The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate

I nervously approach Caleb's chambers. The guards are there, sane 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." Tve

"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 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 them?

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 no possible escape.

If Tristan couldn't reach him, and I don'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 of 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 breaths 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 the 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. 2/3

#160

the only

ever been able to calm his mind this quickly, this effectively.

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

Yet despite all that, she

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 acknowledgement. "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 confided 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.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

Caleb makes up his mind. "I'm going to get you a gun."