Traded To The Lycan King

*Colette POV

Merikh walks slowly beside

me as I limp along in my brace that keeps the strain off my healing bone and sore muscles. My open wound is closed finally, now nothing more than a scab and a massive bruise where it had ripped through my

He was quiet for most of the movie and I'm not even sure what we watched as I was so hyper focused on his. closeness. The familiarity of him being near me, even though I don't know him well at all. It's strang "I enjoyed spending time with you," he smiles, and I chuckle nervously.

"It is kind of nice to see you aren't always killing people." I joke and he laughs.

My skin tingles and I look up at him as he shakes his head and his green eyes meet mine. I'm immediately pink cheeked and I can feel it, but there's no hiding it. Merikh is hot as hell and he is looking right at m

free.

"So you have a sense of humor under that quiet good girl facade,"

"Facade?" I ask, confused. Do I appear fake?

"I know who you really are. I see you." He says, once again being mysterious and strategic in the way he speaks. Three times now he has alluded to me not being who I am or not knowing what I am to him. An

scares me.

There is much I don't know about myself. Who my parents are, how they both died or where I was before I was found bloodied and left outside my pack's front gate with a note begging for them to take me in. C "I am an orphan." I sigh, watching him as he processes the information. "There is nothing for you to see other than what is standing before you. Which isn't much,"

"Do you feel like being an orphan makes you unworthy?" He asks, genuinely curious as we stop outside my room.

"No, but it makes others see me differently." I sigh. "People used to pity me, then they grew to dislike me because they would be punished if they were friends with me." I freeze and watch

him curiously and I see a flicker in his eyes that feels like a strike to the gut. Is that why he chose me? Did he know I was an orphan and so there would be no family to protest my going with him? No one will c my heart racing.

There were rumors he likes to hunt his women. It was a crazy rumor, and I was convinced they were just stories, but the way he watches me, wants to know me but always insists he knows more about me tha is this all a setup to toy with me? He can't be nice. That's not in the alpha of death's personality, right?

"Colette, you seem to be thinking too much again," he frowns, his knuckle brushing my cheek as I blink at him.

"I-uh..." I swallow, stumbling back a step clumsily into the door.

"You look like you think I will eat you up." He chuckles and I don't dare admit that I'm worried he might do exactly that.

tired, that's all." I lie, giving him a tight smile before clearing my throat and looking

commanding my attention as I gulp and look

perfectly normal conversation? What did they do to make you so afraid

to slide through my

where I belong," I whisper. "Where I

tilts to the side watching me, assessing me, then he

see. And what can I

wanted here?" He asks. My heart stutters at the thought that he might care. I clear my throat, needing to change the subject, unable to

do things...in the

you

Emergency calls onlyM

one thing I have always wanted to do was defend myself. Against the mean words, the

stand my ground confidently and not cower in hopes they don't break me

to start training?" Merikh offers as if the thought isn't absurd. I can't help

but he watches

"Why not?"

mean look at me,

my sentence for me with an arched brow. "That sounds like an

was giving back

there anymore," He reminds me. Not that I need the reminder. He has done a decent job of reminding

train..." I admit, looking down at

send Penny to fetch

I ask, my

in

away, sauntering backward before

you tomorrow." Then he winks

room, feeling a little disappointed that he

in and stay with me, I would feel the opposite. I don't turn the light on, the bright moon

Emergency calls only.

have been here,

in I move to my bed, stripping off my brace with a satisfied groan as I gently rub my pinched skin. Exhaustion moves in, and instead of moving to get into pajamas, I strip down to my undergarments and wiggle un cocoon of There is rustling in the room, pulling me from my first full night's sleep in forever, and I peek out of my blankets to

window. "You left the window open." My eyes grow wide and I panic. Am I not supposed to have touched the

head, confused, and I squeeze my eyes closed. Right. I'm the Luna. Not the maid who forgot to close a window. Not the lowly servant who gets I