The Lycan King’s Defiant Surrogate by Riley Above Story (Chapters 111 to 120)

Chapter 111

“I will ask once more before I become a man you will not like,” George says.

“Too late,” I snap.

He glowers at me. “You can speak to insult me, but not to answer my questions. Don’t you know understand the precarious nature of your situation, whore? It is by my will alone that you live or die. I could give the command right now and have this guard snap your neck.”

The guard drops my arm to wrap his hands around my neck.

“Not yet, you imbecile. I need answers first.”

“So you admit you can’t kill me until I tell you what you want,” I say. “Then we’re at an impasse.”

George narrows his eyes. “I don’t have to kill you to hurt you, bitch.” Then, he slaps me across the face with the back of his hand hard. A few rings cut across my skin.

The shock of the sudden pain brings tears to my eyes. I taste blood.

“It seems as if we now have an understanding,” George says, satisfied with himself. “Now. Be a good girl and tell me why you are here.”

I have to tell him something, or I risk being hit again.

“I had nowhere else to go,” I lied.

He hums, seemingly not being able to tell what the truth is.

“Where is King Caleb?” George asks.

I freeze.

“You mean… his body, right, George?” the second guard asks.

George glares at the man. “What did you just call me?”

“I told you,” the first guard hissed.

The second guard doubled down. “Uh, Steward George. You said, King Caleb. But you mean his body right? You told everyone he was dead.”

Both guard’s hands start to loosen on me.

“Of course, I mean his body, you imbeciles,” George says, but he’s a shit liar with one very clear giveaway.

In his eyes, there’s a hint of fear.

He knows Caleb is alive. He knows my being here is a sign that Caleb is close.

He knows all these things, and he’s scared.

It’s not just Caleb that he should be afraid of.

Without the guards holding me tight, I’m able to reach into my pocket, grab my knife, click off the top, and slash, plunging the knife straight into George’s upper chest.

George howls in pain as the guards scramble to hold me back.

“What the fuck?” the first guard gasps.

“Holy shit,” the second guard agrees.

Maybe I’ll die here. Maybe he will finally snap my neck. But I’m going to go down fighting goddamn it.

“You bitch,” George roars. Blood oozes down from the wound, staining Caleb’s dark outfit. “I’m going to kill you!”

He rushes toward me, arms extended toward my throat. Just before he can reach it, something in the distance explodes. The windows rattle. All the men straighten, alarmed.

“What the hell was that?” one of the guards says.

“Caleb,” George growls.

“I thought he was dead,” says the second guard.

“Forget this girl. Get out there and bring the Alpha’s here! I will have my ceremony! I will have my crown!”

“But, sir-“

“Now, damn it!”

The guards stumble out of the room. Unfortunately, new guards step in off the balcony. One with a gun comes toward me.

“Want me to put her down, boss?” he asks, his accent unfamiliar.

“Wait until Caleb arrives. I want him to watch her die.” George spits at me. “His precious favorite. That bastard will learn he has no power here anymore, and I -“

George cuts off at once, hearing a wolf howl in the distance.

My heart leaps into my throat. Caleb.

“Those bastards better hurry upbringing in those Alphas. Call in backup, I want this room surrounded. Once that crown is on my head, he’ll have a hell of a time taking it back.”

The guard makes a call and speaks hurriedly into it in a language I don’t know.

Just as he finishes, the doors to the Hall open once more and the Alphas are brought inside, each accompanied by their own armed guard.

“What is this about?” the Alpha from the Moonlake pack demands.

I see Samuel and Leah among the crowd. I’m glad they are alive, but that is all I feel. When Samuel looks my way, I immediately avert my gaze.

“What was that explosion?” another Alpha asks.

“It doesn’t matter,” George growls. He still has my knife in his shoulder. The Alphas in the front spot it first and then see me.

“Is that Harper?” one asks.

“Ignore her! Where is the bastard with the crown?” George demands.

“On his way,” one of the guards says. “We thought we had a few hours…”

“No excuses!”

Another howl sounds, this time closer.

“Where is that crown?!”

“It won’t be here in time,” I say, taunting George, emboldened by Caleb’s closeness.

“Quiet!” George snaps at me. Fear and rage were on his face. The Alphas see it too and start murmuring to each other. “Silence, all of you!”

“Caleb is coming here,” I say. “And he’s pissed at your betrayal.”

“Betrayal?” asks the Moonlake Alpha. “What is she speaking of, George? And how can Caleb be coming here if he’s dead, as you’ve said?”

The other Alphas were quiet, suddenly alert, listening intently to George’s answer.

“The bitch is delusional,” George snaps. “The guards found her wandering the hallways dressed as a servant.”

“He’s not dead!” I shout, so all the Alphas can hear. “He’s alive! Can’t you hear him?”

“That is an Alpha’s howl,” one of the Alphas says. “It could be his…”

“It’s a wolf with authority, that’s for damn sure,” says another.

Suddenly, there’s gunfire at the door.

“Get over there,” George snaps to the guard standing over me. “Protect me!”

The guard rushes toward the door.

“You are losing,” I tell him. “Your alliance with the bear clan won’t save you…”

“Alliance?” a few of the Alpha’s gasp. One by one they train their eyes on the arm guard assigned to each of them. One by one, they give a gentle sniff.

“Caleb is going to kill you,” I say.

George reaches his breaking point. “Shut up, shut up! Shut up!!” He rushes toward me and grabbing me by the hair drags me back toward the throne. “I’ll break your neck as he comes through the door. If he’s taking me out, you are going down too, you fucking bitch.”

“He’s not denying it anymore…” the Alpha’s whisper.

“King Caleb lives…”

“He’s alive…”

“We can’t just stand here.”

Another explosion sounds, nearer. Then several things happen at once.

A few of the younger Alpha’s, pounce on the guards assigned to them. Some knock away their weapons. Others kill them outright. The rest of the Alphas follows the younger one’s leads, striking down every guard in the room with a gun.

The final one, at just that moment, shifts into a bear.

“Treachery!” the Moonlake Alpha cries.

At the same time, the door to the hall blows open, flying off its hinges.

Through the smoke, a man steps through.

As the smoke clears, it’s Caleb.

He has blood splatter on his face, and there are bullets dug into his armored vest.

Yet he struts forward, walking up that silver carpet, as he should. A King, his head held proud, returning home.

Chapter 112

Some of the Alpha’s bow. Others stare as if seeing a ghost.

I’m up on the stage near the throne, on my knees in front of George standing behind me. His hands are on my neck.

As Caleb comes closer, his expression darkens more and more. A few feet away from me, his eyes flash red.

He glances at me, focusing on the mark on my face, before looking back at George. I want to apologize, for this and so much, but this isn’t the time. Even when I’m about to die, it isn’t the time.

I can only hope he knows without my having to say so.

“You will release my favored consort,” Caleb growls.

“I am the King here!” George snaps. “You are nothing but a dead man.”

“You think a few bullets and a few bear claws would be enough to kill a true King?” Caleb says, his voice pitching deeper. He must be near shift.

George’s hands tremble on my skin. “If I let your consort live… will you spare my life?”

“You have betrayed your own kingdom, sided with our enemy in the north to usurp the throne. You are responsible for every death that was incurred on that day and every day since. You also attempted to kill me directly, giving the order for your bear infiltrators to finish me off.”

“I will bring Harper with me. She will remain unharmed if you allow me to leave unimpeded,” George says, speaking as if Caleb had not just listed his crimes.

I shake my head minutely, hoping that Caleb can see. If he lets me leave with George, I’m as good as dead anyway. I’d rather die for the cause than be taken as a prisoner.

Caleb’s frown deepens impossibly further. “You think I would let you escape punishment… for the sake of a harem girl?”

Fury bubbles inside of Caleb. His wolf prowls in his mind, back and forth, back and forth, begging to be released soon. It wants the blood of the one who would threaten what’s ours.

The wolf doesn’t care about the crown. What it sees as ours is the woman at George’s feet, her precious, fragile neck in his hands.

Caleb says the words he is supposed to say, knowing he cannot value one woman about the stability of his entire kingdom. Yet, for the first time in his life, he feels a selfish desire to… save her.

Maybe he should have left her behind at the farmhouse like she wanted. Maybe he should have chained her to something at the warehouse. Maybe he should have been quicker getting here.

Any of these measures could have saved her from getting hurt.

Instead, here she is, in the heart of the lion’s den, face slashed and life threatened.

“I’ve seen the way you look at this one,” George says, calling his bluff. “She means more to you than the others. Harem girl or not, I’m sure you don’t want to watch me snap her neck.”

“If you harm one more hair on her head, I will not give you a quick death,” Caleb says. “I will rip you limb from limb while you are still alive. Then I will tear out your heart.”

George swallows thickly. Caleb has put fresh fear into him. Good. He should be afraid.

Anyone who threatens Caleb’s mate will –

Wait. No.

Caleb has a certain level of… fondness… for Harper. But she is not his mate.

His mate will not be found in his harem. She will be a regal and dignified werewolf, as worthy of the crown as Caleb himself.

Though, Caleb admits, he is filled with a certain measure of pride, seeing Harper’s knife jammed into George’s chest. Even as only a human, his consort has claws.

Caleb isn’t much of a gambler, but he could take a chance here and now. Who would be faster? An Alpha, dashing up to rip off a man’s head? Or a Gamma with his hands already on the throat of the one he means to harm?

Perhaps if Harper could fight back once more…

Caleb glances down at her. She has fear in her eyes but also something like determination…

He holds her gaze a moment, before flicking his eyes down to the ground. It was a lightning-quick move. He hopes Harper understands.

Her eyes suddenly brighten. Yes. She does.

With his hand at his side, he signals, stretching three fingers. Then two. Then… one.

Harper lifts a hand then, with as much strength as her fragile human body can manage, jams her fist straight down onto George’s foot.

George loosens his grip on her throat.

Harper falls forward, straight off the platform.

Caleb leaps, grabs George by his own throat, and rips his head off.

George’s death is instant. It’s not as slow as he deserves, after everything he’s done. But Caleb will not risk Harper any more than she’s already been risked. Only with George dead, is she truly free of danger.

The sight is so grotesque, that I look away. I have no sympathy for George. And I’m glad Caleb has returned and killed him. But it still turns my stomach, seeing a body without a head. And vice versa.

Caleb doesn’t hold the head aloft for long though, quickly tossing it to the side. From the body, he pulls out my knife. Then, hopping down from the platform, he hands it to me, hilt first. I set it aside for now.

Then Caleb reaches for me, likely to help me to my feet. Before he can, he’s intercepted by the outstretched hands and praises of every Alpha in the room.

He moves backward to accommodate them all.

Congratulations are in order, as well as many questions.

Through the door outside, I see the loyal soldiers scouting through. I imagine they will have the entire palace secure very soon, if they haven’t secured it already.

After a time, a servant walks in carrying the King’s formal crown. The servant seems confused, flanked by two loyal guards. They walk up the blood-stained silver carpet, carrying the crown all the way to the front.

Caleb hops back up onto the platform. As the servant comes close enough, he reaches down, snatches the crown off the pillow it was carried in on, and drops it onto his own head.

Chants start up in the room.

“Long live the King! Long live the King!”

Carrying my knife, I walk toward the wall of the room, giving room to the Alphas and their entourages, all who want to crowd around Caleb as close as possible to celebrate him.

Caleb, from his lifted platform, looks around until he sees me. His eyes meet mine.

We aren’t that far apart in physical distance. 8 or 9 feet at most.

Yet with Caleb up on his throne, and me down here near where the servants are coming in, we couldn’t be farther apart.

Just as I’d feared those final days at the farmhouse, the difference in our social status is too wide to stretch across.

I touch my cheek, and when I pull away, my fingertips are red. I need to see a doctor. I’ll likely need stitches.

The Alphas will likely all heal.

Leaving Caleb to his entourage, I start hobbling toward the door.

I’ve always been self-sufficient, but after spending so much time working beside Caleb, it hurts to stand alone once more.

Chapter 113

After Caleb’s grand display, I decided to remove myself from the gruesome sight and return to my old room, to see if it’s been ransacked. Entering, I notice a few things that are strewn about, but for the most part, everything is more or less as I left it. With a quick cleaning, it will be as good as new.

I set to work, stripping the sheets from the bed when someone comes through my door.

“Harper? Thank the gods.”

Turning, I see Bethany rushing toward me. I open my arms just in time to receive a big hug from her.

“I was so worried about you,” Bethany says. “No one could find you. And then when you returned, and those soldiers took you…”

“Did you get the servants away from the explosion?” I ask, not forgetting the task I had entrusted her with when it was clear that I was going to be captured.

“Yes,” Bethany says. “We already knew to be on guard, so when I gave the order to get away from the door, no one questioned it.”

“Good,” I say with relief. There were still casualties today, but it seems as if they were limited to the traitors and the loyal soldiers. No innocents were killed, from what I could tell.

Bethany and I pull away from the hug then. She notices the sheets on the floor and immediately begins to assist me in cleaning.

With her continuous curious glances at me, I could tell that she wanted to ask me a few things.

“Go on, then,” I say to her. Honestly, I have my own questions for her. Cleaning can wait for now.

“What happened to you?” she asks. “You totally disappeared, only to return with the King. What happened while you were gone?”

Over the course of the next hour, Bethany and I exchanged information about what happened at the farmhouse, as well as what happened here in the capital. We are both equally intrigued by hearing what the other has to say. Though, by the time we are through, Bethany is much more excited than me.

“I can’t imagine the King acting that way,” Bethany says with wonder. “He must really care about you to actually try to contribute, rather than just letting you do everything.”

“It was a matter of necessity, not affection,” I tell her.

“Maybe,” Bethany says, clearly not convinced. “But that doesn’t explain the way you talk about him now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Compared to before. Your voice softens when you speak of him, and you so often address him by his first name and not his title,” Bethany says. “You will have to be more careful about that in front of the others.”

I blush slightly, not realizing how informal I have been talking about Caleb. In my mind, I know that he is still the king. But my heart is less practical. After spending those days together at the farmhouse, my heart yearns for him to be simply Caleb.

“Harper,” Bethany asks. Close to me, her voice is quiet, as if she worries we will be overheard. “Are you developing actual fondness for our King?”

So what if I am? It wouldn’t change our positions. He would still be kind, and I would be nothing but a member of his harem. He would never return my feelings, and once he married, I would be entirely cast aside. At least, I hope I would be. It would be so much worse for him to continue to visit me, all while he is married to someone else.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Bethany says.

“It’s not that,” I tell her. “It’s just… Caleb – King Caleb is now as he always has been unobtainable. My growing feelings matter very little in the long run. When we were at the farmhouse, it was easy to pretend that things were different. But the reality is still a reality, and I am faced with it now. Caleb will never feel more for me than what a King could feel for his consort.”

Bethany’s good humor falls at my words. “Yes. I suppose that’s true… Though your feelings for him will surely help you find comfort in your days here. Maybe being near him won’t be such a chore for you.”

I want to believe that, but the truth is messier. Instead of being annoyed by Caleb’s presence, I will now be annoyed by my own impossible feelings. Being with Caleb might just hurt me now, down in my heart.

If only things weren’t so impossible…

But this is life. Caleb is King, and I am a lowly harem member. There will be no changing that.

Bethany and I return to cleaning. Before too long, we have my room in an acceptable condition.

We pause when we hear a great many feet being marched through the hallways. Curious, I duck my head out into the hallway, with Bethany behind.

The people being marched are in the next hallway down, but I can see them from where I’m standing. Their wrists are chained, their faces dire. They are being led into the stairwell, and likely taken down to the basement.

I stop a servant on her way up the hall. “What’s going on there?” I ask.

After her initial surprise at having been addressed, the girl answers, “The traitors, mistress. They are being led to the dungeons. In the morning, the King has declared that there will be a grand execution.”

I look at Bethany, who looks back at me.

Bethany speaks to the servant, “He has condemned them all without individual trials?”

“He says the sickness must be purged,” the servant continues. “He was quite forceful.”

I’m sure he was. “I should speak with him,” I say to Bethany.

While I have no love for any of these traitors and what they tried to do, I’m not sure a massive execution is the answer. Perhaps they can be reformed, or sent back to their home country in a trade of some kind.

Caleb is relying too much on his anger here. He’s thirsting for revenge on those who harmed him so badly that he’s not thinking clearly. Ruthless as he may be, he might end up regretting this action and the wealth of possible information it might have otherwise produced.

I need to talk to him. I’m the only one who really has a chance at soothing him enough to think critically. If, when he’s calm, he still wants to move forward with this plan, then I might understand. But as it is, it seems as if he’s being reactionary and unreasonable.

So many deaths. Even the deaths of traitors.

It would weigh on Caleb’s already troubled mind.

I step out into the hallway. The number of guards stationed outside of the King’s chambers give me a pretty good idea that he’s likely inside.

I head there and try to reach for the door. Immediately, my hand is knocked away. A guard shifts sideways to directly block my path.

“My apologies for the misunderstanding,” I say. “But Caleb – King Caleb usually allows me to see him…”

“Not anymore,” the guard replies. “The King has demanded that we block anyone from entering.”

“If you would ask him -“

“Anyone includes us,” the guard says. “We are not to enter either. If you wish to speak with the King, you must wait until he leaves his chambers and gives explicit permission.”

“I understand,” I say, downhearted. It’s not the guard’s fault though, so I refuse to take it out on him. Instead, I drag my feet back to my room.

“See?” I tell Bethany. “I’ll never be anything more than a harem member.”

Chapter 114

Caleb sees nothing but vengeful shadows everywhere he looks. Even from the safety of his chambers, he suspects everyone in the palace is plotting against him.

Before the attempted coup, Caleb thought that his paranoia was mostly unwarranted, triggered only by the strain of not yet finding his mate. Yet now, he sees that he was right to suspect. In fact, he might not have suspected enough.

If one of his own advisors could turn on him like a flipping switch, then anyone could. His reign could be threatened once more, at any moment.

So he has all of the traitors slain in a grand execution. He attends, forcing himself to look into the eyes of all who have betrayed him. The experience leaves him cold, so he retreats back into his chambers to try to bring warmth back into his body once more.

All he feels is numbness.

A knock sounds at the door.

“I said I do not wish to be disturbed,” Caleb growls. He cannot allow those vicious shadows to follow him into his most private chamber here. Else, nowhere will feel safe.

Still, the door opens. Caleb stands and faces the door in a rush, ready to personally tear the throat out of whoever would dare to disobey him.

He pauses when he sees Tristan at the door.

Tristan has always been trustworthy. He is not a betrayer. He is a subordinate, but he is also something like a friend – if Caleb were in any position to actually have friends.

“The Alpha Council has convened and is awaiting you,” Tristan says.

“I did not request any such meeting.”

Tristan gives a strange look. Then he more fully enters the room, closing the door behind him.

“You did. Last night,” he says.

Caleb does not recall that at all, but much of the recent days are cloudy with fear and rage. Perhaps in a clearer moment, he did arrange for the Alpha Council to meet.

“I must warn you that the Alphas wish to return home. They will attempt to sway you,” Tristan says.

“Let them,” Caleb says. “I would prefer not to be surrounded by so many strangers.”

“With respect,” Tristan says, which he tends to say right before he disagrees with Caleb. “The Council was formed to plan a defense against the Bear Clan of the North. That has not been resolved. If anything, the bears are even more emboldened after the success of this coup. We need the council -“

“I don’t need anyone,” Caleb snaps. “Unless you believe me incapable of protecting my own kingdom?”

Tristan’s expression hardened. “Of course not, my King.”

“Then let the Council go home.”

“Can we agree on a temporary recess? Two weeks are so. You might feel differently by then…”

“Beta,” Caleb growls.

“That’s who I am,” Tristan says sternly. “And as such, I have an obligation to tell you when you are being obtuse.”

If anyone else would have talked to Caleb like that, he would have had them killed without question. But Tristan has earned Caleb’s respect and trust. For Tristan to push back like this means he firmly believes what he’s saying to be the truth.

Caleb doesn’t agree, but… Tristan has earned his consideration.

“Fine,” Caleb says. “Tell them it’s a two-week recess. But if in a week, I have not changed my mind, then we will tell them not to return.”

Tristan bows. “Of course, my King.”

Caleb turns away from him then, but he keeps listening as Tristan leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

As soon as Tristan is gone, the whispering starts in Caleb’s mind once more.

The Alpha Council could have helped arrange the coup. Likely the Gamma didn’t work alone…

Caleb shakes his head, trying to clear it, but all he can feel are suspicions – against everyone.

I’m very worried when a few days pass and I haven’t been summoned to Caleb’s side once. He could be having a good few days, without any headaches, but the odds of that seem very unlikely.

After speaking with Bethany and a few other servants, from what I can tell, Caleb has not left the safety of his chambers since entering them after the grand execution – a thing that I was unable to stop and blessedly not required to attend.

“Only Tristan has been seen going in and out,” Bethany says, relaying some information she gathered from other servants that very morning.

“Then it’s Tristan I need to talk to,” I decide. If I can’t get in to talk to, then I will have to go to the next best person.

Bethany helps me track down Tristan when he heads to the dining room for lunch. After being alerted, I rush there to speak with Tristan. Sitting at a lonely table, he eats a sandwich and soup and does not even bother looking up as I sit down.

“I was expecting you sooner,” he says before I’ve even said a word. “You’re late.”

I sit down in the chair opposite him at this two-person table. “I haven’t seen Caleb since the day we returned.”

“He’s not well,” Tristan says. “His paranoia has amplified. He even looked at me with suspicion, and did not immediately trust my advice.”

“I say the Alpha Council was sent home…” I saw Samuel once, standing across the hallway, as he and Leah were making their exit. Neither of us said a word to one another.

Looking at him, I felt… nothing. His behavior before the coup… I could maybe forgive, but I would never forget. He’s no longer a man that I can trust.

“He would not listen to reason on that,” Tristan says. “It was only with the full extent of my influence that was I able to make him even consider calling them back in two weeks.” Tristan shook his head. “He sees everyone as the enemy. Even those he should see as allies and friends.”

“He has not called me to see him,” I say.

“And he won’t,” Tristan replies. “Even though he should.” Tristan finally glances up to meet my gaze. “Harper, you need to get in to see him. You might be the only person in the entire kingdom who could help calm that paranoia festering inside of him.”

“I tried to get in once before,” I say. “I was blocked by the guards.”

“They tried to block me too. You need to be persistent.”

As nice of a thought as that is, I’m not a werewolf and naturally not as strong as the guards. If they want to keep me out, they will find a way. Plus, Tristan is the King’s Beta, one of the most respected men in the entire kingdom, seconding only the King himself. I’m just a member of the King’s harem.

“He needs you, Harper,” Tristan says.

That could be true. And I hate to think of him suffering, unable to trust anyone, lost in the dark winding caverns of his own spiteful mind. He needs someone to offer him a hand and lead him out of his own spiraling thoughts.

At the very least, I can offer a massage to push back the headaches.

I had to get into the King’s chambers. No matter what.

Chapter 115

I nervously approach Caleb’s chambers. The guards are there, same as ever, eyeing me warily as I approach.

“I need to see the King,” I say.

“So does everyone,” one of the guards says. “What makes you special?”

“That’s Harper, the King’s favored,” the other guard tells the first.

The first guard sighs. “Even if you are special, we have direct orders. not to allow anyone into these chambers.”

“Tristan has entered,” I say.

“Tristan is the King’s Beta…” Under his breath, the first guard adds, “And I massive prick.”

It seems, to get where I need to be, I must also be a massive prick.

“The King needs me,” I say.

The first guard lifts a brow. “He’d be pissed to hear you say that.”

“Maybe he needs to be pissed,” I say. “Maybe he needs to feel anything. I think all of us can agree that him hiding in his chambers for days on end resolves nothing.”

“And you think you could be the one to drag him out?” the first guard asks, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m sure of it,” I reply.

“Let her try,” the second guard says. “If she fails, the King will just rip her head off.”

“It’s our heads that I’m worried about,” the first guard replies.

“I will make certain you won’t be blamed,” I tell them, hoping I can keep my word. Truthfully, I’m not totally sure Caleb will listen to anything I have to say, especially if he’s not even listening to Tristan. “Things cannot go on as they are. I’m the only one with a chance of bringing our King back to himself.”

The two guards exchange a look. With a sigh, the first one steps aside. “Fine. But it’s your fault if things go sideways.”

“I understand,” I say, and push open the door.

“When I said no one,” comes a feral growl from within the room, “I meant no one.”

The lights are off inside, and the curtains are drawn. It takes me a moment to find the source of the voice, and then a moment more to detect anything other than his red ruby eyes glimmering in the darkness.

Caleb sits in the corner of his room, gripping the walls like they mean to close in on him. His eyes, dangerous and red, are wild with either fear or rage – perhaps both.

He’s close to a shift, but still holding himself back. That gives me hope that I might still be able to reach him.

“Caleb,” I say. Now that we are alone, I can be informal without ramifications I hope. “It’s Harper. Can you hear my voice?”

“Of course, I can hear you,” Caleb snaps. “My senses are not the issue.”

“Are you sure about that? Why does it look like you are holding that wall up?”

“It could collapse at any moment,” Caleb says.

“Do you truly believe that?”

“I know it.”

“Caleb.”

As I take a step toward him, a visceral growl begins in the back of his throat and echoes throughout the room.

He’s certainly in a state, trapped within the paranoia of his mind. I suppose I should leave him to it. That’s what he wants, after all. But if I do that, then he’ll be trapped there, without any possible escape.

If Tristan couldn’t reach him, and I didn’t even try, who would be left?

No, I can’t let fear win out. I’ve been threatened by this Alpha before, but he’s never seriously hurt me. We’ve grown even closer since the last time he raised his hands to me. I have to believe that he would not do so again.

I can’t leave him like this. Not when I’m the only person who might be able to actually help him.

So I step closer.

“Caleb, it’s Harper. I know you can hear me. I’m just… I’m going to give you a massage, okay? Wouldn’t that be nice?”

–

Caleb is trapped inside of a fog within his own mind. Everywhere he turns, there is only darkness. Even this figure – this woman – before him is cast in dark shadows. She could be familiar his heart is telling him that she likely is – but his mind insists he is only surrounded by enemies.

Even the palace itself is soon to collapse, trapping him inside.

“Caleb…” the woman says. Her voice is soft and warm, like velvet, wrapping around him.

He thinks… maybe he can trust this person…

No. No, he shouldn’t. She means to do him harm.

She takes a step closer, and then another, bravely coming toward Caleb in a way that no one, not even Tristan, had done before.

“I just want to help,” she says.

As she comes closer, every inch brings a fraction more clarity to Caleb’s mind.

He recognizes this woman. He trusts her. This is Harper, his favored. She protected him when he should have died. She stayed with him at the farmhouse.

Caleb, without even realizing he’s doing it, leans toward Harper, moving closer to the feeling.

Harper would never hurt him. So he stays still as she lifts her hands and reaches out to him. She places her hands on the crown of his head and begins to lightly massage.

He closes his eyes at once, as calm and serenity washes over him.

Stepping closer to her, and to this feeling, Caleb wraps his arms around Harper and pulls her firmly against him. Lowering his face into the corner of her neck and shoulder, he breathes in her scent.

Finally, the shadows drift back away from his active mind and he remembers himself once more.

He has no idea why, but for whatever reason, Harper seems to have a strange power over him. No matter how lost he seems, she is able to return him back to himself, as if she is standing on the shore during a storm, calling him home to port.

She is the only person who has ever been able to calm his mind this quickly, this effectively.

He doesn’t like to think of her as a necessity in his life. After all, she is a member of his harem and nothing more. Plus, she continues to insist that she does not know the whereabouts of the child they created together, which continues to vex and infuriate him to no end.

Yet despite all that, she is one of the few people on this earth that he trusts above all others.

He hates to admit it but to maintain his fragile grip on his sanity, he needs to make certain that she is safe.

“Have you been well, since our return?” Caleb asks. His voice is still rough from his near shift and all the growling. It remains much deeper than normal.

“Yes,” Harper replies. “I’ve reunited with Bethany. To find her safe gave me a lot of relief.”

Caleb grumbles in acknowledgment. “And no one has tried to harm you?”

“No. Most everyone has left me alone. I haven’t even seen the other members of the harem…”

Caleb doesn’t tell her that he had ordered those members to be confined to their rooms until further notice. Only Harper was given special treatment.

He was the only one he was certain he could trust.

Shaking his head, he tries to clear away the lingering paranoia.

Yet even with it gone, he has a lingering worry – this time for Harper and her safety.

If anything were to happen to her, he would likely lose himself.

He can’t let that happen.

“Harper, I need you to do something for me.”

“Okay.” She pulls back to look up at him.

Caleb makes up his mind. “I’m going to get you a gun.”

Chapter 116

Caleb seems taken aback, his brow raising at first, before lowering dangerously. “You would deny your king?”

“I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t want something like that, that could kill someone so easily, not even to defend myself.”

“You carry a blade,” Caleb points out.

“That’s different.”

“How?” Caleb asks.

Okay, maybe he has a point. Maybe a blade can be just as lethal as a gun, but it still feels less lethal to me. My blade could be used to kill, but it doesn’t have to. A gun, I feel, has the main ability to kill, with all other scenarios falling second.

I read once, when I was back with my pack, that a person shouldn’t own a gun if they weren’t confident that would pull the trigger. I was as least confident as I could possibly be.

“I will not budge on this,” I tell him, and he glowers at me.

“You are the most frustrating woman in existence,” Caleb says. “It is to be a gift, to help keep you safe, and you throw it back in my face.”

“My blade was a gift and a good one. A gun would likely just be taken from me and used against me. I have no desire to have it.”

Caleb grumbles as he steps back, releasing me. With a foot or so distance now between us, he huffs a heavy breath as he pushes his hand through his hair.

“The most frustrating and the most vexing,” he grumbles to himself. Louder, to me, he demands, “If you will not allow me to properly protect you, then you at least undergo self-defense training.”

I could agree to that, I suppose. “Very well.”

“In addition, you will take part in warrior training, taught by one of my subordinates,” Caleb continues. “Learning the moves I teach you won’t be enough. You need to train for speed and strength, if you will not rely on the trigger of a gun.”

I won’t, so warrior training it is. “Fine,” I say. I wonder who he will assign to train me.

Caleb considers for a moment more. “You will also accept a large sum into a private bank account in only your name. To that account, I will contribute regular child support payments.”

“I absolutely will not,” I say, firm. “I keep telling you, there is no child.”

“Do not bother lying to me, Harper. The money will go into the account. If anything were to happen to me, I trust you to take that money and use it to keep yourself and our child safe.”

“I wish you would believe me,” I say. I’ve tried everything to make him understand that our one night together did not culminate in a pregnancy or a birth. I have no idea what faulty information he clings to so fiercely that has convinced him to not take my word at face value, even after I have proved myself trustworthy.

“Just take the money, Harper.”

It’s impossible, but admittedly, it does give me some relief knowing I have a backup fund just in case the worst should happen. Not that I want anything bad to happen to Caleb. In fact, I will do my utmost to make certain he lives a long and happy life.

“Now. With that out of the way.” Clapping his hands, Caleb walks around me toward the center of the room. “Your first lesson begins now.”

“My first… lesson?”

“Self-defense lessons, Harper. Come here now.”

When he suggested self-defense lessons, I had no idea that he meant to be the one to conduct them, else I might not have so readily agreed.

“Now, Harper,” he demands, his voice dropping again.

Not wanting to incur the wrath I have worked hard to calm, I move toward him. Immediately, he steps around me, coming to stand behind me instead. Then, he stretches his arms around me from behind, grabbing my wrists.

“Escape this hold.”

Typically, in lessons, the instruction is given before the test. Perhaps here, Caleb means to test my general knowledge before breaking things down? I’m not sure, but my general knowledge is fairly slight.

To defend myself in the past, I know to kick and bite and scream. None of those things I want to do right now with Caleb.

Growling, he drags me backward against his chest so hard that my back crashes against the hard muscle of his torso. Dropping his lips to my ear, he says, “You aren’t taking this seriously…”

“I am,” I try to say, but the words garble up in my throat, as new emotion comes washing over me.

This close, with my ass pressed against Caleb’s front, I can feel the sudden twitch of interest in his pants. Immediately, my own body reacts.

It’s been several days since the last time we’d been together. My body has been craving Caleb, waiting for any hint of a promise of pleasure. This is that hint. My knees start to go weak.

Caleb lightly scents the air. His hands drop my wrists, to paw at my hips instead, keeping my ass pressed tightly to the growing bulge in his pants.

“Harper… This is not what I intended.”

“Me either,” I assure him.

“This will not save you from a life-or-death situation,” Caleb says. His voice pitches lower, dangerous, as he adds, “If you try it with any other man, I will kill them.”

“I won’t,” I say, already knowing that I would never. The only man who has ever had this kind of effect on me is Caleb. With anyone else, I’d be struggling for my life. With Caleb, I want him to hold me closer. I want him to rip off our clothes, press me down onto the bed, and take me. “Caleb…”

He groans in my ear. “You smell so fucking good.”

Suddenly, he swivels me in his arms, forcing me to face him. Without further warning, his mouth crashes down over mine, claiming me as his tongue licks inside. As I cling to his shoulders, my knees indeed do finally give out. He holds me up, his grip tightening on my ass,

I push my breasts forward, pressing into his hard chest, searching for friction. I hate this bra. And all these other clothes that separate him from me.

Jumping up against him, I wrap my legs around his waist. He growls his approval into my mouth.

His dick is hard now, pressing into the apex of my thighs. My pussy drips, overwhelmingly wet. Gods, it’s like I haven’t had sex in ages, even though it’s only been a few days.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

“I need you,” I breathe against his lips.

“You do,” he says in reply and starts leading me toward the bed.

Before we get there, a knock sounds on the door.

“Fuck off!” Caleb calls.

The knock sounds again, louder.

Caleb, seemingly ready to ignore it, drops me onto the bed, tand hen crawls over me.

The door opens. Caleb, pushing up onto his hands, growls vicariously at the intruder.

Turning my head, I see it is Tristan.

“Forgive the interruption,” Tristan says.

“Get the fuck out, Beta.”

Tristan seems apologetic, even if he is unmoving. “King Caleb, your parents are here.”

Chapter 117

Caleb suddenly goes very still. “My parents?”

“They await in the Hall,” Tristan says. “They are expecting you.”

“Caleb?” I ask. I’m still pinned beneath him on the bed, my body still hot even as my confusion has thrown a wrench in my lust.

Caleb looks down at me, with something like an apology in his eyes. “Later,” he says and pushes away from me. My confusion only. increases. It’s so strong that it overpowers any hurt I might feel.

I’m speechless as he stands and crosses the room towards Tristan. They exchange nods, and I expect them to leave me there. Yet, just before they get to the door, Caleb looks back at me.

“Harper,” he says. “With us. Now.”

Immediately, I hop to my feet and scurry along behind them.

Out in the hallway, both guards stand at attention. Caleb totally ignores them both, pushing forward as if paying neither of them any mind. Behind his back, they both glance at me.

I have only a limited understanding of the relationship between Caleb and his parents. To my knowledge, Caleb’s father used to be the most powerful Alpha werewolf in the land. Somehow, several years ago, those power dynamics shifted, allowing Caleb to step forward. as top Alpha, taking the crown away from his father.

The werewolf way would have demanded that Caleb face his father in combat to determine who is stronger. Yet rumors whispered that

Caleb’s father had simply stepped down, desiring a quiet life.

I never knew which was true, and when I’d heard the rumors, I didn’t particularly care either way. Back then, the mysteries of the capital seemed like nothing I needed to seriously concern myself with. Our pack was strong, and though the king offered support when we needed it, that was the only relationship we’d desired in the past.

Now, I suppose, with the Bear Clan invading, times have changed.

Hopefully, the return of Caleb’s parents does not stir the rumors again. The last thing Caleb needs right now is even more dissension in the ranks.

When we reach the doors to the Hall, Caleb turns to look at both Tristan and me.

“My parents only resurface when they want something,” Caleb says. “Stay near me and keep your expressions schooled. They retain enough power to be troublesome.”

Tristan nods. Already, he looks bored.

I try to mimic that expression, but I have no idea how successful I am. Both Caleb and Tristan give me pitying sort of looks.

“Stay near me, Harper. But… behind me, if you can,” Caleb says.

My expression must not be so neutral, then.

Turning from us, Caleb pushes through the doors first, with Tristan following, and me in the rear.

I don’t see Caleb’s parents right away until we stop nearer the throne and I peek around Caleb’s shoulder.

Caleb’s mom is a beautiful Luna, with long dark hair and bright eyes. Yet there is no affection in her gaze as she looks at her son. There’s no dislike either, though. It’s almost as if she’s entirely neutral about him, which seems strange, given she gave birth to him.

Leaning a little more, I catch sight of Caleb’s father. He is the spitting image of his son, albeit several years older, with graying hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Even his style of dress is similar to Caleb’s, though he wears a deep blue tunic, compared to Caleb’s more muted black and gray tones.

The eyes are the same too, or at least Caleb’s father’s eyes look much as Caleb’s did when I first met him – hard and unyielding. Icy and ruthless.

Caleb learned much from his father, it seems.

“Son,” his father says.

“Hector,” Caleb says.

His father – Hector – frowns even harder. “You address me by my name now?”

“Did you expect me to continue to address you as Alpha like I did in my youth?” Caleb asks. “I am King now.”

“You could call me ‘father,” Hector says.

“That was another title you sacrificed long ago,” Caleb says.

While they continue to argue, Caleb’s mother glances at me. “And who is this, Caleb? She is dressed like one of your harem girls, but surely you would not bring someone so unrefined to a meeting with us.”

“Harper is my favor,” Caleb says. He inches slightly to the left, in an attempt to block me from his mother’s view.

I don’t need to see her to recognize the contempt in her voice.

“Favored or not, she is a harem girl, Caleb. What we have to discuss is official business.”

“I am the King here,” Caleb says in reply, his voice low and cold. “Her presence is not negotiable.”

“Move on, Kira,” Hector says. “It’s no concern of ours how our son wets his dick. We have much more pressing matters.”

My face burns hot at the crude language and the crass implications.

“Speak your peace, then,” Caleb says.

“The recent coup attempt has been a disgrace,” Hector says. “The Kingdom is in a state of disarray.”

“I was betrayed by the Gamma George,” Caleb starts to say.

Hector scoffs, cutting him off. “I couldn’t care less about how or why it happened, what matters is that it did, and now you face the consequences.”

“The packs lose their faith in you,” Caleb’s mother Kira says. “It’s possible that soon, many might stand up against you.”

“They can try and they will fail, just as George did.”

“It’s my understanding that George nearly killed you,” Hector says. “Or did I hear that wrong?”

“Where did you hear that at all?” Tristan asks.

“Silence, Beta,” Hector snaps. “You are to serve and to listen, not to speak.”

Caleb starts to growl. “You have now disrespected my favor and my Beta. Any further attempts will not be tolerated.”

“There’s the Alpha I raised,” Kira says. “I told you, he still has spirit.”

“Then he can prove it,” Hector replies. He steps closer to Caleb. “Caleb, what is needed of you now is an alliance.”

“We have already formed a Council with the Alphas of the packs,” Caleb says.

“I am not speaking of the Alpha,” Hector says. “I am telling you, it is past time for you to find a wife. You believe that I am disrespecting you? You should hear the chatter that happens outside of the palace walls.”

“The people lose their respect for an unmarried King who cannot hold onto his power,” Kira says.

“A marriage would strengthen alliances with the packs and the people. If you marry a strong, noble werewolf, she will bring fresh excitement to your rule,” Hector continues. “The people are

downtrodden with the invasion and coup. Give them something good. to look forward to. They need a wedding.”

What an absurd notion. With everything going on, who has time for romance? Certainly not Caleb, who needs to focus on bringing everyone together to defend the kingdom from our northern attackers.

Surely, he will see this as ridiculous as I do, and refuse his parent’s suggestion.

Except… seconds tick by, and Caleb’s dismissal does not come.

I look at Tristan, but Tristan stares straight ahead, his bored expression firmly in place.

I wish I could pretend to be uninterested in Caleb’s response.

As I’ve always known, Caleb would eventually move on with someone else. I am the favored of the harem, but that does not make me a permanent fixture in Caleb’s life. When he marries, I imagine he will cast me off to the side.

I thought I would have more time before that happens, but as Caleb’s hesitation continues, I already know the answer he is going to give before I even hear it.

And my heart already started to break.

“Very well,” Caleb says. “I will begin my search for a wife.”

Chapter 118

Since my arrival here at the capital, it has never been any secret that Caleb was the kingdom’s most eligible bachelor. I can’t pretend to be shocked when so many women take interest in him, hoping to claim his eye and his hand – and some of his power – for themselves.

Yet, even knowing that the thought of Caleb actually getting married felt like a far-off prospect. He’s never shown much interest in the women who pursue him. Since I’ve been here, he’s spent most of his time with me, not those women.

But with this request from his parents, Caleb’s attitude on the whole matter has seemed to shift. Suddenly, he’s taking it all much more seriously.

Standing beside him in his office, I watch as he writes down a list of names. Women he knows. Potential brides.

I don’t recognize the names, but Caleb seems to know them off-hand. What did his parents say? He needs to marry a noble werewolf. That’s probably a short list. I wonder if any of them are beautiful. Caleb would want a beautiful wife.

I’m not jealous, but as I stand beside Caleb while he sits at his desk writing, I will for him to look up at me, so see me and acknowledge me. Instead, he seems entirely focused on his task.

With each passing moment, a sprig of annoyance slowly grows within me, coiling around my chest, inch by unbearable inch.

I am not jealous. I will not be jealous. I refuse to be jealous!

“I’ve made arrangements with the Pitmaster,” Caleb says. “You remember her? She will be conducting this season’s warrior training. I’ve told her to expect you.”

A new fear opens up within me, pushing back that annoying sprig for now. “You don’t mean to send me back to the coliseum…”

I dread returning to that place, even just to train in the pit. I have so many dark memories from there, where I was so agonized, knowing my death was encroaching. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.

“Of course not,” Caleb says, dismissing that fear at once. “This training will be conducted in the courtyard. You will not be the only attendee, so I expect you not to embarrass me. Several trainees of the guard will also be taking the training.”

“I understand,” I say, relieved. “I’ll do my best.”

“Do better than that,” Caleb says and lists another name.

My annoyance immediately returns.

Later, when summoned for the warrior training, I head out into the courtyard. There, in a far corner, blessedly away from the pit where I had nearly been whipped, I find the Pitmaster, who looks younger than I remember. Though I’ve never seen her in sunlight before.

Several guard trainees are already there, each flexing or showing off with backflips or handstands. The Pitmaster ignores them all.

Instead, she considers me as I approach.

“Harper,” she says. “Glad to see you have survived. And a consort now too, congratulations.”

I’m still not sure why being a member of a harem is considered an honor, but it does beat risking my life in the coliseum.

“Thanks,” I say.

“The King himself told me that you would be attending warrior training this time,” the Pitmaster says. “He insisted that I not go easy on you. Please be aware that you will be treated as any other of the soldiers to be present here.”

“I understand,” I say. “I don’t want any special treatment.”

To actually learn something, I can’t be treated with any kind of special treatment. The hard knocks might hurt the worst, but they always leave the most long-lasting memories.

Over the past few months, my life has been threatened and then threatened some more. Whatever I can do to at least deter people from trying to kill me would be a step in the right direction.

Short of me actually carrying a gun, which Caleb continues to suggest and I continue to refuse.

“Good,” the Pitmaster says. Louder, she shouts. “All of you, ready yourselves!”

An hour later, I fell down onto the ground for the fifth consecutive time.

Without special treatment, I have been paired up with a tall and broad monster of a trainee, who could probably moonlight as a professional weightlifter he really wanted. Instead, he’s busy breaking every hold I could try, and flipping me over onto my back like I weigh nothing at all.

“Sorry,” he says, looking down as he towers over me. “You are very light…”

He’s a gentle giant. His regret seems heartfelt. Reaching down, he plucks me off the ground and then rights me on my feet.

“Thanks,” I tell him.

“Harper? You good?” the Pitmaster calls.

I don’t want special treatment, but my body is sore. Fortunately, there are other trainees who have tapped out for a moment. They are currently resting in the shade, their backs against the wall.

“I might need a moment to catch my breath,” I tell her.

“You can’t train if you’re hurt,” the Pitmaster says. “It’s good to know your limits.” She nods toward the other group, and I walk over to them.

I sit in the shade beside a younger looking man, likely only recently twenty. As we watch the stronger trainees continue with their sparing, he grins at me.

“Hardly seems fair, pitting you against the biggest guy here,” he says.

“I need to be able to face an opponent of any size,” I say.

“Sorry, but if that guy comes up to you, you should probably just run.”

Running is ever my first choice, but I know by now that it is sometimes not an option. In those cases, I need to be ready to fight.

“I’m Ted, by the way,” the trainee says. “I know we’re not supposed to make friends here, but life’s too short to sit around all quiet all the time.” His grin is somewhat infectious, even if he comes off as slightly naïve.

I wonder, with a slight ache in my chest, how long it will be before this place ruins his spirits. Hopefully not too soon. It’s nice to talk to someone with such an easy smile, who doesn’t seem haunted by bad memories.

“I’m Harper.”

“A beautiful name,” he says. “Are you training to become a guard too?”

I blink at him. Does he really not know who I am?

“Ted!” the Pitmaster barks. “If you are feeling well enough to flap your lips, then you are well enough to continue training. Get over here.”

“Got to run,” Ted says with a wink. “Talk more later?”

“I… suppose,” I say, too stunned to say much else. He genuinely believes that I am here to train for a guard position? Looking down at myself, I’m wearing a borrowed tunic and leather riding boots. Caleb didn’t want me to train in my usual, more revealing harem outfit. Is this the source of Ted’s confusion?

I should tell him, I reason. The sooner the better. If he knew who I was, he would know to treat me with more caution.

If Caleb were to see…

As if drawn by my thoughts, I suddenly see him. Caleb. Storming toward the training with his eyes flashing red.

He’s furious.

And he’s headed right for Ted.

Chapter 119

The Pitmaster sees Caleb coming before Ted does. She had been attempting to show him a few moves, but now she stands to the side, moving at just the last moment before Caleb grabs Ted by the arm and swivels him around.

“Hey – what gives?” Ted demands. There’s more confusion than recognition in his eyes. Does he not know… the king?

Though I suppose, in hindsight, that isn’t all that uncommon. Before I came here, I thought the king was an old man. Leah thought the same before she saw him at one of the events. How many others have no idea what the King truly looks like?

Could Ted be from the country or something, coming in only to become a guard – all without knowing what the King looks like?

“Easy, pal,” Ted says, raising both hands, palms forward. He glances back at the Pitmaster. “Is this part of the training?”

The Pitmaster’s face remains expressionless, but everyone else is caught in varying levels of surprise and horror. From their faces alone, it’s clear Ted is the only ignorant one here.

At this point, I just hope Caleb doesn’t kill him.

The Pitmaster takes pity on Ted. Stepping closer, she motions toward Caleb. “This is your king, you foolish boy.” To everyone else, she shouts, “Bow before King Caleb!”

At once, all of the other trainees, as well as the Pitmaster herself, fall to one knee in honor of Caleb. Even the other soldiers beside me, who had been sitting, pushed their tired bodies into a kneeling position.

I stand instead.

“K-k-king Caleb?” Ted stutters, looking back at Caleb, who has him gripped by the front of his shirt so tightly, Ted couldn’t bow or kneel even if he thought to. “Forgive me, King, I’m from outside the walls and I never -‘

“Why do you attempt to steal a member of my harem?” Caleb demands, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

“Y-your…?” Ted asks, confusion clear on his face. In a flash, realization comes over him. “You mean Harper? I wasn’t trying to steal her, King, though she is beautiful. I was just being friendly…” His voice shakes with clear nervousness.

“She is mine,” Caleb says, his voice pitching impossibly lower.

If I don’t intervene, Caleb really is going to kill those poor fool.

I rush forward. “Cal-King Caleb,” I correct myself at the last moment. “This boy is just a friend to me. He was only being polite.”

“I saw the way he looked at you…” Caleb says. With disgust, he adds, “I can smell his desire for you…”

Ted pales. “I don’t mean anything by it, honest! She’s just beautiful!”

A growl rumbles out of the back of Caleb’s throat.

“My King,” I say, hoping to appear subservient while also somewhat firm. “Perhaps you and I should discuss this privately.”

Caleb shifts his gaze to look at me. He narrows his eyes a moment, before releasing Ted’s shirt. Ted, off-balance, stumbles backward and tumbles onto his backside.

In a flash, Caleb grabs my wrist and drags me along behind him.

I think he must be leading me back to his office, or to his bedroom or mine. Instead, we don’t even make it inside the building. He stops at a gardener’s shed, and shoves me inside. With the door slammed closed behind us, he glowers at me.

“You flirted with that boy,” he says. “I should kill him in front of you.”

“I wasn’t flirting with him,” I reply. “I was just being friendly. He didn’t even know who I was!”

“I bet you liked that, didn’t you?” Caleb’s eyes flash red. “You didn’t want him to know that you are mine. You wanted him to think you were attainable. Were you going to fuck him, Harper? If so, I’d definitely have him killed.”

“I have no intention of fucking anyone but you,” I snap at him.

He pauses, his eyes dragging down my body.

When he looks at me like that – like he wants to eat me alive – gods, it shouldn’t make me want him but it does. Already my pussy is wet, my nipples aching.

“You want to smell anyone’s desire?” I taunt. “Smell mine.”

I’m feeling bold, driven wild with lust out of growing jealousy and pent-up desire from our lack of sex the past few days.

He’s totally frozen, staring at my breasts, his nostrils flaring.

“What does it matter anyway?” I demand. “Soon you’ll be married, and I’ll have to find someone else to warm my bed.”

Oh, it’s a dangerous game I’m playing, taunting him like this. He has to know, deep down, that I have no desire for anyone but him. But the lashings of my jealousy make me want to snap out in turn. If I’m hurt, he should also be.

If I must be jealous, then he should be too.

Growling deeply, Caleb rushes towards me, crowding me up against the stone wall of the far side of the outdoor closet.

“You think I would ever let anyone touch you? You are mistaken, consort. Your body belongs to me, now and forever, regardless if I wear a matching ring with anyone else. You are mine. I am the only one who can bring you pleasure.”

I lift my chin, feigning defiance, even as he pushes me harder against the wall, pining me with his body, his erection digging into my hip.

“Prove it,” I taunt.

Growling, he claims my mouth with his in a biting and passionate kiss. His hands tear apart my pants and panties, exposing me to the cool air. As I hiss, he drops to his knees.

“That boy would not know how to please you like this,” Caleb growls before he plunges forward, searching for my clit with his tongue. His onslaught of pleasure is relentless, particularly when he lifts one of my thighs to drape over his shoulder.

As he suckles at my clit, he presses a finger up inside of me. I’m so wet, that it slides in easily. He groans in satisfaction, before adding a second finger. Then, with the plunge up within me, he curls them forward, finding my g-spot.

Clawing at his hair, I buck against the stone wall and cum. As my body trembles with the aftershocks, he carefully removes his fingers and raises to his feet. He kisses me, and on his tongue, I taste myself. It makes me feral with possessive desire.

I want more.

“Caleb,” I moan.

He wastes no time. Gripping me by the thighs, he lifts me higher against the wall. As I wrap my legs and arms around him, he lines himself up and presses inside of me.

I drop my head back against the stone.

Gods, his fingers were heavenly, but his dick is outright immaculate.

He fucks me hard. I bite down on my lip to keep from screaming.

It feels so fucking good.

“I’m not… going to… last…” I warn him.

“I’ll make you cum until you cry,” he says. “This is only number two, Harper.”

It’s a beautiful, tortuous promise he’s making. He wants to push me over the edge again and again to make his point.

No one else could ever make me feel this way.

He thinks I don’t already know that.

“I want it,” I whisper in his ear.

“Hold on,” he growls and picks up speed.

So I do, holding on like I’ll never have to let him go.

Chapter 120

After, Caleb sits on the ground with his back against the wall, holding me in his lap. With his arms wrapped around my waist, I’m tilting my head, resting it on his shoulder.

I was positively worn out. My body had already been pushed to its limits for the warrior training, only to be pushed even farther with such enthusiastic and athletic lovemaking. Easily, I could fall asleep right here and now, in the safety of Caleb’s arms.

He seems to be well aware of that, doing little more to interrupt the moment than brushing his hand up and down the length of my spine. I curl into him, practically purring like a house cat, I’m so relaxed.

Neither of us brings up the arguments that led us to this closet in the first place. That feels like a different lifetime now. None of it matters.

Caleb knows he has no real competition with Ted, despite my teasing. And while my hurt still lingers, knowing I will soon lose Caleb to another woman, his wife, Caleb has at least asserted that he will continue to see me.

This shouldn’t make me feel better. I still don’t like the idea of sharing someone that I care about with other people. But I’m also well aware that I am a member of a harem. That Caleb has been faithful to me has been a fluke, not any kind of conscious decision on his part.

Yet, even knowing he won’t be my only… I still don’t want to lose him, even if I hate myself for it.

Quietly, Caleb begins to speak, rousing me from my near-slumber.

“You saved my life several times in our escape from the capital,” he says. “And then went out of your way to take care of me at the farmhouse…”

I did, but he doesn’t need my confirmation. So I keep my mouth shut.

“You deserve a reward for that,” Caleb says.

My heart sinks as disappointment swells through me. Does he think that I am the type of woman who would be content with material wealth? What good would money or things do me while I am here? I already have everything I need.

Perhaps I could ask for a gift for my pack, but with everything that happened with Samuel and Leah, that gift might be ill-received. Time needs to pass before that type of assistance would be welcome from me or Caleb.

“There is nothing I want,” I say.

“I don’t believe that,” he replies.

I shrug, unsure what he wants from me. “I didn’t help you so that you would gift me things.”

He glances at me sideways, searching, as if trying to see the sincerity behind my words. I can’t tell what he sees either way, but I know the truth. I told it.

“Regardless,” he says. “You have done me a service and I would see that service repaid.”

“I don’t want things,” I say.

“Don’t be stubborn, Harper. Everyone wants things.”

I close my mouth and refuse to open it again.

“Fine,” he says, after a moment. “If not a thing, then a request. I will grant one wish for you, whatever it might be. You may not want things, but I am certain you still foster desires. When you tell me what it is, I will grant it.”

I keep my lips sealed, refusing to accept anything from our brief but nearly perfect time together on equal footing.

In my heart, with growing dread, I already know what this means. This jealous. This hurt. This inability to face the future where he is going to be with someone else.

It’s love. I’m in love with Caleb, his good qualities and his bad ones. I love him for the whole that he is, and the stronger person I become when he’s around me.

This knowledge comes with a heavy price. I love him, but this is a doomed love. Even if he feels the same, which I doubt tremendously, he would still never truly be mine.

At best, I’d have to share him. Watching from the sides as he walked down the aisle, marrying someone else.

I don’t know if I’m strong enough for that. Nor do I know if I’m strong enough to leave – even if I could.

I’m caught in a trap, with certain unhappiness in every direction. All I can do is watch the hurt come barreling toward me, like I’m standing on the railroad tracks watching for the engine to come my way.

“I will wait,” he says. “When you are ready to tell me your wish, I will be ready to hear it.”

My wish would be to have him for myself, but that is not a wish he would ever be able to grant me. He would never want to.

A King would never tie himself down to a member of his harem. Not more than he’s already done.

So I keep my mouth shut and turn my face more fully into his shoulder.

The future will hurt me, but the present is well enough. For now, when we are together, I can pretend.

Caleb stays quiet and holds me.

Then, after a time, he checks his watch. “I have to go,” he says.

I want to whine, to ask him to stay like this for just a moment longer. Though realistically, no time would be long enough to satisfy my desire.

But then he says, “I have a date.”

My whole body goes cold. “Oh.”

Pulling away from him, I hurry to stand up and right my clothes as best I can. Caleb tore my pants completely off, but my tunic should be long enough to give me some modesty until I make it back to my room to change. I don’t think I’ll be returning to warrior training for today. With the King himself excusing me, I doubt I’ll hear anything about it.

“Harper,” Caleb says, while I’m already reaching for the door of the shed.

I don’t look back, not even as Caleb approaches from behind me. He runs his hands down my arms, all the way from my shoulders to my wrists. I close my eyes as the feeling of comfort warms me from the inside out.

Everything still hurts, but not as much as it had only a moment ago.

Caleb kisses the top of my head from behind.

“Don’t let anyone see you on the way back to your room,” Caleb insists. “Or I will tear their eyes out.”

It’s not the most romantic gesture I’ve ever heard. In fact, it’s downright troubling.

Yet, it still conveys a message of possession and jealousy. Right now, I want to be the only one he thinks about.

If only he wasn’t about to go on a date with someone else.

I don’t wait around for any more whispered words. I open the door and step out into the courtyard. There, careful to avoid any crowded areas, I rush towards the doors leading inside, not stopping until I make it safely back to my room.

“Harper?” Bethany asks.

“It’s nothing,” I tell her.

I will never reveal the truth, not even to my dear friend.

No one can know that I have fallen for the ruthless King Caleb.

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