Traded To The Lycan King

Hayes paces the border, his hands in his pocket and his eyes up toward the sky. He is anxious, his inability to sit still and his erratic movements as he checks his watch and scans the forest are all telltale signs. And if that wasn't enough to let us know, he lets out an enormous relieved huff of air before he grins.

"Have a nice little vacation, brother?" He teases, moving toward us in wide strides before he drags Merikh into an embrace.

"So relaxing it felt like I was going to die," Merikh grins.

His eyes slide to me with the glint of a hidden joke, no doubt referring to that pesky bite still noticeable over my mark. Something I will no doubt have to fix soon enough. Once we have the time to think about something other than just trying to keep ourselves and everyone else alive.

"Not funny," Hayes frowns. "Ezrah filled us in on your run in with Lauren. How are you feeling?"

"Heavens, I am fine." Merikh groans. I am half tempted to tell Hayes that Merikh is struggling with lycan but I choose to keep that between him and I for now. "Tell me, what has been happening here? Where is our line? Do we have other packs coming to our aid?"

"Others have arrived, but most of our reinforcements are stuck on the outer banks on the other side of the dragons. They have made it known that no one gets in." Hayes frowns. "I hate to have to tell you this, but your cousin did not make it."

Hayes looks at me with a small frown and I furrow my brows before I realize what he means. My eyes grow wide in shock and my mouth falls open.

"Leslie is dead?" I ask, a pang of sadness growing in my chest as I think of the unborn baby in her belly, the one that may or may not have been Grady's.

"Alpha Bentley felt she needed to redeem herself after lying about being pregnant to get out of being mated to Alpha Merikh. Even though we all know he would have stolen you and jilted her if it had come down to it," Hayes explains.

Merikh wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me close as I struggle with the emotions rattling through me. Or rather, the lack thereof. Leslie was my family, not that I knew it until much later, but still. She was a large part of my life, and her actions lead me directly to Merikh's arms, but apart from that...I feel nothing. There is no sadness in her end for me.

"And my uncle?" I ask.

"He is holed up in his pack, mourning, I assume." Leandra says with a soft smile, stepping up next to Hayes. I nod in understanding. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that he would hide from the fight and use his daughter's death as an excuse to cower, rather than fight back.

Hayes finally looks past us, his eyes bulging when he looks at Percy and pinches the bridge of his nose. I look back, watching my gamma, who clearly needs medical care as he takes his stance in his given spot just behind me, protecting my back.

"We need a healer to meet us in the pack house immediately." I say, looking around for anyone to listen. A warrior takes heed of my command and sprints away from us at full speed.

"Luna, I am fine." Percy says, but the pain morphs, his voice making it higher and breathy.

"I am not asking, Gamma." I say, walking back to him and gripping onto his uninjured arm. "You were a dragon's chew toy. So you will get seen, understand?"

"Yes," he says begrudgingly.

"When we have time, I would really like you to paint the visual of Percy being a chew toy, but there is a lot to fill you both in on." Hayes sounds exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes noticeable for the first time since meeting the Beta.

Leandra slips up to his side, glancing up at him lovingly as he returns her look. Then they face us and Hayes falls in next to Merikh as we are guided to the heart of the pack.

I can feel a rumbling under my feet, one no one else seems to notice as I inhale and then slowly exhale, reaching out to the earth, my siren searching and my wolf calming to a near slumber.

Then I feel it. The rushing of water grows stronger with every step I take toward the pack. It soothes my soul to know it is here, so close to me. I can feel the raw power of it as my nerves tingle and my fibers seem to hum with glee. The ocean water did wonders for me, but fresh water, untouched and from the earth, has a wildness that sings to me. One that gives me hope that we can do this.

Grunting and yelling echoes toward

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us as we make it into the pack's center. Some Warriors train, sparring with each other while the others stand in line under a tent, grabbing food that is dished out with speed and precision. It's not what would imagine before a war with their mates and children laughing and playing to the side.

vel.

But then again, the war wasn't meant to be here in the first place. This was supposed to be the haven where families would remain away from danger while waiting for warriors to show up after the battles. Eyes wander toward us, lighting up in pleasant surprise as they give soft bows and Carry about their way.

Being back surrounded by our

people sends a shiver down my spine as I smile, breathing in deeply. This is what it is like being home. Being of two worlds is strange and new, but being here, with my pack and with Merikh is a solid reminder that these are the people if I had to die, I would willingly die for.

I notice how Merikh seems to lumber, his eyes closing longer than they would in a normal blink as we approach the house, slowly climbing the stairs. "You should rest," I say to Merikh, sensing his exhaustion as his feelings tiptoe the line into mine. He has been exhausted since Lauren's little attack and while I know he is still healing, there is a small fear he will waste away into nothing if he doesn't recover fully.

"I am fine," He murmurs, arching a brow. "Unless you are saying you want to go to our room."

"Merikh, you need to rest. Maybe it will help you with your ly-"Content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

"Hayes, let's talk in the kitchen. I need food, but I don't have the time to sit and eat without talking." He says, changing the subject, his eyes sliding to mine with a small look of guilt.

“Oh, thank heavens." My mother's voice sounds through the hall as we inch through the door. She pulls me into a tight embrace, her heart pounding as she holds me close and pulls back, cupping my face in her hands.

“Mom, we are fine." I sigh and she looks at Merikh, reaching out and taking his hand to give it a good squeeze.

"I see that now, but I was worried. Especially considering the state of you," she says, looking up at Merikh who clears his throat and looks away. Hayes eyes him curiously, but he knows better than to ask questions right now.

"How about you two talk for a bit and I will take mom for a walk around the border." I say, tugging Merikh down as I press my lips to his cheek. "Mind link me when you are ready to rest."

"Colette," he says with a frown. “I promise, I am okay."

"Then you can explain to Hayes how you were bitten by Lauren and almost died." I say, giving him a sly grin, and he groans.

"Okay what?” Hayes says, alarmed. "I heard about the fight and but near death?"

I rush off with my mom's hand in mine, my mate giving me an unsatisfied frown as I make it out of the house.

"I don't know where the border is." My mom reminds me as I drag her down the front steps.

"We aren't looking for the border yet." I inform her and she exhales.

“So then, what are we looking for?" She whispers.

"We are checking on Percy, and then we are going to see if we can find Ezrah. Johannes is going to meet with Giselle, and that is when things will really be set in motion."

"I'm not sure I understand...” she admits and I shake my head, grabbing her hand.

"I want to know exactly where Giselle is, which means trying to get eyes on our vamp friend." I shrug. "And before you say anything, Merikh knows exactly what is going on, but what he has to do is equally important."