet words.
He shakes his head like I am missing something important.
“You just don’t seem to get it.” he looks away and releases a shaky breath.
“Get what?” I ask with a frown.
“If they have you, they control me. I would kill any species they asked me to if I knew it meant you were safe, and I would sleep soundly at night, knowing you were okay.” he swallows roughly.
“Colette, you are my only weakness, my heart and soul living outside of my body, and they have a target on you. It makes me fucking irrational and panicky. When I ask you to do something, it’s not because I doubt you. It’s purely selfish, so I can keep you with me, always. I need you safe, so I can be sane.”
“Okay…” I whisper, my lips brushing over his as the air feels thin. I am high on him, on the way he makes me feel exactly what he says he feels. “I promise I will do what you say.”
“Mmm, that’s my good little luna.” He rasps before he kisses me hard and breaks away. “Now let’s get back. I would like to thank you for saving me…”
He gives me a wry grin, and I bite back a small smile, nodding in agreement.
Merikh was right. As we approach the mansion, he no longer needs me to help him walk. Our hands are threaded together by our fingers, my skin prickling as we walk closer to the quiet building. There is a fog that has settled around the garden and the rolling green grass. My wolf pacing within me, ready to jump out at any moment to prove her worth.
“It feels wrong…” I whisper to Merikh, who pulls me closer. I can see how tired he is, the quick healing from his lycan taking a toll on his energy. He needs to sleep, and to eat something.
“What do you mean?” he asks, worry on his brow as he glances down at me.
“You can’t feel that?” I ask him, “It feels…I don’t know.”
“Tense,” He finishes for me. “The enemy is here, in this mansion, and they know we are aware of them. And those not involved…well they are about to be, whether they like it or not.”
We walk cautiously, then I see Hayes pacing back and forth, his hands in his hair as he lifts his head and spots us. He rushes over, panic written all over his face, and my stomach falls. Something has happened, something terrible.
“Is it Percy?” I ask, sounding small, feeling small.
Here I had been so sure that my order would work long enough to keep him safe. Had I been that far off? Did he hurt himself or worse, what if he couldn’t get them out of his head so he took drastic measures? What if he…my heart stutters and my mouth goes dry with the thought, tears stinging my eyes.
“He was unconscious when we all got back,” Hayes tells me before turning to Merikh. “But he is okay for now.”
“And your mate?” Merikh asks, my eyes going wide as I look between the two brothers, shocked.
“Mate?” I ask and Hayes nods, a grim look on his face.
“Her name is Leandra. She is a Lycan.” Hayes says and Merikh processes what he says. It looks like a silent conversation passes between them before Merikh seems to nod in understanding.
“Is she a rogue?” He asks and Hayes shrugs.
“It was hard enough getting her name from her, but she doesn’t smell like a rogue, so I don’t think so,” He admits. “She won’t see me. She–uh…she says she has a chosen mate instead.”
Hayes looks broken, his eyes filled with tears as he clears his throat and tries to remain in control of his emotions. His heart is being torn to shreds, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
“We will speak with her.” Merikh says, reaching out and tugging his hesitant brother in for a hug. “Things will be fine, Hayes. She has been through a lot, I imagine. Let’s first get her taken care of so she can feel like she has control over her own thoughts again. One thing at a time, brother.”
“I spoke with the elders, watching over the pack in our absence.”
“And?” Merikh looks alarmed.
“There has been no activity, no red-eyed wolves, no attacks, nothing.” Hayes says, and Merikh nods.
“That is either great news or terrible news,” He mutters. I squeeze his hand.
“Anything else happening?” I ask Hayes, who gives me a curious look.
“You feel it too, then?” he asks.
I chew the inside of my cheek, trying to put into words it is what I’m even feeling. Tense? Uneasy? Worried? It could be any number of things easily equatable to emotions running high or just finally being so exhausted from an eventful evening into the night.
“Wait, you feel off too?” Merikh asks, looking worried between us, and Hayes shakes his head.
“No, but Caspian mentioned it when he checked in on Leandra. He says it feels like a storm is blowing in, but I don’t think he meant the kind of storm that weather brings.”
“Yeah, something feels off. I just can’t put my finger on it,” I admit, looking around.
I have no idea what I am searching for. Maybe I’m looking for answers or maybe I am hopeful I will catch someone spying on us that will give us a single clue into who is behind all of this. I shiver at the thought of being watched and Merikh frowns down at me.
“Let’s get inside. I need to get cleaned up and you need sleep.” He tells me.
“I will watch your room tonight so you both can sleep. Penny will be on you tomorrow, so I can sleep during the day.” Hayes says and Merikh shakes his head.
“You need to be with your mate,” Merikh tells him, but Hayes sighs and shakes his head.
“No, she has asked for space. I need to give her that space.”
Merikh gives him a soft smile before leading me to the door, Hayes along with us as we enter in silence. I can hear Florence giggling down the hall, along with a deeper voice chatting and I already know she is with her current best friend Johannes.
I slide a glance up to Merikh who is still bruised and covered in blood, wishing there was another way to our room where we wouldn’t run into these two, but there isn’t.
Merikh tugs me under his arm, the warmth of him and the sparks of the bond fluttering through me reminding me I am safe whenever I am with him. Florence doesn’t even take notice until Johannes snaps his head in our direction as we pass the room where they are hanging out twitch the door wide open. I meet his eyes that are wide in shock and his lips mouth the word ‘blood’.
He moves in a blur. One second he is sitting and the next he is in front of us, snuffing the air and tilting his head as he looks over Merikh. I expected to find joy there, a sick sense of glee at Merikh’s state, but instead, I find curiosity.
“What in the dickens happened to you?” He asks, looking Merikh up and down.
“Move.” Merikh bites out, his mood shifting into protective mode as he steps in front of me. Johannes looks at Hayes behind me and must see something he doesn’t like and he puts his hands up in defeat, licking his teeth before he steps aside. He flits his eyes over me before he rolls them.
“I really thought I would be the one to kick your ass.” He says as we pass him, Merikh’s muscles tense, but he doesn’t stop, he clenches his jaw and looks down at me, then a soft smile spreads over his lips and he drops a kiss to my head.
“You’re welcome, by the way.” Johannes hollers behind us, but Merikh keeps us walking. “What? No thanks for saving your ginger Gamma?”
I freeze in my tracks, my face heating and panic brewing in my stomach. I whip my head around, facing Johannes, who is wearing a smirk.