Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

Apparently, it is easy to be upset with a dead man, or rather, a dead siren. My anger surges as I scoff and pace away over to the large bay window in my office. Zale remains silent behind me, Colette also unmoving as she waits for a response.

Caspian started this when we were enemies, back when he wanted us gone and never in the council again. Had he been planning and plotting against us all along? And when we reconciled our differences, why would he not have mentioned something like this? Would it not have been wise for me to know, for Colette to know?

"Merikh..." Colette says my name in a gentle, concerned manner.

I suck in a huff of air and exhale loudly, my hands finding my hips as I spin to face them. Every part of me screams it's okay to be angry, but when I look at Colette, I can see the worry on her brow. The thought that perhaps my opinion of the man who fathered her might suffer from this.

The Caspian she knew is much different from the one who started this act of war on us. Yes, he changed, but he has placed us in a place of danger, knowingly. Even with Colette being half siren, even with her royal blood, what if five hundred years down the road things change? We are left open to any kind of attack from the sirens, and how does a dog fight a fucking fish?

"After this war has ended, I want to know every damn route taken to make it to this pack." I say, trying to steel my anger. Zale doesn't look surprised or pressed about my words. Instead, he drops his head and nods in agreement.

"I do believe that will be for the best, Alpha." He says.

"And I want that route protected. To ensure nothing harmful can make it here. The last thing I need is a fucking shark attack in a lake that had always been fresh water until now." I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Zale chuckles and I snap my annoyed eyes to him.

"That is not quite how things work," He explains before he stops and sighs. "Of course, we will always have it protected. Colette is family. We protect our family."

"Where are they? What side of the lake I mean?" She asks, her throat bobbing as she swallows roughly. "How many are there?"

There is a spark of excitement in her, a reigniting of that part of her she thought she lost. When Colette lost her father, she thought she had lost all ties to the world that she just found. I'm not saying I think her grief will be less or her mourning easier, but it feels like it is one less thing to mourn for her. A connection that she will always be able to find to her father.

"They await you near the cliff's edge. It is nearest to the inlet from the ocean and thus better for them. And there are...a few," He says, his eyes skirting between us.

"And when do they expect to meet her?" I ask him flatly, trying not to sound so upset at the thought of her just running off with the new siren king to meet a family she has never seen.

"Whenever she is ready," he says with a gentle smile. "They are also mourning the loss, so they understand it may be a lot for her to handle. But, sooner would be better if you ask me. The condition of this treaty is they wish to meet her first."

I watch the way he seems disappointed and I realize the reason they want to meet her isn't just for mourning, but to verify. They don't believe Zale, which means Caspian wasn't as straightforward with them about Colette as he made it seem.

"They didn't believe you?" Colette asks, her brows pulled together in confusion as she tilts her head to the side.

Zale clears his throat and shifts in the chair uncomfortably.

"It's not that, it's just that... There was a rumor that Caspian could not have kids. He never took a siren mate, that is true, but there was a large amount of pressure on him to create an heir. He could never conceive with any of the selected siren women for him to try with."

Colette huffs and chuckles dryly. Then she shakes her head, like the whole thing is absurd.

"Are they sure he ever truly tried with those people? I mean, he told my mom that he was never with anyone else..."

Zale shrugs.

"I can't quite say." He says. "All I know is they want to see you, speak with you. And then they wish to see your skills. I was under the impression everyone knew of you Colette. Though he never spoke of you in front of them, it just..."

"He was ashamed." She says, a sadness in her voice.

"Yes." Zale admits. "But not in the way you are assuming. He was ashamed. He never told them before that he lost you. Caspian was so proud to be your father when he realized you were his once thought dead daughter."

"I want to go meet them now," she says, squaring her shoulders.

My brows rise in surprise. "Now?"

"Yes," she says, walking over to me. She places her hands on my chest, her dark eyes looking up at me. "We need their treaty and I need this, too."

"Okay," I nod, unable to not give in when she looks at me like that. "I will speak with Hayes later."

She looks over her shoulder at Zale, who frowns.

"They would like to see only her, Alpha. Without you."

"Then hell fucking no." I snort. "Do you seriously think-"

"Alpha Merikh, you have my word that nothing will happen to Luna Colette."

I scoff, shaking my head.

"Merikh, I am going." She says sternly.

"I don't like it when-"

"I leave your side. Yes, I am aware." She smiles softly, her hand sliding up to my cheek. "But this is my family. Just like you need to speak to Hayes alone, I need to go speak to mine. Then I can introduce you later. Okay?"

Damn this woman and the way she could make me do anything in the fucking world for her. I groan, annoyed, before I shake my head and agree.

"Fine." I grit out. "I will give you a few hours. After that, I am fucking coming to find you."

Colette shakes her head and laughs at my words, as if I don't mean every single damn one.

"Oh, you suddenly can breathe underwater?" She teases. My eyes narrow and I scowl at Zale, then at her.

"I know how to rent scuba diving gear, my little luna. Don't underestimate the hurdles I will jump through to always get to you." I say in a low, threatening voice. She gives me a sexy grin.

"I would never underestimate anything you can do, Alpha." Then she winks, taking a step back. "You can speak with Zale about everything else when I return?"

I nod, sticking my hands in my pockets. "Fine."

Zale gives me a respectful nod and I

follow them out of the office,

breaking down the opposite hallway, heading toward Hayes. Usually when Colette leaves my side I feel anxious and worried, but this time it feels different. There is no nagging feeling that something terrible is going to happen. Instead I feel a sense of peace and composure, which... is oddly nice.

"What are you doing here?” I hear as I look up and the door is open, revealing Hayes's half distorted face. That feeling of content melts away like his flesh had, and I want to reach out to hug him. But that cheery brother who would let me is gone right now, replaced by a bitter, angry one.

"Colette came and gave me a proposition on your behalf." I say flatly, and he blinks at me, unmoving.

"And?" He snarks at me.

"And I think we should have a

discussion about it. If, and it is a big

if, I give in to this crazy idea of yours, there will be stipulations.” I say, there will be making sure he understands

stipulations and acceptianet

serious about both these

his offer.

He seems to relax a little before he limps to the side and allows me in.

"What kind of stipulations?" He asks.

"The kind you won't like, but you will deal with if you want to do this."

He rolls his eyes and shuts the door behind me.

"There is much I don't like these days, Alpha. Care to be more specific?" He says in a raspy voice.

"I am your brother. You don't have to call me alpha." I remind him, and he scoffs.

"You are my alpha, nothing more. A brother would have listened to my pleading and done what needed to be done," he growls out.

I chuckle a dry laugh and shake my head. He has such a distorted way of thinking.

"I am no longer your big brother because I would not kill you?" I ask him in disbelief.

"You stopped being my big brother when you used your alpha command on me taking away my choices," He hisses. "Now Alpha, please share this wonderful plan you think you have come up with."