Traded To The Lycan King

I pace the old wooden porch of the small cabin we have been staying in. Well, where I have been sleeping and Mom, Merikh and Calvin have been living. Guilt runs rampant in my mind, tearing apart a decision I have made in the last near week.

Should I have come? Should I have allowed Merikh to even stay with me, or would it have been wise to send him with our pack, insist he be where he should be?

"Stop doing that," Caspian says, sighing heavily as he pushes himself up from the swing hanging from the old rickety ceiling.

"I can't sit still," I say, shooting daggers from my eyes in his direction. A frown tugs at his lips as he shakes his head.

"That is not what I mean, Letty." He says, his gentle father's voice turning on. "You can not change what happened by standing here and thinking about how you could have done something differently."

"What would you prefer I think about? A life without him? Preparing for a world where he does not exist-" I pause, my voice cracking as my eyes water. Then I clear my throat and roll my shoulders. "You are right. I can't change what has happened in the past. But staying out here, waiting and doing nothing doesn't help anything either."

"You should be training." He says, simply. My eyes snap to his, my blood boiling at the mere suggestion of leaving Merikh alone and at the hands of fucking Ezrah.

Ezrah who has been at every turn when shit goes down. Ezrah who works for no one yet everyone at the same time. The damn messenger who seems to think his neutrality wins peace when all it does is bring war to everyone else's door steps and he delivers it.

"I do not trust him." I hiss out, unable to tone down the anger that oozes from every part of me.

"He is in there, of his own accord, trying to help," Caspian says with a frown.

"He is in there fixing the fucking mess he created by bringing the fucking abomination to our doorstep under the guise of 'I am a messenger, this is what I do'," I scream at Caspian. His eyes turn dark.

"Ezrah has been a trusted friend for many, many years,"

"As was your mate, yet now that you found her, you ignore her and suspect she is a plant among us, while your trusted friend delivers a messenger who might have killed a council member, the lycan king. MY FUCKING MATE!"

His lips twitch and his nose flares as he breathes through it heavily and looks away from me.

"I did not say your mother was a plant to spy on us," He whispers and I snort a sardonic laugh.

Caspian avoids the topic of Melody at every turn. I ask when he will speak to her, but he changes the subject. I ask him to come to the cabin but he was too injured and still recovering. He is near her and he can't seem to find words to be civil.

He doesn't have to say what I already see on his face when he looks at her. Caspian wants her to be the bad guy, so he doesn't have to bear the guilt of her suffering for ten years while he sulked and blamed her for my proclaimed death.

"You don't have to say it for everyone to know what you are thinking." I scoff, shoving past him. I pace over to Zale, who sits in a rocking chair, an exasperated expression on his face as he watches everything unfold.

Caspian asks, looking at the siren male, who clears his throat and

wish to remain out of this, my king." He says, bowing his

fear that they got to your mother. Can you blame me? You are taken, your gamma killed, and they place you next to your mother and somehow you escape

then turn and lean on the white railing of the deck. He makes valid

and they did

and I see the conflict in his eyes. For the first time since recognizing him as my father, I

to heal, even now after being freed. She was locked in a damp, dirty cell with bars of silver. When I cried, she let those bars burn through

this," he says, that inner conflict turning to sheer

and no sun in ten years. They toyed with her by playing tricks with magic and using a fake version of me as bait. And yet when I was

is enough." My mother's voice says from the doorway. I spin to see her holding the door frame for stability, her eyes watery. "Melody," Caspian's voice breaks, and my mother avoids looking

says, her voice trembling. "Alpha Merikh

room, closing it behind her, the lock slipping into place. Caspian footfalls stop following me as I hear him

through the hall and through my room to find Merikh sitting up in the bed,

my lips as I take a few steps toward him. He tilts his head,

but I don't look at

he will

she?" Merikh asks, his brows pulling

me? Merikh has forgotten who

is not a funny joke." Ezrah says

like it is going

want me or not, I am here to stay, so

his cheeks and as it falls back to his lap, I see a huge smile

there she is," he

laugh or throttle the shit out of him, so instead I rush to him and kiss his lips. His arms slide up my back, pulling me close as

in my arms After what feels like too short of time, we break apart, the two of us panting as I look over his face, scanning every part of him

better than I thought you would." He

the feeling you like when I punish you." I murmur, pressing my head to his lips. He chuckles into my hair and a smile pulls at the corner of my lips, despite my annoyance with his terrible

everything you do to me."

mate mark and stroke my thumb over

fine?" I ask Ezrah, who