The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate
Defiant Surrogate 74

Chapter 74

Leals and Gwen continue to bond, sharing insults about me. When Leah starts to tell Gwen the story of my disgrace, I immediately check out and walk away. I'm no longer hungry, but I don't want to waste the food I've already taken. Finding a spot at the empty table, I slowly and mindlessly start to force the food down.

I don't know how long I sit there-long enough to finish my food. I suppose. Eventually, Tristan comes through the door. After glancing around the room, he spots me, then walks straight to me as the other consorts and wives look on "King Caleb requests you in the Hall," he says.

"Alright," I reply and push away from the table. I lift my plate to take it to one of the staff, but a slave meets me and immediately takes it from my hands.

"There she goes, running away again," Gwen says behind my back as I follow Tristan to the door. Leah laughs along.

As we step out into the hallway, Tristan glances at me. "Something we need to handle?"

"No," I tell him. Let Gwen and Leah commiserate. The worst that could happen is the sharing of stories, but those things can only hurt me if I let them.

Knowing Samuel loves me gives me armor. I don't care at all what insults they attempt to fling at me.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself. It is somewhat.. unnerving knowing Gwen and Leah are trading notes. Even so, this is a matter I need to handle on my own, without Tristan or Caleb's interference.

Tristan takes my word for it and we continue on wordlessly to the Hall where the Council of Alphas is currently underway. They don't seem to have gotten very far in their proceedings though, or perhaps they are taking a break, because the Alphas are commiserating with each other, while the advisors in the front of the room take notes, and Caleb, up on his throne, rubs his forehead wearily.

Samuel is in the crowd. I spot h him right away, but I dare not look at him. From what I can tell in the corner of my eye, he doesn't look at me either.

I expect Tristan to lead me to the side of the room as usual, but instead, he walks me straight up to the stage.

"Your King has a headache," he says.

This is my cue, so I step up onto the stage and approach Caleb.

"King Caleb.." I say as I approach, because he's not looking at me, With his Alpha senses he should be able to sense I'm there, but the last thing I want to do is needlessly startle an Alpha wolf.

"A massage, Harper," he grumbles.

I move forward at the command, coming to a stop beside his chair. He leans his head toward me, and with that as permission, I reach forward and bury my fingers in his hair. Gently, I start massaging at his scalp.

While I'm working, it takes me a few moments to notice just how quiet the room behind me has gotten. When I do notice. my hands start to slow.

"Don't you dare stop, Caleb grumbles, so I continue in earnest.

This has to be some kind of power play, doesn't it? Flaunting me in front of the Alphas, or at least in front of Samuel

There's not a hell of a lot I can do about it though, so I just keep massaging, until Caleb touches my artis, indicating that I should stop.

1/3

11:52 Thu. Nov 21 i U

Chapter 71

9×71%%a

"Return to your spot beside Tristan. Caleb says. He seems slightly better now, his eyes clearer, his face less crumpled with pain. "But don't you dare leave this room." "Yes, King Caleb," I reply and turn to step down from the stage.

As I do, I spot Samuel moving to the front of the group. His glage is fierce, his face twisted into a heavy frown. He doesn't even glance at me, his focus entirely on King Caleb. Looking back, I see that King Caleb isn't paying attention to hingat all.

Tristan stands at our usual spot on the side of the Hall. As I take my place beside him, I whisper, "Has it been this tense all day!"

"Worse," Tristan gives a soft reply. "At least the King seems less murderous now,"

1 hum, not sure if I'm in total agreement. If Samuel dares open his mouth, Caleb might turn murderous again. He truly does seem to hate Samuel. I hate that my feelings have made things bore difficult for Samuel and my pack "We would like to now hear from the pack leaders on their possible experience with infiltrators from the north, one of the advisors says, speaking to the ground.

Caleb steps forward. "The infiltrators nearly overran my pack. Were it not for the timely intervention from the capital, they would have likely assassinated me, or at the last opened the gates for the entire northern army."

"You're being dramatic," says one of the other Alphas, disbelief on his face.

"He is not," replies one of the advisors shortly. "We had intel of what might have happened to the Riverwood pack and moved to intervene. It could have ended very badly otherwise."

Some of the Alphas still seem skeptical.

"After the purge, I realized that I had confided in the enemy. The infiltration was deep. Advisors, pillars of the community. even friends. The spies had laid dormant for years." Samuel shakes his head. "Some of them I'm still coming to terms with."

My heart aches, hearing the pain in his voice. I wonder how many of those spies 1 also knew. Maybe.. if I could replace a way to talk to Samuel, he could tell me what's really been going on at home.

"The infiltration of the spies are not a secret," Caleb says shortly glaring at Samuel. "Those here that doubt you, only doubt why your blindness could lead to such ignorance for so long. A better Alpha would have recognized the dissension in his pack and quelled it himself, without needing me to step in

The words are a low blow, shaming Samuel, whose face turns slightly red.

"The spies are the exact reason we are having this meeting." Caleb says. "Let we all have forgotten why we are here."

Some of the Alphas start to laugh, and Samuel, humiliated, start to fall back, clearly no longer wishing to be the main focus in the room.

Yet even as he retreats back into the crowd, the other Alphas move away from him, as if standing near them will taint them

somehow.

"Is anyone else having difficulties policing their own pack?" Caleb asks. When no one replies, he says, "Good. Then we can move onto other matters, like what those spies mean. Their increase in number and boldness tell us one major thing about the north's plans: they are readying for war. We need to be ready in response

Eventually, around mid-afternoon, the council calls for a break. Many of the Alphas head towards the bathroom. Some gather in small groups to privately talk. The advisors speak with Caleb, claiming his attention.

Even Tristan has wandered off to onder refreshments from the slaves, leaving me standing there alone.

2/0

Chapter 74