The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate
Defiant Surrogate 96

Chapter 96

Bethany keeps her head down, completing her work scrubbing the blood from the balcony while trying to not to panic about the very clearly bear soldiers still in the capital, posing as King's guards. All the while, she waits for her chance to come forward and warn the

Gamma about what she's seeing.

After finishing cleaning, I head back into the Hall from the balcony, Gamma George is there, speaking with a few guards, some I recognize, but most are barely disguised bear-clan soldiers. "What do you mean you can't replace the body?" George snaps."

Bethany, wanting to eavesdrop, immediately begins cleaning nearby. No one seems to pay her any mind. Not George, not the bear-clan soldiers, and not even the guards she knows.

As a slave, she's basically invisible in the room. At least to them.

Bethany locks eyes with another slave, who gives her a silent, worried look.

The head guard George is talking to, stands at attention, his face carefully passive. "We've searched the entirety of the premises. Every alley. Every house. No one can account for the King's body."

"Then he might still be alive," George says and curses. "I've already told half the kingdom that he is dead."

"No one could survive that fall," the head guard argues. "And all those silver bullets..."

"Do not underestimate him," George says. "That devil has been a thorn in my side for years. I won't believe he's actually gone until I have his head on a pike."

Hope springs through Bethany's chest. If George believes the King might still be alive, then maybe Harper is too.

Yet at the same time... how deep does this corruption go, if even the Gamma worked with the bears to oust King Caleb?

"You there," snaps one of the guards. "I don't see you working..."

"Ignore the slaves," George says. "They'll follow orders no matter who is in charge." He laughs. "They are probably as glad as the rest of us to see the king go." A few of the guards and soldiers laugh along with him.

Bethany hurries to continue working so as to not draw any more attention. If she keeps her ear to the ground, maybe she can replace a way to help Harper and the King...

I go through all the cabinets upstairs and manage to replace a plain dress that fits well enough - at least, if I tighten the sash around the waist. There's some linen pants and flannel tops that look like they might fit Caleb too. I'm hesitant to take them downstairs though, still avoiding him.

It's unsettling, seeing Caleb brought so low. He might still see himself as a King, but broken and weary on that couch, unable to even lift himself, he's anything but.

Maybe I'm hiding up here like a coward, but it's better than facing the uncertainty that waits for me down below. Still, the man should have clean clothes, so with a deep settling inhale, I take to the stairs.

When I finally make it down to the living room once more, Caleb is asleep, his head pressed into the corner of the couch. His chest rises and falls lightly with his deep breathing.

He is peaceful like this, so I choose not to wake him. Instead, I leave the clothes I found for him on the coffee table and step outside of the house. It's already dark again.

15:29 Sat, Nov 23 GU Chapter 96

How much things can change in a day.

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Not wanting to disturb Caleb, I take up one of the rickety rocking chairs on the front porch. I've been awake for a long time now, so as soon as I rest my bones, my eyes grow heavy too. Before long, I'm drifting off to sleep right there on the porch. I feel something warm in the night. When I wake up again, I'm on the couch, and the sun is creeping in through the windows. There's voices on the front porch, but they are familiar

Tristan and Caleb, talking lightly. I also notice that the clothes I left on the coffee table for Caleb are gone.

Standing from the couch, I cross the room, closer to the door.

"You can't just go back storming through the gates," Tristan says. "We don't know the state of anything right now. George could be expecting you. He could have you killed on sight." "He'll have to try harder if he wants to kill me," Caleb says. Then in a gruffer tone, he adds, "Do not forget you speak to your King, Beta. Just because I am wearing these ridiculous clothes."-

"Of course, King Caleb. With all due respect, you assigned me as your Beta in part because of my observations and judgements. It's only out of concern for your well-being that I'm telling you, you walking back into the capital right now is asinine." "I am capable," Caleb says.

"You need to rest," I say, from the doorway to the house. I can't stand listening to this anymore. Caleb can't be out there, gallivanting around like he's at 100%. "You nearly died. If you go back there, the exertion alone might kill you, even if the bear clan doesn't." Caleb turns to look at me, incredulous, from where he sits on the rocking chair. When he looks back to Tristan, who is leaning against one of the support beams at the edge of the porch, Tristan shrugs.

"She's not wrong," Tristan says.

"Whether she is or isn't, I don't need anyone else to tell me how I feel," Caleb grumbles, more grumpy than belligerent now.

I don't point out, though I think, that he clearly does need someone to tell him when enough is enough. Before I said anything, he was ready to go back to the capital, guns blazing, like he wouldn't pass out from exhaustion almost instantly. When he returns to the capital, he needs to be healthy.

"Allow me to return to the capital in your stead," Tristan says. He's known Caleb for longer than me, and clearly knows how to make suggestions to Caleb to help guide him to the correct choices, without insulting him. "They'll kill you too," Caleb says.

"Only if they spot me. I'm not going to make my presence known. What I'm suggesting is purely reconnaissance. I'll go in, replace out what's going on. When we have more answers about what's happening there, we can formulate a more sound attack strategy." Caleb nods in agreement.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea..." I say, with hesitation. Tristan and I aren't friends, exactly, but I do care whether he lives or dies. We are allies in this. I don't like seeing him put himself in danger. "What if you are spotted?"

Caleb frowns, but doesn't say anything.

Tristan, meanwhile, looks at me with determination hardening his eyes. "No one at any of the locations I visited today knew what was happening inside of the capital. The only people who know are the people who are there. It's fine and well for us to hide away while we can, but we can't do this forever. Nor can we go back blindly."

15:29 Sat, Nov 23 GO

Chapter 96

I understand what he's saying: he doesn't have choice.

any

"Harper is right to have fears, Tristan," Caleb says. "We need your eyes and ears at the capital, but I insist you be cautious, Not just for yourself but for all of us."

Tristan bows low. "I will not fail you, King Caleb."

Without another word, he turns and hurries away. There's a new car parked beside the house. It's a beat-up old sedan, yet still in better shape than the bullet-ridden car we used for an escape.

At the door, Tristan nods to both Caleb and I. Then, he enters the car and drives away.

I can't help but worry that I won't ever see him again.

WENY

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