Traded To The Lycan King

"Where is he?" I snarl, on my hands and knees, tearing the tablecloth to the side. If Colette finds out he is gone again, I am in deep shit. I find nothing there but a small trail of cookies as I smirk and look to my right. Green eyes beneath a mop of curly brown hair stare up at

me with an excited face.

"Your brother thinks he is so sneaky, but we got him now, don't we?" I whisper to her as she grins widely, her chunky cheeks round and adorable.

"Did you lose Dylan again?" Colette asks, walking into the room as I sit back on my ankles.

I feign a scoff, waving her off, hoping she will just assume this is all a part of a game. I will never admit that this little stinker can outsmart me even at just the wee age of one year and some months. His twin sister, however, is my little shadow, always at my side. "Define the word lose?" I say with a wry smile as her eyes grow wide.

"Merikh! Are you serious? You honestly lost our son again?" She squeals, suddenly darting around the kitchen to Dylan's usual hiding spots.

"Dada," my sweet little Harmony says, popping up to her feet and tottering off.

"Oh, no, you don't," I chuckle, scooping her into my arms as I jump up and follow the trail of cookie crumbs leading out of the kitchen and around the corner to the front closet.

I clear my throat standing outside of the door and gently knock on the thin wood. A tiny little giggle explodes through the door and harmony squeals in delight, squirming in my arms to get down and laugh with her brother.

"Dylan," I call out in a sing-song voice, Colette comes up behind me with a frown on her lips as she crosses her arms over her chest.

The little chubby, almost toddler, raps on the door from the inside and babbles incoherently. Harmony giggles as if she can understand his language, and maybe she does. They are twins and I swear they have conversations all the time. "Why does it feel like they are making fun of me?" I say, looking back at Colette, who fights a smile.

"Probably because they are." She says, being no help at all.

I exhale before I open the door and squat down, looking at my sweet troublemaker who smiles brightly before he wobbles to me and falls into my arms. Harmony stands in front of her mom, begging with open hands to be picked up, and Colette gives in to her wordless demand.

"Are you ready for bed, my little loves?" I ask, cuddling Dylan close and reaching out to rub Harmony's back as we head to their room.

They both snuggle close, their sweet little hugs doing wonders to heal the terrors of the day I had before walking through that front door. Three weeks of nonstop attacks on our pack has begun to weigh heavily on all of us here.

If it weren't for King Zale and Colette's close ties with her siren family, we would be gone by now. But instead, the majority of the werewolf and lycan population has moved to our pack, more than tripling the population every six months until now.

"How bad is it?" Colette asks as we enter their room, flipping on their tiny little bubble night light that displays fish on the wall. A cute gift that her cousin Wade ended up finding in a sea town after the twins were born.

"We are running out of time." I admit, laying my little guy into his crib and tucking him in. It's hard to look away from him, but I do so I can memorize how both of them sleep so sweetly. "It is so peaceful watching them sleep."

"Their innocence is something else," Colette agrees, a soft smile on her lips. "I wish the world was a better place for them."

I reach out, tugging her by her waist to me as I press my lips to her temple.

"The world is as good as we make it for them. I'd rather it be bad now and try to improve it before they have to know it the way we do." I tell her as she sighs and leans into me.

few minutes longer before sneaking out and finding Thatch leaning against the wall across

Luna," He says,

time I see you, it gives me anxiety."

annoyingly my thing." He says, "But it came in the job

for me?" I ask, a tugging of worry in my gut. Is it possible that the dragons have

softly and my eyes grow wide in

swallow roughly, my throat dry and my

long it has been since I have spoken with my brother. He still hates me, blames me for his life that he claims has been so awful since losing Leandra. Hayes never recovered from that loss, and he never opened up

clears his throat. "And he

over at Colette, who mirrors my shock. Alpha order or not, I hadn't expected to see my brother alive again since our last falling out. He used to come back every two weeks to see his niece and nephew and Colette until he went dark on us. He

in the pack house?" I ask

he asked to speak with you,

that he wasn't nearly

as I run my hands through my hair and then

wincing as if he is in pain. I eye him suspiciously as he

a reassuring smile as she

he is still your baby brother." She reminds me and I sigh

open, looking up to find Hayes wandering around the office as if it has changed since he left. But it hasn't, which makes me hope he is nostalgic for home. He looks over at me for a moment before turning back to wandering around the office and stopping at the window, looking

alive." I mutter walking over to

you are happy Alpha, all is dandy, yes?" he says in a mocking tone. I give him a warning glance

you have news for me or you wouldn't be here?" I say, trying to give him the exact amount of cold shoulder he is giving

of his face where I can see it best in the light. He

the disrespect, Hayes." I growl at him. "Hate me as a brother all you want, but I am your alpha and I won't have the blatant disrespect you are laying on so thick. You are still a member of this damn pack."

and then shakes his head

been a while since I have

for me?" I ask, trying to be more alpha and

us. Our tracker has found his second chance mate and so we returned home for him to

looking angry like he has been, I see a look of

leaning back in my chair. "We are losing and

have and send us back out. We have not lost all

is good to hear," I

He says. "They have been great, but I need someone with tracking and fighting skills. We need warriors that don't want to start relationships

something I have thought about a lot since tracking them down and discovering what they have been doing for the past eight years Only one issue, he will not only be surprised but he will very much

I will let the others know." I say, but he narrows his eyes. Hatred or not,

but I don't think

He looks confused.