Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons novel Chapter 122

*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.

My mind whirls with possibilities of what the hell might be following us. Whatever it is, it has had the time to attack and yet it didn’t. Whether that makes it a wise enemy or a shitty ally, I don’t know. And truthfully, I don’t care to find out.

“Move faster,” I hear Percy usher out behind me as I try like hell to make my legs comply.

Lycans are much faster. Not only do they have that height and long legs, their stamina and strength is overall just…. better. I, however, have to reserve my wolf and siren to try to save as many people as I can when the time comes.

It’s not just others whose lives depend on me being able to drown out the blast, but my own. If I fail, I will be the first one to go and I can’t imagine what that will do to Merikh.

My ankle twists as 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 pain. Percy is next to me in a heartbeat, swooping under my aching shoulder and wrapping his arm around my back as he continues to blaze through the trees.

Branches reach out, as if they are long fingers extending to entwine me. Twigs, slice at my face, catch as my waist as we try like fucking hell to break away from whatever the fuck is happening.

Then 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 at the ready.

“She is here.” He murmurs. “I can feel her now, she is so fucking close, I can taste her on my Tongue.”

“Fight it, Percy.” I say, forcing myself to stand as I roll my shoulders back. He looks over his shoulders at me, a sly smirk on his lips.

“I fully intend to do just that, Luna Letty.”

The fear that was gripping me suddenly seems to fade. The sheer truth of Percy’s words is enough to make me bet my life on him winning this battle. He is young and new to this role, but I am not sure there has ever been a better gamma duo than the one I had.

A 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 teeth and lips that are colored red by her own blood.

With every step closer she takes, I see the stains on her garb. The way it is tattered and soaked with blood. Elm must have failed to kill her. She has clearly been tortured, so there is no doubting he was telling the truth.

“Luna,” she says, her lips cracking and a droplet of blood dripping down her chin. “You turned him against me.”

“Elm?” I ask and she looks sad for a moment, glancing down at her bloodied finger tips.

“He loved me,” she whispers. “He chose me until you came along.”