Traded To The Lycan King by MG Wattsons novel Chapter 136

**Two years later**

*Merikh*

“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.

We watch them for a few minutes longer before sneaking out and finding Thatch leaning against the wall across from their room.

“Alpha, Luna,” He says, giving a respectful nod.

“I hate to say this, Thatch, but every time I see you, it gives me anxiety.” Colette teases and he grins.

“Yeah, being the bearer of bad news is annoyingly my thing.” He says, “But it came in the job description, so I suppose I was warned.”

“What do you have for me?” I ask, a tugging of worry in my gut. Is it possible that the dragons have finally made it through the water defenses?

“I have located him.” He says softly and my eyes grow wide in shock.

“H-he is alive?” I swallow roughly, my throat dry and my mind spinning.

Seven months. That is how 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 to anyone about it. Not even the men who have been with him side by side for almost two years hunting down Ezrah and this damn egg.

“Yes,” Thatch clears his throat. “And he is here.”

My eyes grow wide as I look 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 is hardened now, darker in spirits and still searching for something, anything, worth living for outside of my order.

“Here as in the pack or here as in the pack house?” I ask him and he clears his throat.

“He is in your office.” Thatch says. “And he asked to speak with you, if you have the time.”

I snort a laugh, knowing full well that he wasn’t nearly as polite as Thatch is letting on.

“Right.” I murmur, still a little in shock as I run my hands through my hair and then I look at Colette. “Let’s go see what he has to say.”

“Actually,” Thatch says, wincing as if he is in pain. I eye him suspiciously as he shakes his head. “Hayes has asked for an audience with only you.”

Colette gives me a reassuring smile as she takes a step back.

“Well, don’t leave him waiting. Angry with you or not, he is still your baby brother.” She reminds me and I sigh before turning and heading to my office.

I push the door 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 out at the lake where the sun is disappearing.

“Good to know you are alive.” I mutter walking over to my desk as he scoffs.