Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
“And you all agree with this?” She asks, looking around. Everyone averts their eyes, including Johannes, who clears his throat and looks at the ground. “This is b u l l s h i t.”
“What’s b u l l s h i t is you manipulating other kinds for your own purpose and pretending you didn’t break council laws yourself,” I accuse. “How are you doing it? Who are you using to control the red-eyed wolves?”
Her flaming eyes land on me, a viscous smirk pulling her lips taut across her face in such high alert.
a way that makes my wolf go on “I don’t have any idea what you are talking about.” She gives me a fake smile.
“You know exactly what I am talking about.” I hiss at her and she shrugs.
“Don’t you think I would admit to whatever crime you are accusing me of if I did it? I mean, after all….I renounce my place on this council.”
“What?” everyone murmurs, looking around to see what the others Giselle has gone mad. It’s the only explanation that seems to make sense. By stepping out of the council, she opens her kind up to attacks of any kind from anyone.
“You all have left me no choice but to remove myself from the council. So, which of you wants your kind to be first in my rapid fire elimination?” She taunts, scanning the room for any takers.
Everyone looks around, and for a moment, I think they will stand their ground. That is, until Florence sighs and gives me an apologetic look.
“I prefer not to take sides, but if keeping what few of my species are left alive is the cost, then I agree with Giselle. We too withdraw from the council.” She averts her eyes as Johannes scoffs.
“A traitor twice in one day, Florence.” Johannes shakes his head. “I expected more from you.”
“You don’t get to talk bloodsucker. I rule my kind with logic, not emotions. This is the logical option. One hybrid for the good of all kinds? It hardly seems like a big ask. No offense, Letty.”
“And what about you?” Giselle says, scowling at Johannes. “Do you truly think your coven will agree with you siding with the likes of a dog and fish? This isn’t the time to be noble, Johannes. You have never been one to be. I wouldn’t suggest you start now.”
My stomach flips anxiously, watching as everyone looks at one another, trying to decide the best course of action for their kind. The council is falling apart, and it’s all because of my existence. There is no helping the guilt that weighs down on me with every torn glance I get from those wishing to remain at my side.
“If you are renouncing your position here on the council, you must leave the property at once,” Caspian growls, looking around at everyone.
“Oh, with pleasure.” Giselle roars.
Her eyes glow the same red as Percy’s had last night and a blaze of fire propels from her mouth heading directly toward my chest. Merikh is on me in a second, his body sheltering me as I close my eyes as we fly backward into the wall.
My head slams hard into the hard surface and black dots dance in my eyes, impairing my vision as all hell breaks loose around me. Merikh lays over me unmoving as I try to reach out and feel him in the bond. But I can’t reach him, I can’t feel him in my mind.
My head aches and I can feel the trickle of warmth down my neck, dripping as I try to force my body to move. The sparks of the mate bond where Merikh touches my skin with his gives me hope, knowing he is at the very least still alive. My chest burns and my stomach twists. Fear overcomes me with the very real possibility that he is gravely injured.
“Merikh,” I force out, trying to breathe under the weight of his body, but even with how close my lips are to his ears, I doubt he can hear me.
Afight rages on behind him. Fire, water and shades of varying colors light up the only portion of the wall I can see. There is no telling who is fighting with who or if it’s an all out fight to the death since the protective order of the council is now over, at least for several members.
“Colette!” My name breaks through the room, my father’s voice calling to me, panic lacing through every syllable.
“I’m here…” I cry out, emotions overwhelming me the longer Merikh remains motionless.
“Take cover!” He roars, his voice coming closer as a rumbling resonates through the room, and I look up, massive scaly tail swipes away the ceiling and rooms above us.
watching as a Lumber and drywall clatter down over me, but nothing lands on us as a silver-colored barrier appears overhead. I blink at the debris as it bounces off the shield before it shivers and drops, only dust littering down over us. Suddenly, Merikh rolls off of me and I gasp for a full breath of air, clattering across the singed carpet floor to him and cupping his face.
“Merikh…” I whisper, begging him to open his eyes. Tears fall like a cascading wave down my cheeks and onto his face as I heave, trying like hell to compose myself.
“Are you okay?” I feel a hand on my shoulder but I ignore it, not caring who is talking to me. After a moment, they leave me, their footsteps retreating, but I don’t look to see who it was. The only thing that matters is Merikh, unconscious and hurt.
“Merikh, wake up.” I blubber through s o b s.
I can hear things being tossed about behind me, furniture clattering and people screaming something incoherent. But I can’t spare them a glance or even a moment. I can’t bear to look away from his face, the face that makes it look like he is in a completely comfortable slumber and not potentially in deaths grips.
“Luna!” breaks through the room and I recognize it as Hayes. I look up to see him as he scrambles toward us, landing on the other side of Merikh. His eyes meeting mine, looking for answers. “What the f u c k happened?”
“H-he jumped in front of me.” I try to explain, but I can’t completely recall it all as Merikh was in front of me before I could even register what the hell was happening. Hayes places his hand on his brother’s chest, running it over his body, looking for the wound that has Merikh looking so close to death. Then looks me in the eye.
“I need to push him toward you so I can look for injuries.” He tells me and I nod.
I reach over and prepare to take the bulk of his weight onto me. Hayes gently shoves his brother’s shoulder toward me as he pushes him to his side and I latch onto Merikh, hugging him close while keeping him upright enough for Hayes to search him over.
My eyes are trained on him the entire time, watching his stony like features as they give nothing away before he drags his hand down his face and looks around.
There’s a t w i n k l e of franticness in his eyes and I notice him avoiding looking in my direction. It must be bad if he can’t even bring himself to look at me. I try to swallow the lump in my throat, hoping to force the fear down with it.
“It’s bad, isn’t it..?” I ask, and he sighs heavily.
“It isn’t good,” he mutters. “Have you seen Brent anywhere?”
“No…I don’t even know who sided with her or us…” I admit, and he furrows his brow.
“I think you are going to have to explain what you mean by that, but first we need to get him out of here and somewhere I can at least clean the wounds and see how bad it is before a real healer has to step in.”