The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate

Caleb paces outside of the hospital room where inside, the doctors continue to try to save Harper's life. It's been thirty minutes so far, and still they work. A nurse he stopped told him with fear in her eyes that it could be hours still before their work is done. "There's so much bleeding," that nurse said. "As the doctors work, they have to be careful not to strain the heart too much or we could lose her..."

Damned fragile humans

Caleb snorts now as he turns, ready to start his trek in the opposite direction.

Tristan, infuriatingly, continues to watch him from nearby as if he is studying him, some kind of specimen in a cage. Just one more thing Caleb will punish Tristan for, when Harper is in the clear.

Tristan makes a humming noise, as if realizing something, and Caleb stops in his pace to glare at him.

"What?" Caleb demands.

"Forgive me, my King" Tristan said. "But I was just noticing that it seems as if you might genuinely care for Harper "That vile slave woman has been nothing but a thom in my side since the moment she was brought here," Caleb snaps. This is only mostly true, but he keeps those quieter moments locked deep away inside of him. He hasn't forgotten the feel of her fingers in his hair as she gently massaged his scalp, helping him relax in a way that has never been done before.

Nor as he forgotten the way her body twisted and howed delightfully beneath him in the throes of their passion. She could pretend to fight him all she wanted, but in the end, every single time, she curled those blunt fingernails into the meat of his back, tugging him closer with the full of her weak human strength.

She desired him. He could smell it in the air and taste it on her skin. Her words were ever-les, but her body betrayed her truth

If only it could betray other truths as well..

"I only care about my child," Caleb continues. "If his slave dies, she will take that secret with her. I cannot allow that to happen

"Of course," Tristan says, though his sarcastic tone marks a clear disbelief.

Caleb has half a mind to throttle this man right now. He could find another beta easily enough.

But he's too busy right now.

He returns to his pacing.

Tristan stays blissfully silent.

Hours later, the doctors emerge from her room. Caleb grabs the closest one by the front of his scrubs and pins him into a nearby wall.

"I will hear good news now," Caleb growls.

The doctor's hands go up defensively. His face pales. "Y-yes, King Caleb. The patient is stable. She should pull through though we will have to continue monitoring her."

An unwelcome shock of relief fills Caleb's body. He hates the sudden feeling and shoves the doctor away roughly, taking it

out on him.

"I will see her now," he says and turns toward the door.

"B-but my King." the doctor starts to say.

R

Caleb swivels on his heel, eyes blazing, fury firing within him. Surely this lowly servant is not trying to get in the way of the King!

The doctor immediately slinks back, frightened. "She is in a weakened state, my King. In your omnipotence.. if you could extend caution."

"I will do whatever I please," Caleb spits. Then turning toward the door, he pushes through it.

Harper is on the other side, asleep. Other nurses are in the room checking the machines connected to her arms with tubes

and wires.

"Get out," Caleb snaps.

Seeing Caleb's rage, the nurses tremble with fear. Unlike the doctor, they don't need to be told twice to flee the room and clear the way for Caleb.

Approaching Harper, he sees that her frail body is covered in bandages and bruises. Even her neck is wrapped up gauze. He growls lightly, knowing his marks are covered.

At the sound of his growl, she begins to stir.

Good. He will finally have some answers.

I feel the moment I return to consciousness because my body hurts all over. It's a dull kind of hurt though, the kind that feels distant-likely from pain killing drugs.

Nearby I hear the beeping of a heart monitor. It seems to be matching in time with my own heartbeat.

Am I in a hospital? How strange. Shouldn't I be dead?

It takes some time before I convince myself to blink my eyes open and actually see for myself where I am and what's happening.

There's a handsome man standing beside my bed. Gods above and below, he's the most gorgeous male I've ever seen in my entire life, even with that brooding look in his eyes. Who is he? I wonder.

Then I remember, and my stomach sinks.

King Caleb leans over my bedside, glaring down at me from above.

"Tell me why you didn't beg me for mercy when you had the chance," he says, voice sharp with barely-retrained anger. That seems to be his preferred way of talking to me. Even on my deathbed, I can't escape t

It would probably kill him to treat me with a modicum of kindness.

"You wanted answers that I've already given you," I tell him. "That hasn't changed. I will tell you until I'm blue in the face. there was never any child

"You liar.." he growls. He's intimidating flashing his sharp canine teeth, but after everything I've been through- or maybe it's the drugs-1 don't have it in me to be afraid.

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11:57 Mon, Nov 18 B 54.

"I'm not lying." I insist.

His eyes narrow. "I should have let you

die."

"But you didn't," I remind him.

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At once, his hand goes to my throat and he starts to squeeze. The dull pain amplifies slightly, especially when his fingers dig into the wounds made by the lion's sharp teeth. Even then, I can't manage more than a tired whimper. "You will tell me honestly what I want to know," Caleb demands Some of his rage seeps into his voice, calling forth his Alpha tone. It makes me want to comply, but that won't make a difference.

I'm already complying. He just doesn't believe me.

"I never had a child," I say again.

"That's not my question this time," he says coldly, surprising me

I blink at him. What else could he possibly want?

"Before you passed out, you said a man's name. Samuel," Caleb spits the name out with disgust.

My heart drops down into my stomach. The heart monitor picks up how fast the pace increases with only seems to make Caleb angrier. His fingers curl tighter. His upper lip twists into a snarl

recognize the name. He is the soon-to-be Alpha of your pack, as he not? I would know your relationship with this man." It's hard to swallow but I manage, my throat pressing up against Caleb's palm. Otherwise, I stay still and quiet.

my

Caleb is irrationally quick to anger, and he believes me to be his property. Who knows what he would do if he knew m heart belonged to another?

to you?" Caleb growls. "What do you mean to each other?"

""What does he mean to

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