The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate

Compared to the depths of the coliseum, the hospital is like a five-star hotel. The hospital bed is plush. The room is relatively private, with just a few doctors and nurses coming in and out now and then. They even give me food that tastes fresh, not moldy, and hot or cold water whenever I ask for it.

As the hours and then days pass, Caleb stays far away from me. Once or twice I have seen him walk past the open door of my room, but never does he come in to see me. At least not while I'm awake. Sometimes when I wake from a nap I can scent him in the air, but it could be my imagination.

I spend most of my time sleeping.

Once. Tristan does come by to visit, though he doesn't stay long

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling," he says.

"Tired." I reply. I always feel tired lately. That's probably part of the recovery process.

Tristan frowns like something is bothering him.

"What is it?" ask. With Caleb I'd bite my tongue, but Tristan has always been the more approachable of the two, even if he looks at me like I'm an idiot half the time. The other half, he stares at me with cool disinterest.

He has neither of those expressions right now, which troubles me.

"You've been sleeping a lot," Tristan says.

"My body needs time to recover," I say. Then I remind him, "I am human."

Tristan's flat bored look returns. "I haven't forgotten. But even so, your healing progress is slow. You should show substantial more improvement than you have."

I have my own theory, that maybe my body is purposefully sabotiging us so that we can stay in this plush bed for longer. But I suppose that doesn't really make sense. The doctors' medicine should help fix my body even if it is being stubborn. Glancing up, I eye the IV bag which slowly drips down a tub and into my arm. That's how they've been giving me all of my medicines now.

Tristan walks closer, inspecting the bag.

"Have you noticed anything strange?" he asks. "Anyone who is hanging around that shouldn't be? Any unusual smells?"

I'm not about to tell Tristan that I scented Caleb in this room. He'll really think I've lost my mind. There's not a chance in hell that Caleb cares enough about me to make sure I'm alright.

Yet Caleb wouldn't fit the bill of what Tristan is asking for anyway. As King, Caleb is allowed to be wherever he wants. Nothing strange there.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. "I honestly don't know. I'm asleep most of the time..."

"Keep your eyes open as much as you can," he says, his features hardening into something stern and even more unhappy than usual "The moment you see anyone who doesn't belong, you call out for the King, do you understand?* She says it like he meansit, so I nod. "Okay."

I don't want to tell him that he's scaring que, but the fact remains that he has. Perhaps what he's gifting me here is fair warning.

This place may seen like a five-star hotel but it is still a murderouse.

Someone could be trying to kill me.

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Caleb is not walking past the hospital ward because he is concerned. It's more as a way to further his authority. Too long, he avoided this section of his grounds, allowing the doctors and nurses here to become complacent without his order. By showing his face, he's reestablishing the proper hierarchy.

It makes perfect sense to his very logical brain.

And while he's at the hospital ward, it would be just as logical for him to wander past the room of his slave, just to be assured that her health isn't in decline. After all, he needs her alive to be able to locate his child.

With these thoughts in his mind, he makes this trek somewhat of a ritual, one he takes three times a day, in the morning. midday, and at night.

For all of his trips so far, he has found Harper sleeping. This time is no exception. However, this time, Tristan is standing outside of her door speaking softly with a doctor. Tristan's face a blank slate, but the doctor looks worried. It's enough to put Caleb on edge. Storming forward, Caleb immediately grabs the doctor by the shoulder and yanks him toward him.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The panicked doctor looks from Tristan to Caleb, back and forth like his head's on a swivel. "Harper isn't getting better," Tristan says. "In fact, she seems to be taking a turn for the worst." "What?!" Caleb shouts. He glares at the doctor, hate rising in his heart. "You said she was stable." "She w-was my K-King."

"You said she would recover in time! Caleb shouts even louder.

"S-she should have!"

"Then why?" Caleb shakes him.

"We don't know, Sir."

Useless, Caleb throws the man aside and turns to Tristan instead "Tell me what is happening here."

ve some suspicions," he says.

"I'm not sure yet, but I have

"I would know them," Caleb demands.

Tristan hesitates, like he's not ready to voice his thoughts.

Caleb doesn't give him a choice. "Now, Beta."

Ithink someone might be poisoning her."

Poison..?

Someone would dare try to take what belongs to him.

Enraged, Caleb tears away from Tristan, and pushes open the door to Harper's room.

At once he can tell something is definitely wrong. Her cheeks are swallow and her color gray. The doctors run tests all around her.

With hooded, tired eyes, she watches them. "I don't feel so well," she says.

Caleb moves past the doctors to an open spot near Harper's pillow. She turns to look up at him.

"I think I'm dying.." she says, almost as if in a daze.

Something uncomfortable twists in his gut.

"Don't you fucking dare," he growls, "If you die, I will immediately destroy your entire pack, including your precious

Samuel"

Fear flashes in Harper's eyes, immediately replaced by defiance.

Good. That's the same look she gave him in the arena, when she fought off those lions for far longer than her meager abilities should have allowed her.

It's that impossible determination that should keep her alive.

"You stay alive," he orders. This time, she had better listen to him or there will be actual hell to pay.

I am so tired, but I try to stay awake, afraid that if I close my eyes for too long, I might never wake up again.

Despite my best efforts, 1 nod off every now and then, though I'm quick to wake up again with a start.

It's during one of these starts that I notice a figure beside me not in scrubs, but instead dressed in fine silks and satins.

I recognize her, though with my tired, wounded mind, it takes me far longer than it should to place her.

She's one of the harem.

But I know her from elsewhere...

From before.

She's pack.

"Nina?"

Nina glances down at me with an eerie kind of smirk on her face. The good humor does not meet her sharp-eyed gaze.

Holding up a needle, she clutches the tube of my IV.

"Don't worry, Harper. It will all be over soon."