Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons

*Colette*

Caspian steps into the wave, his form shifting as his scaly figure emerges, and the water seems to move with him as he makes his way toward Giselle as she grows brighter, hotter. The wave I had conjured up pales in comparison to the one he seems to lift from the earth.

The air around us cools with the shield from the heat and I try to speak, to tell him to come back. Why does he feel he must go so far from us? I can help him, give him what strength I have left if he needs it. Merikh clings to me as water rises around us as if we are treading deeper into the vast ocean he creates around us. Without the water and Merikh's arms I would be a pile of jelly, my muscles screaming as every fiber tries to recover from what I was doing. The bright burning light that is Giselle only grows brighter. A sun here on earth as the water steams around us, and my lip quivers.

"He isn't strong enough on his own," I rasp out, looking up at Merikh, begging for him to understand. His bright green eyes flash with alarm and he shakes his head, a panic rising in him that even he can't find. "No," He insists, his head shaking as he turns me to face him, gripping my shoulders.

"You know that he needs my help." I say, easing out of his hold.

My knees buckle and I drop into the water, bobbing back up to look at the agony in his eyes. In all my life, I have only ever seen this look of terror when someone was about to die. Which means he knows what it likely to happen, and why I have to help my dad.

"He needs his mate." My mother whispers.

I whip my head in her direction as she clutches her hands at her chest, her eyes filled with tears, watching my father roar with power as he does everything in his ability to shield everyone as high and as long as he can.

"Mom..." I swallow the word, hating how it catches in my throat as she rushes toward him.

I lurch forward to follow, but I find myself swept up into Merikh arms. He looks down at me, my heart shattering at the thought of leaving when I know I can do more. I have more in me if only he would trust me enough to use it. But without so much as a peep, he rushes toward the massive wall, making his way closer.

It feels like time slows down as I witness my mom step into the watery wall and wrap her arms around my dad from behind. At the slightest touch from her, his wall rises fifteen feet taller, and she moves around to be in front of him. I struggle to understand how she can breathe or even speak, but I see her lips moving as she locks her eyes on mine.

"Forgive me,” Merikh says softly and I look up at his stoney face.

"What?" I gasp and he speeds up. "What is it? What is wrong?"

"It's what your mom said—” The words are taken from his mouth as water slams into us, knocking the air from my lungs as I whip through the current, Merikh clinging to my body for dear life holding me to his chest as we swirl and spin. Then I hear it on the waves as if it were a breeze in a meadow.

back to life, back together, our sweet Colette." Caspian's voice surrounds me and my insides twist painfully at what is happening. "I can

turns angry, currents crossing, my hair whipping around my body and

in mourning as a bright light explodes over my head and every bit of water dissipates, turning to steamy fog, dropping me

Merikh screams, but I can't

legs fail me, just as I failed them. Bile burns its way up my throat as I turn over to my hands and retch the hot liquid to the ground. And then and only then do my sobs find their freedom. It tears through me with such painful force that

whimper, crawling to find what is left of them even though I know. I can feel it. There is nothing left. No bodies to bury, no ashes to scatter. They

heart as I pound at the ground. "No! No,

his arms dragging me into a hug. His relief infuriates

he whispers, his words soft as his lips touch my ear and I reach up,

my chest as it breaks through my words. "So am I,

my knees, my eyes finding his as they go from hurt to a soft, non judgemental understanding. He doesn't move closer. Instead, he sits back on his ass, his face turning up to the dense fog around us.

tears fall from my cheeks and then he crawls to me, reaching out and inviting me into his embrace. He doesn't pressure me, or say a word, he only waits until I reach out. Then he tucks me away into his lap and lets the part of

Merikh in the air, mingling with the fog that feels like

hiccup as I wipe my tears and glance up at Merikh. He says nothing, but his face says it all.

thumb strokes my cheek before he gives me a

can look." He agrees, but I know he sees what I am unwilling to admit. There is no way that they were that close to her final blast and survived it. It's entirely unreasonable and improbable that they were

the way my king and father disappeared entirely. But yet, Merikh helps

see.

is exhausted, my

every passing minute. It's not until the sun rises that I finally see through the white wall of fog, a swirling of movement as someone stoops down and plucks something from the

I croak, rushing forward, stumbling over my

the fog clear and Ezrah is revealed. His body is soaked, and he holds a rock looking item in his arms before he looks

He whispers, "I will leave you her ashes. I suggest you do with them what you

dragons will hunt us down for it."

point. They come for