Chapter 150

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I say.

He narrows his eyes at me, as a growl escapes his lips. “Do not test me, Harper. I have little reason not to kill you as a traitor would deserve right at this very moment.”

“Fine,” I say, then close my eyes. I was planning on bringing this to him anyway once we were safe and alone, but as he wants to push the issue, we’ll have to talk about it now. “I was learning about what really happened between Prince Evan and Summer Robbins.”

Caleb straightens so quickly, it’s as if I slapped him. Though even a physical blow from me wouldn’t have hurt him as much as my words seemed to. I am merely a human after all, not a werewolf like him.

“The omega and my brother…” Caleb says.

“They were in love,” I say. For a moment, I think of revealing that Summer was pregnant, which likely had been trigger for much of this heartache and hostility. But, remembering how diligently Caleb searched for the non-existent child of ours, I decide to leave the existence of the child a secret from him.

If Caleb knows of the child, an heir, he might pursue Summer, destroying whatever safety and semblance of normalcy she had strived so hard to make for herself. If her own mother is afraid of contacting her for fear of giving her location away, then I am not going to put Caleb on her trail.

He’d only make everything worse.

“More than in love, maybe,” I continue. “They were fated mates.”

“You’re certain?”

“I believe so, yes.” I have no reason to distrust Mrs. Robbins, and everything she said aligned with the evidence I had already uncovered. “And though I don’t have proof of this, I have reason to believe that Prince Evan wanted to marry her and make her Luna of the Kingdom.”

“My father would hate that,” Caleb says.

“Yes. He did.”

A cloudiness falls over Caleb’s eyes and for a moment, he seems very far away.

“Caleb,” I say, trying to bring him to the present. There’s urgency in my words, in my need to convince him of my loyalty so that he can go back and help Bethany.

“Why would you investigate this, Harper? Why wouldn’t you just leave this alone?” he asks.

“Because, you been carrying the guilt of Prince Evan’s death around for years…”

“I’m the one who killed him.”

“You were used as a weapon against him. You were not the one who set the pieces into place.”

“My father…” At once, his eyes harden once more. “None of this matters. You attempted to escape me and for that you must be punished.”

“I wasn’t trying to escape you –”

“You went behind my back.”

I can’t deny that.

“You made plans to deceive me.”

“I was going to tell you the truth eventually.”

“Eventually,” he grumbles.

None of this is what’s important to me in the moment. “Caleb. Please. Punish me all you want, but Bethany’s been shot. She needs help.”

Caleb’s glare lifts up from me, back towards the way we’ve come.

“Once I’ve returned you to the palace, I will sent the guards and medics to retrieve her,” he says.

That’s not as good as, I’ll go right now, but I’ll take it. Whatever gets help to Bethany.

“Okay. Let’s go,” I say, thinking Caleb and I will just run. Instead, he grabs me by the waist and chucks me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. “Caleb!”

“Faster this way,” he says and takes off in a sprint toward the palace. I’m humiliated thrown over his shoulder like this, but even I can admit that we are moving faster than we would have been able to if I had been walking. He could have carried me nicer, however.

I force the annoyed thoughts from my mind. This is fine. If this leads to Bethany being saved, I can survive this.

When we finally reach the palace, Caleb barks at some of the nearby guards, “Grab a medic and head down to the alley in town.” He gives a more specific address. “There is a wounded handmaiden there, faithful to me and to Harper. I want her healed, do you understand?”

The guards nod at once then break to see his commands brought to fruition.

Caleb continues to carry me inside the palace. When we reach the elevator, he finally lowers me to my feet. Towering beside me, he glares down.

“I know you want to punish me, but please, can it wait until we are certain Bethany is alright? I would never be able to forgive myself if she found her way into trouble because of me.”

Caleb isn’t in the mood to grant boons. I know that. Even though I told him some of the truth of what I’d been doing, enough to have calmed him down, his eyes still flash red now and again.

The struggle against his paranoia must have been severe.

“Please, Caleb. Just let me make sure she is okay. Then we can do whatever you want.”

“You ask too much of me, constantly,” Caleb replies. “I’m under no obligation to gift you anything that you want. In fact, you should be the one offering me favors, not asking them of me.”

As the elevator surged upward, Caleb sighs and abruptly pushes the button for a level much closer than the ground level.

The elevator comes to a stop and Caleb steps out. It’s the medical ward.

“Caleb…” A warmth fills my heart.

“You will stay here until Bethany’s safety is confirmed. I have a few things to prepare anyway. Then I will return for you, and you will submit to your punishment. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” I say. I would agree to anything he wanted, with the level of kindness he was showing me by letting me stay here. “Thank you.”

“You won’t be thanking me later.” He waves down a nearby guard. “You will watch her. She will not move from this spot. If she does, kill her.”

I pale slightly, the blood draining from my face. But the guard given the command seems even more nervous about it than I do. I’m well known as the king’s favorite. Undoubtedly, he doesn’t want to be the one to pull the trigger, for fear the King would turn around and retaliate.

Which he might do. His mind hasn’t been very clear lately.

Caleb offers no goodbyes. Instead, he simply turns and leaves me standing there with the guard outside of the medical ward.

I feel like I wait forever, but eventually, a medic and a guard bring a wounded Bethany up to the medical ward. As they hurry her by, she meets my eyes.

“Harper…”

She’s awake.

Once she disappears into the medical room, I close my eyes and exhale a deep sigh of relief.

She’s okay. She’s conscious.

I thank the gods that Bethany was born a werewolf.

If I had been the one to be shot, with my slow human healing factor, I likely wouldn’t have survived.

I continue to wait until the doctor comes out to tell me that Bethany is stable and will survive.

“She’s awake. Would you like to speak with her?” the doctor asks.

I want nothing more than to say yes, but with the eyes of the guard heavy upon me, I’m hesitate to move very far. Caleb ordered I stay right in this spot, or I risked behind shot myself.

In fact, Caleb threatened a great many things.

My punishment…

He is planning it now.

I don’t know whether to be excited or scared…