Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

Two days feels like a hell of a lot more like two years as | wake on the day of Kyra's pending arrival. | have done

everything to occupy my mind and lycan from bathing incessantly to going for runs and training. Merikh has

always been the better fighter, with a quick reflex But | have improved since losing Leandra, pouring every

ounce of myself into becoming a formidable force. One that can protect what is his. Where | failed once before to

protect my mate, | refuse to ever fail Kyra in the smanner. If | have to slay a dragon to do it this

and ability to channel his lycan in a way | could never imagine.

time, so be it.

Little giggles fill the hall, followed quickly by the padding footfalls of my niece and nephew. The ones | all but

abandoned in my self pity. | never thought | would be the uncle who the kids didn't know. But How could | love

little innocent children when | couldn't even bear to look at myself?

With a nervous sigh and an attempt to kill tuntil someone announces Teiran and Kyra are here. | stand and

move toward the doorway, leaning against the frame.

The two little toddlers race down the hall, their little hands flailing and their knees unbending as they screech

happily. The second they look up, they stop, eyes wide, before taking a small step back. Little Dylan spins on his

heels and races back where he cfrom while Harmony blinks at me, her chubby face scrunching before she

grins wildly.

"Hess!" she squeals, clapping her hands. Merikh scoops up Dylan, his eyes meeting mine as | look up.

"What did she say?" | ask, and he grins.

"She is trying to say Hayes. Colette shows them photos of you every night and tells them your name." He

explains, coming closer as Harmony toddles closer to her. Then she wraps her little stout arms around my leg.

"She didn't want them to be afraid ofwhen they met me, huh?" | ask, feeling a layer of ice in my chest melt

away.

"No, she just wanted them to know you existed," He shrugs. "You aren't quite as scary as you believe you are,

Hayes."

I look down at Harmony, who grins up at me, her puffy cheeks dimpling. My hand reaches out and | hesitantly

pat her on the head and give her a smile back. Then she turns and rushes over to Merikh.

"I will be right back," He says, the twins taking up both of his arms. "I am heading to deliver them to mommy for

breakfast. Isn't that right?"

"Eggs!" Harmony squeals and Dylan licks his little lips, prompting a grin fromas they pass by and | wait

where | am for Merikh to make his way back.

| pace in the living room, moving toward the window, looking up at the sky in hopes of seeing a dragon carrying

my mate. Wishful thinking turns to utter devastation when | see nothing. My stomach twists painfully and | drop

into the couch with a grunt.

My hands cover my face, dragging down my skin as | shake my head, trying to rid myself of the sick feeling

deep in my gut that only grows stronger. If Kyra were in danger and close, my Lycan would be spiraling out, but

it's not a lycan feeling. It's a heaviness in my heart, a weight on my soul.

"You look awful," Merikh says, his footsteps coming into the room as | nod my head and exhale.

"Yeah, well, | feel like shit. My stomach is in knots and my body feels...out of sorts." | mutter. "That's because you

are anxious." Merikh sighs. "I promise she is okay."

| rest my head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"Until | see her, until | can... physically be near her, | won't believe that. | can't." | murmur.

It feels strange, and yet familiar, to be here next to Merikh and opening up about things.

"When did you realize she was your mate?" Merikh asks, looking atcuriously. "I mean, it was obvious she

knew from the beginning."

"What?" | ask, my mouth dry as | try to swallow his words. "She only recently found out."

"Bullshit. She knew it was there long before you did. Kyra struggled with that bond the whole time."

Guilt washes over me. My idiotic ways, the things | said and did that hurt her, abandoning her and leaving her in

dangerous situations. Fuck. "I've been so lost for so long, | forgot how to recognize anything remotely close to

happiness."

"No, you've been living in the past and when you finally realized you could have a future, that's when you

recognized it."

I lift my head, my eyes meeting his as he watcheswith a look of concern. The slook he has worn since

the day | placed all the blon him.

"When did you becthe wise one?" | ask, trying to make light of the years | tried to cut him from my life, the

years | wanted to hate him and die instead.

"We are wise in our own ways, Hayes." He snorts. "When | was blind to things, you were my eyes. And for the

last two years, | have tried to be your eyes, so you can see."

"Yeah," | groan, sitting forward, pressing my elbows into my knees. "Didn't make that easy for you at all."

"You went through something terrible, and | took a choice away from you." He shrugs. "I can't imagine many

people enjoying that."

"Well," | clear my throat, "I suppose | see now that it wasn't a terrible thing for me."

"Hayes," Merikh sighs, turning to look atwith his whole body, a conflicted look on his face. "As the. Alpha,

there are sthings | shouldn't be telling you about this new treaty, considering Thatch is the Beta and you no

longer are, but | can't bring myself to keep you out of the loop."

A part ofwants to tell him to

keep the secret, that it is no longer my place to be privy to any information.regarding the pack. But a larger part

ofsees in his eyes that this concerns Kyra, which means it one hundred percent concernsas well. So |

greedily wait for him to continue, hoping for sinformation I can use to

formulate a plan to take back what

is mine.

"In order to overthrow the Dragon king, Teiran needs to be mated to Kyra. The child, Dragon Prince Tiago, needs

a mother and has chosen Kyra to be that person."

"And why does that mean she would mate with the kid's brother?" | scoff, standing from the couch, trying to

control my rising anger.

"Because it was Teiran or an old, deranged dragon king, Hayes. Teiran is doing what needs to be done to help

Kyra."

"By forcing her to accept him because she has no other option? What does that mean for their mating night?

Huh? It's essentially rape!" | roar and he frowns, looking down at the ground. Merikh stands and shoves his

hands in his pockets, nodding his head. "Like what | did with Colette," Merikh murmurs and my shoulders slump

and | groan.

"No, no, not like that. Colette was your mate the whole time. Kyra has a mate, one that wants her. She has me!"

"Will you shut up and listen?

Dragons do not claim a mate the

sway we do. It is not a marking and sex. They brand their chosen mate, marking them as theirs, but it does

hot tether the other to them and it will not undo your mate's bond with Kyra." He rushes out, gripping my

shoulders.

"His mark will still be on her skin." | growl low in my chest. Merikh yanksclose, his mouth near my ear.

"Terian plans to kill the king." He whispers.

"And what good will that do other than make him be excommunicated again?" | hiss back.

"He has his own plan for all of that."

"And how do we know he won't place the blon us?" | scoff, shoving away from Merikh. "What stops him from

reigniting a whole new war by claiming it was us who killed the king?"

Merikh groans, dragging a hand over his face, then he paces away to the doorway looking out and checking if

the coast is clear. Then he paces back to me, his lips pressed together in frustration. "You need to keep your

voice down," He growls.

"We are in your pack house. Who the hell would tell anyone of your plans?" | scoff and he frowns. "There was a

Fae that cwith Teiran the first time, when Ezrah was brought to us originally." "Flora," My eyes widen in

surprise. "She is still here?"

"Yes, she is staying in the pack house, so lower your voice," He reminds me.

"I need to speak with her now." | say, rushing out of the living room. "Which room is she in?"