Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

*Colette*

Percy is silent, his eyes always on the lookout and his body tense as we move swiftly closer and closer to the enemy. There are so many things I want to say, want to ask him, but I know all too well the once chatty kid is much more closed off now. Even to me. I clear my throat softly and glance at him, catching him as he looks at me. Then he sighs.

"Luna, I am fine." He tries to assure me.

"Ok," I say nonchalantly, afraid to push harder.

"The Fae queen's hold wasn't long enough to linger in me. I have not felt her once where Leandra has." He offers and I shake my head.

It's funny how he assumes I am worried about that. Or perhaps he knows exactly what I am worried about and wants to be sure we skip that topic. When I look at him again, I see he needs this, to just air his own worries and doubts while I pretend they are mine.

"If you say so, Percy." I shrug, ducking under a pine branch, the needles tumbling from the dried out tree and scattering to the ground.

"I would never put you in danger. If I was worried about her having a hold on me, then I wouldn't have come." He says, his voice growing more desperate. "The fae's hold was weak enough for me to fight once, so if it happens again, I will fight it."

A soft breeze brushes my face, and I pause, wondering how a breeze could make it through the dense forest. He prattles on with his words while I watch as a single tree shudders from the same wind and I reach out, grabbing Percy's arm. He lets out a sad sigh.

"Luna, I swear I am here to protect you, and it has nothing to do with Penny. We took an oath and I stand by that—”

"Percy..." I mutter "Shut up."

He follows my gaze, his eyes growing wide before he scowls up at the tree, his knees bending as he lowers his body and prepares for an attack.

"What do you see?" he whispers low enough only a wolf could pick up.

"Breeze in a single tree," I murmur back, my eyes focused on the branch that sways yet shows me nothing. No animal or warrior can be seen, but we have learned that means shit in this world where magic has turned dark.

"We need to move," He says, grabbing my elbow, and tugging me away. My eyes snap to him, watching as he fixates on something I clearly can not pinpoint.

"What do YOU see?" I hiss at him and he shakes his head, though his eyes remain focused.

"Nothing where something should be, and that worries me more," he says before snapping his gaze to meet mine. Panic explodes over his face. "Run, luna" "Shit," I grumble, turning and taking off at a full sprint.

Percy is at my back, his even breathing loud enough for me to hear, and I realize he is doing that for me, so I know he is there and I don't need to look back. I try to reach out to Merikh, but we have grown too far apart.

it has had the time to attack and yet it didn't. Whether that makes it

usher out behind me as I try like

I, however, have

others whose lives depend on me being able to drown out the blast, but my own. If I fail, I will be the

a stone rolls from under my foot, tossing me to the right. I collide with a tree trunk, my shoulder smacking into it with a loud thud as I grunt out in

extending to entwine me. Twigs, slice at my face, catch as

I am dropped, my support disappearing as I take a step onto my ankle and pain tears through my calf. I cry out, and land on my hands and knees, turning to look at Percy, who stands in front, his back to me and his arms

can feel her now, she is so

it, Percy." I say, forcing myself to stand as I roll my shoulders back. He looks over his

fully intend to do

make me bet my life on him winning this battle. He is young and new

woman in a velvet green dress drops out of a tree, her eyes swirling with red and her face pale, almost gaunt. When she smiles, she reveals a mouth of missing

and soaked with blood. Elm must have failed to kill her. She has clearly

says, her lips cracking and a droplet of blood dripping down her chin. "You turned

for a moment, glancing down at her bloodied

whispers. "He chose me until you came

bitch." Percy says, stepping

it clean off of him. Another flies for him, taking his other hand just as one

reaching for the water and swiftly pulling it from the earth intime to break his strike to the ground with a soft mud. Lily's eyes squint as

with a

to save my strength, but I refuse to watch him fight an unfair fight. There is nothing for me to say to Lily so instead I

distracted to inch his way closer to her, but even without using her eyes, she witnesses it. Roots rise

circle him, twisting together at the top slowly, trapping him. He tears them to shreds, but they

A green root slips around his neck, tightening as his lycan

to make it over to him. "Please! Don't kill

up at Lily, who looks all too happy with what she is doing. Then he leans forward

say goodbye." She says. "It's more than you got

in myself as I can. What use is water at this moment? What use is a wolf against a magic that took down a

with my tone. He meets my gaze, unsure of how to respond as he lies, unable to move. Then I realize what it is I have to do, fuck saving my strength, fuck hiding how strong I am. "When I do this, you get

in confusion as I close my eyes. I dig deeper than the cold reserves of water just below the surface. My siren reaches past the

water that steams and roars with pockets of heat. It feels as if my veins are being stretched as I pull it from the earth,

the searing burns ones I relish as it proves I did it. Then I look at Percy and he roars, his