Traded To The Lycan King

*Merikh*

"Shit, Merikh." Hayes exhales, dragging his hands through his hair.

He turns to face me, his eyes tired and his shoulders slumped. I have asked too much of my brother, constantly leaving him at the helm of things without a thought of what weight I am laying on his shoulders.

"This will all end soon," I assure him, picking at the remnants of the plate we brought with us from the kitchen.

"You mean if it all goes according to your insane plan?"

A chuckle rumbles from my lips as walk over and take a seat on the office couch, watching him process everything I have laid at his feet. I don't need his approval or his understanding, but I respect him and his opinions on all things. Well, maybe more now than I did before Colette helped shape me into a better version of me.

"What about any of this isn't already insane?" I say and he snorts a half laugh before walking over to me and dropping onto the couch on the other end of me.

"So, you think this will work?" He asks after a minute. "I mean, what does Giselle actually want? First she votes Hybrid's can't be around, then she tries to kill Colette, then she kidnaps her and wants her to join her and now she is leading a war to what? Kill us all. To what end?"

I shrug, not sure how to answer him. This is something I have done nothing but think about since everything has happened. None of it makes sense unless I just go back to the nature of a Phoenix. A creature of chaos, is what Caspian said. Perhaps breeding it gives them life?

"I don't think she knows what she even wants, other than just straight mayhem." I say truthfully.

"How do you know if she will spontaneously combust? Find it in some lost magical book? Educated guess? Talk to someone wise and really old?" Hayes chuckles at the words 'spontaneously combust,' shaking his head. It sounds just as insane to his ears as it does to everyone else's. "Educated guess," I mutter, my body feeling heavy and eyes itchy.

Exhaustion has been chasing me since Lauren's little nick to my neck. It feels as if no amount of sleep truly lets me wake rested, but then again, maybe now that the worst has passed, I will be able to catch some sleep.

"Oh great," Hayes says sarcastically. "A surefire way to win any war is to make educated guesses on how to kill the enemy. Where could this possibly go wrong?"

"Sometimes the best plan is a crazy one." I say, hiding a smirk.

"You, my dear brother," he sighs heavily as he stands and walks over to me, reaching out to help me up. "Have always been the better one with crazy ideas. I have always been the one a little more grounded. It's why our dynamic works so well."

"This will work, Hayes." I try to assure him, but I can see his hesitation.

The flicker of fear and twinge of tiredness behind his genuine smile. My brother has every right to be scared and worried. We all do. War isn't a game, it's a tragedy, one that in this case has become necessary.

"I believe you will find a way to make it all work out," He says with a smile. "Now, let's go find your Luna and get you to bed."

A flicker of panic runs through me, and I clear my throat, shaking my head of sleepiness. The last time I fell asleep, I woke up to absolute chaos. Flames around us, the vehicle in shambles and people missing. What happens if the war breaks out and they yet again can't wake me up? "Yes," I say, giving him a tight-lipped smile. "Let's find Colette."

The moment we step into the lightly light hallway I hear frantic voices of people downstairs. Hayes and I rush forward, not running but moving with purpose as we make our presence known and come closer. The moment I round the corner, I stop in my tracks and grin on my face.

“Alpha Merikh is in a meeting with Beta Hayes." Leandra insists the tall, graying man groans in annoyance.

"Damn it, lycan. I am the King of the damn Sirens!" He roars. “First, you won't tell me where my mate is and now you are telling me my daughter's mate is unavailable to me? What can you help me with?"

"Sir, I mean...your majesty?" Leandra fumbles, trying to address him before she heaves out a heavy sigh. "Look, I don't know what they are discussing, but it is important for our kind that things be discussed leading up to this inevitable fight. I am sorry your mate is missing-"

Her face falls and her eyes grow wide as she looks up at him.

"Y-y-you're Luna Colette's dad." She swallows roughly, closing her eyes as she squeezes them tight.

"Yes, he is." I say, moving from the door frame and walking in. Caspian spins to look at me, and the shock of his appearance hits me in the face. Dried blood is caked to the side of his face, a large gash at his hairline and a burn from the tip of his chin down the front of his neck looks angry and painful. I move to the chairs, pulling one out and motioning for him to sit.

"What the hell happened?" Hayes asks. It is obvious he had the same treatment we did entering the pack, but I want to know his story, who or what he dealt with and how long ago it happened.

"And why the fuck weren't we notified that someone entered the pack grounds?" I roar, looking over at Leandra, who still stands with her eyes shut, her hand on her chest as she heaves for air, slipping down to her knees. Hayes is next to her in a second, his hands on her shoulders, stroking her.

"Lea, what's wrong?" He whispers, trying to tilt her chin to look up at him. He touches her skin and yanks it back. His body grows rigid, and he looks up at me with sheer panic on his now pale face.

"What?" I ask, reaching out to touch her forehead. I feel nothing as I frown and look at Hayes, confused.

"I can feel her struggling..." He

whispers, his eyes meeting mine, a

flicker of red leaching into his

usually gray eyes. He shakes his

head, slamming his palm to his eye

sockets as he groans and falls

backward onto his ass.

"Hayes!” I say, rushing to him, gripping his head between my hands and forcing him to look up at me.

“What the fuck is happening?" Caspian asks behind me, but I don't even know how to explain what the hell is going on. How the hell can I, when I don't even know?

-Fae King Elm is here to see you, Alpha Merikh-A warrior says through the mind link.

"Elm is here," I tell Caspian as he reaches down and grabs Leandra.

"Good, maybe he can sort this fucking mess." He mutters. "Let's move them to a couch or something."

I lift Hayes with a grunt and carrying him to the living room down the hall, bypassing Caspian, who waits for em to show him where to go. We lay them down on opposite couches, Hayes groaning and trying to get up.

"Lay the hell back down." I order him and he glares at me as he does so.

"There is something in her head, something breeding bad thoughts-" He groans, his eyes squinting as if his head feels like it will explode. "It's not her..."

"Is it possible they didn't get Lily out of her head all the way?" I ask Caspian, who plops into a chair to the side, looking defeated.

"Who knows anymore?" he grumbles. "Our best bet is waiting to see what Elm says when he arrives. It is very clearly Lily's doing or her hold...the eyes are too familiar for it not to be."

-We found her and Johannes-Colette says through the mind link.

-Good. Now get back here, Caspian is injured and something is wrong with Hayes and Leandra-l tell her, not bothering to hide my distress about it

all.Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

"Colette and Melody are on their way back. We have a location on Giselle." I sigh, moving over to Leandra, who cries uncontrollably.

There is a knock on the door, and I jump up, running to open it. Elm stands there looking fierce in all brown leather, a stern look on his face that seems to hide a sadness in him.

"I need your help.” I tell him and he frowns, but nods.

Elm follows me to the living room, and he sighs, his eyes full of knowing as he nods.

"I should have warned you earlier,

but I trusted no one to inform you

but myself" He pinches the bridge of

his nose. "Lily was stripped of her title, which weakened her abilities, but she had grown too strong. I have been hunting for her."

"Hunting her?" Caspian asks, almost like he is disgusted by the term.

"When you make yourself an enemy, you become my prey, Caspian." He frowns. "Lily has been found and is being tortured as we speak."

I furrow my brows in thought.

"Then what is happening to them?" I ask. "Hayes was never under her control."

“Dark magic is unpredictable and

they share a mind link. When they accepted the bond, my best guess is

Hayes also accepted the part of her that Lity invaded...She is desperately trying to cling to any and every hold she has in order to save herself."

I scoff and pace away before spinning to look at him.

"Then kill the bitch already!" I roar.

"We need information from her "

"We need nothing but her hold gone from everyone she has fucking ruined."

Hayes writhes in pain as he falls off the couch, crawling over to Leandra, reaching for her hand.

"If you won't do it, I will." I growl, standing in front of him, no longer asking but demanding. "End this. End her."