Traded To The Lycan King

I yank the covers over my head, my knees pulling up as I struggle to keep myself from breaking into tears. Merikh has been the only thing keeping them at bay. He is my strength even when he doesn't try. His very presence brings me a calm, but since he has left me I feel like I have nothing else to think about but what I am missing.

Well, more like who I am missing, both of them.

I didn't have them for long, yet it felt like forever as the memories I once lost or repressed come flooding back with every passing second I live in a world without them.

Merikh's distress breaks through our mate bond, his emotions overwhelming as his worry for Hayes melds with my own. I toss my blanket off, jumping up and grabbing a robe before I fly out of the room.

My knees give out as I stumble into the wall, an arm grabbing my elbow as I am pulled up. I meet a frowning freckled face when I look up and Percy releases me.

"Where are you heading to, Luna?" He asks. "You should be resting."

"Merikh needs me," I tell him and though he looks unpleased, he silently leads the way, looking over his shoulder to indicate that I should follow him.

"I take it he heard Beta Hayes' nightmare and went to check on him?" He asks.

"We both did," I admit, tugging my robe tighter as I recall the way his voice broke through even my most exhausted state of sleep. "Have you seen him?"

"Beta Hayes?" he asks, slowing down so I can walk next to him. My legs feel wobbly with every step. What I need is sleep and a day in the healing waters again. And Merikh.

"Yeah," I say, recalling just how terrible Hayes looked when we checked on him before going to our room. Guilt prickles at my neck. I should want Merikh to be at his brother's side, but the selfish, hurting part of me wants him with me at all times.

Percy exhales, his hand sliding through his red hair as he nods and he makes a worried face.

"His loss is different from ours." He says softly. "He has not only lost his mate, but a part of himself. Those scars will not heal. They will be a constant reminder of how he feels he failed her."

"I know," I admit. "But I have never seen someone alive looking so close to death."

"Losing a mate is incredibly hard to recover from." Percy says, "Or so I am told. All I know is Alpha Merikh is the only person to know both yours and Hayes' pain."

It's like he can see through me. Like Percy knows exactly what thoughts rival in my head as I look at the ground and struggle with my emotions.

voice betraying me as it cracks. I clear

that, not until we see how you both are doing in a few days' time." He offers me a reassuring

small step in front of me as if waiting for an attack, but nothing happens. Hushed angry voices seem to come from the same room as I press my hand to Percy's forearm, stepping past him and

Merikh says in a pained tone. His voice is full of sadness. "You aren't

enter the doorway, I witness Hayes, throwing his hands in anger before he turns to the wall and throws his

hand and other fist breaking holes into the smooth surface, dust dispersing with every strike. He howls out in pain

cries out, pressing his forehead to the fractured

everything, only this heavy breathing and softer growing sobs able to be heard

sounding distant as if they aren't

many times must I tell you? I want to be dead. I

hands slide up the wide collar of the robe and I squeeze both sides together tightly. Merikh walks around to the side of the bed

doing what he thinks is best and what his brother wants. Merikh has lost a brother, even though he sits here before

his right eyes red and puffy as he blinks, his other eye bandage over, but I can see

me over my dead mate will help?" Hayes says in a dead tone. He glides a glance to his brother. "Would you let me have her for a night if you thought it would help? You don't want me to die, so léther help me feel alive? ts that what you

up in an

alpha aura. "You are in pain and mourning, so I will let such a heinous accusation go, Hayes, but if

smile on his lopsided mouth. His tongue flicks out, wetting his lip, a small wince in his eye before he grins maliciously. "You'll kill me? In that case, come hop on

skin. Hayes grunts in pain, but he seems to thrive on it. Then Merikh tosses

only person who lost someone," I rush

yeah? You seem happy enough." He hisses, as he rights himself on the bed,

I tell him with a frown. He glances away, embarrassed, or so I hope. "My

death,"

to do what I needed to do to save us all, so my parents stepped in to do it and they died in my place."

tear racing down his

won't let me die with

him. "He alpha ordered me not to kill myself or allow myself to get killed. I

my eyes as I nod