The Lycan King's Defiant Surrogate

Whatever was holding the beasts back seems to have vanished now.

Sword in hand, I slash this way and that, but still they prowl closer as if looking for a chance to strike. I do my best to hold them off, but I am no warrior. My back hurts, and I am growing fired.

I fight as hard as I can, even though my body starts to move sluggishly.

I won't give up. They won't take me easily.

Caleb intently watches Harper from his perched platform.

That she continues to fight so ardently, however amateurishly, both impresses him and annoys him. Why must she continue to be so stubborn? Even now, if she were to reach her hand out to him for mercy, he would grant it.

If she would only admit her wrongdoing, none of this would be necessary. She could return to the palace and live a life of moderate comfort as his slave. If she stayed loyal to him, she wouldn't need to fear for her life at the claws and jaws of ferocious animals. Yet her stubbornness continues to push her into making bad choices.

He needs to let the lions push her a little more, tear into her... Then, she will reach for him. With tears in her eyes, shill beg to be saved.

Caleb will finally have what he wants.

Alion takes a swing at Harper, catching her across the leg. She stumbles.

A second lion moves to pounce. Caleb sharply sends out his aura, forcing that lion down. It growls in its own defiance, even as it obeys. The beasts are growing restless.

Soon, they might stop listening to his commands entirely.

Harper is running out of time to beg forgiveness.

"My King." Tristan says He must be able to senseat too. "Perhaps if you stop the fight again....

"She remains defiant," Caleb says. He can see the fire in her eyes, even outmatched as she is. On her knees, she still swings her sword.

"But my King-

Caleb has already berated Tristan for speaking out of turn once. For him to do so again, knowing he'll likely be punished for it, sends a harsh reality zipping through Caleb's mind. Harper would rather die than give in.

In fact, as if solely to spite him, she seems set on dying.

He can see now, with growing, annoying certainty that this woman plans to take her secrets to the grave with her.

Caleb starts to growl.

I can't keep this up. My sword arm is so exhausted that I've added a second hand to the hilt just to keep swinging. On my knees, I know it will only take one more strike to end me.

They say cats go straight for the jugular, ending their prey's life with one sharp clench of their jaws. I can only hope that my

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end is as quick, though have no expectations of mercy.

If Caleb wants to see me suffer, he will see it. I can't do hell about it.

Finally, a lion pounces me from the back, forcing my face down into the sand. I'm so weary, that I struggle to push up my face, let alone my entire body.

Crawling over me me, the lion opens its mouth. Its teeth lower around my neck.

Closing my eyes, I spare a thought for Samuel. Though his recent coldness tears at my heart, I am warmed by the memories we once shared.

He loves me, I'm sure of it.

I wish he was here. I wish he would save me from this.

Reaching out my hand, with my last breath, I cry, "Samuel." Then everything goes dark.

Seeing red. Caleb roars.

As he leaps from the platform down into the arena, his body shifts halfway into his massive Alpha wolf. The instant his paws touch the sand, he darts forward, quick as lighting, and plows into the lion covering Harper. The lion catapults halfway across the arena. It lands on its feet but wobbles uncertainly, shaken.

Turning toward the two other lions, Caleb releases a deep, guttural growl from the very back of his throat. The lions immediately cower in fear and submission. Many people in the audience do as well. Some outright flee in fear. Caleb stamps his massive paws onto the ground, standing solidly over Harper.

Beneath him, even unconscious, she whimpers and cries. The tang of her blood hangs heavy in the air. It turns Caleb's stomach, forcing his growl even louder.

How dare anyone else draw blood from what is his?

"My King!" Tristan calls. He's in the arena now, slowly approaching Caleb in his own weak human form, his hands forward as if to calm Caleb's raging wolf.

Nearby the beast master and other arena guards are corralling the lions, driving them back into the dark of the cages below. It doesn't take all that much convincing. The lions know they are unmatched against a two story-tall monster wolf on a bloodrage. Only Tristan seems foolish enough to actually approach him. "My King." Tristan lowers his head in reverence and submission. "If you hope to save her, my King, you must allow the doctors to tend to her

He inches closer, which neither Caleb nor his wolf like. Caleb growls, low and deep in warning-

"She'll bleed out as she is, my King." Tristan continues. "Remember, she is a lowly human. She'll need doctors to save her

life."

Harper whimpers again, her breath is shaky.

Caleb can hear her heart struggling to beat

Yet despite her pain, she still whispers a name. "Samuel."

Caleb freezes all over. The snap pushes back his bloodrage for a moment allowing him to see things clearer, to remember who this woman is and realize what it is he is doing- 11:57 Mon, Nov 18

Why is he defending her so bercely?

He shakes his head.

More people are approaching, triggering his natural instincts once more.

"Doctors, my King. Tristan explains.

Tristan. His Beta. He can trust Tristan.

He doesn't need to trust Tristan. He doesn't care about this woman at

But she mustn't die. That much he knows for certain, even if everything else is a confused jumble of unanswered questions and mixed feelings within him.

Slowly. Caleb backs his massive wolf body away from the frail woman.

Tristan nods to the approaching group of people, who rush in to tend to Harper. As they work, Tristan approaches Caleb.

Forcing himself to breathe deeply, Caleb claws back his wolf form and shifts into his human form once more. As angry as he remains, he doesn't quite make it all the way. His canines remain sharp and his claws extended and curled, sharp. His clothes shredded previously with his shift, he stands in full nakedness, but he is not ashamed.

"The doctors will do their work," Tristan says, "But we must allow them the space to do so."

I do not take orders from a beta," Caleb snaps. His voice isn't quite fully human. Everything he says sounds like a growl

Tristan lowers his head again but does not even wince otherwise

Caleb pushes past him, enraged. The doctors still their work to look up at him,

"If see dies," Caleb snarls. "You will share her fate."