The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate

09:53 Tue, Nov 19 G BB

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The knife cuts a straight line across the backs of my arms, which raised to protect my face. Blood immediately drips from the wound, but it is not deep. I'm fortunate.

These women really do seem more intent on maiming me than killing me.

"Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," Madeline says, annoyance rising in her voice.

"Sorry I'm not going to just stand here will you main me, I tell her.

"You should. This is your lot. Accept it."

"No." I say with defiance.

Madeline scoffs at me and then turns to Gwen. "Do whatever you need to do, Gwen."

"Gladly" Gwen replies. Her dark eyes fill with murderous intent and she shoots forward to strike once more, with more force this time.

I raise my arms to block again, but the contact is never made.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Instead, Bethany plows into the side of Gwen, catching her off balance. Together, the tumble into a heap on the floor. The knife slips from Gwen's hand and skitters across the floor to Madeline's feet.

"Get off of me," Gwen says, pushing Bethany away.

Bethany scurries to her feet, then comes to my side. "We should go," she says, grabbing my hand.

I fully agree.

Allowing Bethany to lead, we start to run in the opposite direction of Madeline and her entourage.

Bethany is likely leading me back toward my room, but to get there, we have to pass by the entrance to the Hall once more. This would be fine if only a few guards were present. They don't even pretend to care about anyone other than the King. Unfortunately, it's not just guards standing outside the doors to the Hall. Caleb himself is also there.

He spots us the moment we turn the corner, then hurries to intercept. He ignores Bethany, but catches me by the shoulders. Releasing Bethany's hand, I come to a screeching halt. Bethany continues on a few steps before turning around.

"Where do you think you are running off to?" Caleb demands, fary sparking in his eyes. "What treachery are you plotting against me now?"

"I'm not "I start to say.

"Lies!" he bellows, shaking me by my shoulders. The movement is forceful, I close my eyes to fight back the seasickness from the sudden jolts.

"I'm not lying!"

"My King, forgive me, Bethany tries to say.

"Silence!" Caleb shouts at her. Curling into herself, she backs up step. "Anyone who conspires with this one will face a

worse fatel"

"Bethany saved tne!" I shout in reply.

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That, at least, seems to give him pause in his anger. He stares at me a moment, then sniffs the air. Confusion covers his face as he looks down. Blood from the wound on my arms is dripping down onto the floor. Streaks of it crisscross my arms, trailing down my hands between my fingers.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks, Without waiting for a reply, he grabs one of my arms and holds it up so that he can more clearly see the slashing wound. "Someone attacked you."

I just barely refrain from rolling my eyes. If he would listen, instead of flying off the handle right away, making his own assumptions, then he would know because I would have told him Stubborn, hardheaded Alpha.

"Bethany saved me," I say again. "She should be rewarded."

Again, he ignores me. "This is a knife wound. Someone tried to stab you."

"They were trying to mark her face," Bethany adds.

Somehow he seems to hear that, because the fury returns to his eyes tenfold and his frown deepens critically.

In a growl, his eyes on me, he asks, "Who?"

"I'm bleeding all over the floor," I say, trying to change the subject. "I should get cleaned up, shouldn't I? I wouldn't want anyone else to see me like this."

Caleb glowers at me, even as Tristan steps away from the other guards to approach us.

"Perhaps we should move this conversation elsewhere, Tristan suggests. "The guests might mistake this distrust amongst your harem for weakness."

A low growl escapes the back of Caleb's throat, but he must see reason. He grips me by the forearm and starts to drag me back toward the direction of our rooms. Bethany and Tristan follow along quietly

The wing holding all of our rooms is off-limits to the party guess. Several guards are stationed along the way to stop any who would be nosy or stupid enough to try to sneak by. They all stand at attention as Caleb passes by,

We walk past his own chambers to mine, where he throws open the door and drags me inside. Bethany and Tristan enter behind us. Tristan closes the door.

Caleb drags me toward the small two-person table near the foot of my bed, then not-so-gently pushes me down onto the chair. Grabbing my arms, he places them on the table.

To Bethany, he demands, "Clean these wounds at once. If they become infected, you will not live to see another day." "Yes, my King." Bethany says and rushes into the bathroom. She returns with a first aid kit and a few towels,

Caleb paces as Bethany sits at the other chair at my table. She opens the first aid kit and pulls out some disinfectant. "This will sting," she tells me, before she applies it to my cuts.

I hiss, it is painful, but endure. It could have been so much worse. And compared to my other wounds, including the ones inside of me from being poisoned, this one might as well be a papercut.

Caleb growls as

she paces. Tristan steps

nearer to him.

We will punish those responsible, Tristan says, as if in an offer of comfort to the clearly agitated King

"That someone would even try, unnerves me," Caleb says. His vice is gruffer than before, as if he's begun to shift in rage. "Perhaps I should cleanse the lot of them."

09:53 Tue, Nov 19 B B

"An extreme measure," Tristan says. "We will do as you command, of course, my King, but I would caution against that much bloodshed at once. Your haren needs to appear strong, even if it's not Caleb chuffs as he turns back to me. "Tell me who did this" His eyes are slightly red now. His hands are still shaped as human hands, but his fingers are curled like they might spring daws at any moment.

I have no doubt that if I provide a name, that person will be tracked down and killed at once, simply on my word. He's so enraged, he won't even investigate. He'll simply murder.

Madeline and her entourage should be punished for what they've done, but death seems extreme. After all, they hadn't intended to kill me.

I really don't want to be responsible for any more death.

So I keep my mouth firmly closed.

""Harper," Caleb growls. "Answer me."

He won't take silence as an answer. I'll need to give him something, even if that something is a bold-faced lie.

"I didn't see who it was," I say.

Bethany, while cleaning my wounds, lifts her gaze to me. I don't meet her eyes, keeping mine locked firmly on the rampaging King in front of me. He curls his lips up, showing how his canines are extending.

"You

are lying."

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