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Colette POV

The second the door opens, the air in the room changes. It grows cold and Merikh’s tension is palpable on my tongue. I move closer, catching a set of crimson eyes with a dangerous glint of amusement. His tongue darts out, licking his lips after he mutters something to Merikh, and I watch his knuckles grow white as he crushes the door handle.

Pushing my anger aside, I move over to Merikh, taking his hand in mine, and sliding my other up his arm to press my body close to his while looking at his perfectly angled face. Then the man clears his throat, vying for my attention, but I refuse to give him a single moment more when Merikh is barely holding on. Instead, I press up onto my toes and drop a kiss on his

cheek.

“Come, let’s rest while we can.” My heart is thudding and I am certain the man staring at us can hear it, but I don’t care. I can feel not only his danger but Merikh’s just beneath the surface and I know he needs this save. Our pack needs him to calm himself.

“You must be the New Luna?” the person says and I glance at him briefly, taking in his appearance.

He is thinner than Merikh, and though he is tall by most standards, he is not Merikh’s level of tall. His shoulders are slender and his face is thin but attractive. Again, he has nothing on the specimen of a man I am clinging to.

“I am. Is there something we can assist you with…?” I ask, leading him so I get a name.

“Johannes,” He says with a slight accent and a grin on his pale lips. I listen as best I can, trying to determine what he is without needing to be told. Then he shows me his fangs and I realize he is a vampire. “Prince Royale of the Vampire clans!

“Ah, I see.” I murmur, pressing my lips into a flat, unimpressed line. “I am Colette, Luna of the Lycans and werewolves”

Merikh twitches, his hand releasing the doorknob and taking mine in his and I can feel his eyes on me as I stand tall and introduce myself.

“Mmm, you don’t look like much.” He says, glancing at Merikh waiting for him to take the bait, but he doesn’t.

“Did you get what you needed?” Merikh asks, seeming to finally snap out of his daze. He stares Johannes down, squaring his shoulder, and I can feel the way his muscles twitch

“Your reaction was a little underwhelming, I must admit. I really hoped you would be more excited to see me”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Are you two friends?” I ask, trying to get a sight into what the hell this hostile energy is.

“Friends?” Johannes tastes the word, seeming to swish it around in his mouth before he gives me a devious smile. “Depends on your definition. We shared a woman, so to some that would be friendly, no?”

Merikh scoffs, taking a step forward but I cling to him with every ounce of me and he clears his throat sliding me a grateful

look.

*Johannes here was Lauren’s lover, whilst she was supposed to be my luna,” he informs me in a bitter voice. “I thought you were dead.”

“I am royalty, Merikh. Did you really think my coven cared about who I fucked?”

“The coven? No. The council I thought had more tact.”

is up to me to decide.

“Mmm, the council does not protect your kind any longer. What I do with your kind for a little fun is And I am not the only one enjoying having you all as little playthings. Or so I hear.”

“So should I kill you now, before I get on the council?” Merikh asks him and Johannes shakes his head with a laugh.

“You don’t seem to take hints very well, so I will be candid with you. The council will never you let you back on it. You being here, right now, it’s the elders being nostalgic for the old days. But you will slip up with that signature lycan temper. And I

can’t fucking WAIT to swoop in and take your new luna for a test-

“It will be a cold day in hell the second I let you touch me.” I growl, pushing my way in front of Merikh in a last–ditch attempt to keep him from attacking this asshole. “You may have been able to sway a weak, unworthy woman with promises of immortality, but I would rather die than betray my pack and my mate.

My wolf is going feral in my mind, lashing out and begging to tear at this asshole for suggesting we would ever be as weak as Lauren. We aren’t her. We aren’t some weak, traitorous asshole who thinks only of herself. Merikh’s arms wrap around my waist from behind, pulling me back into his chest as he takes a step back.

“Thanks for stopping by Johannes. Now if you don’t mind, kindly fuck right off,” he says, sounding amused before he slams the door shut.

The next thing I know I am pinned against the closed door, Merikh looming over me with his arms on either side of my head as he studies my face with barely restrained. dare I say lust?

There are no words that pass between us in this heavy moment, but so much is said in the way he stares into my eyes, and the way my heart seems to match his beat after skipping a few. Then he reaches out, cupping my face as he drags my lips to his. Apprehension quickly melts into a fiery need and I clutch to his shoulders, kissing him back.

His lips are soft and pliant as I whimper a needy moan, and he nibbles my bottom lip. I am putty in his hands, his to mold and do with what he needs as he gives me more genuine emotions than I have seen from him in days. He kisses like he is apologizing, begging to erase the hurt of the past week, but I know I can’t. No matter how much I crave this, and him.

I tilt my head down, breaking the kiss. He presses his forehead to mine, out of breath, as he shakes. It breaks me to see him so vulnerable, so upset about seeing the man who made his life a living hell. I hate knowing that these emotions, his need to kiss me, arose from Lauren and her asshole immortal lover.

“Thank you.” He whispers, his voice hoarse and breaking.

“For what?” I ask, surprised.

“Did you mean what you said?” He asks, standing up straight. His emerald eyes search me, looking into the depths of my soul, and I frown.

“Mean what?”

“What you said to him..about dying instead of betraying your pack and me…” He looks like a little child, waiting for his mom to say yes over some huge gift he asked for and I tilt my head, my hand sliding up his neck as I use my thumb to stroke his jawline

“Of course.” I furrow my brow. “I made a promise to our pack, and you. No matter how angry I am with you, Merikh, you gave me a home. You gave me a purpose, and I owe you everything.”

I swear I witness his heart break at that moment, the way his eyes soften and he exhales like I had confessed that I loved him

“Thank you for still choosing us.” He whispers, his hand covering my and dragging it away from his face. He holds it in his between us, playing with my fingers, fidgeting.

I want to tell him it’s fine and that I forgive him, but the truth is. I have changed since coming to our pack, since choosing this as my path. The path of a luna has no room for the old me. The one who would let everyone, no matter what, walk all

OVLT INC.

I am the Lycan Queen and it’s about damn time I act like it

“His eyes…” I say, changing the subject, and Merikh nods,

“Yes, the vampire royals all have crimson red eyes.”

I furrow my brows, thinking of the wolves in the woods, trying to pinpoint the color of red in their hollow eyes.

“They aren’t they can’t be the reason for the red wolves, right?” I ask him and he huffs out a heavy sigh.

13:29 Thu,

The wolves were spelled, or compulsion could have been used, but no, it would not explain the eyes being the color they

were

“So it wasn’t the vampires?”

“It very much could have been them. Or the witches or Fae. Or anyone here working with another group. There is no ruling anyone out, Colette..everyone here is our enemy.

“Every single one?” I ask, biting my lip, feeling uneasy all over again. How the hell am I supposed to sleep if I know that everyone here is probably plotting against us?

“Yes, but we will make allies soon enough.”

“You just said we can’t trust anyone. So how will me make allies?” I ask, confused.

“You.” He says with a shrug before stepping further into the massive suite.

“What do I have to do with it?”

“Everything. But for starters, you clearly can keep me from killing Johannes, and that’s a huge win” He moves around the room, looking in doors and checking spaces as I watch him, shocked..

One minute he was near catatonic, then homicidal, then kissing me senseless. And now…now he is almost giddy walking around the large room and telling me how important I am. If he keeps this whiplash up, I’m going to end up with a

concussion

But I have to admit, it’s kind of