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.

I lie, giving

husky, commanding my attention as I gulp and look at his unreadable expression. "Where do

conversation? What did they do to make you so afraid of

scan my face, his hand reaching out to slide through my hair,

where I belong," I whisper. "Where

the side watching me, assessing me, then he sighs and

And what can I do to make you

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

I do things...in the pack?" I

you have in

Emergency calls onlyM

The one thing I have

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

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

I snort, but he watches

"Why not?"

at me, I

finishes my sentence for me with an arched

excuse I was giving back in my pack." I

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

to train..." I

send Penny to fetch

I ask, my eyes wide.

He chuckles. "Penny will fetch you in the morning and get you outfitted, then you and

sauntering backward before giving

exhaust you tomorrow." Then he winks and

feeling a little

I know if he were to come in and stay with me, I would feel the opposite. I don't turn the light on, the bright moon once again glimmering off

Emergency calls only.

the short time I have been here,

I feel complete and relaxed and I know it has everything to do with the view. I totter over to the window, pushing it open as a breeze dances through the curtains and I feel a shift 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

and I panic. Am I not supposed to have touched the window? "Oh...I'm sorry," I say, throwing my blankets off to

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