Chapter 206

The next morning, as I awoke alone in the bed, I immediately cursed myself for being so easily distractible. It never failed, the minute Caleb put his hands on me, I was lost to lust and pleasure. It was as if my brain clicked off and my body took over, with my heart caught in between.

In the end, nothing has really been solved. Caleb still has his harem, and all the girls of his harem are still waiting in the wings for him to remember they exist and to visit them again. How soon until he gets bored enough with me to seek out their attentions?

With a groan, I turn and bury my face into the pillow. None of this should matter. My jealousy is entirely unreasonable. Caleb is a King and kings have harems. It’s not just a group of women for him to take pleasure in. It is also a political chip and a symbol of the kingdom’s prosperity.

Yet, even knowing all that, I can’t convince my heart not to care.

Checking the clock near the bed, I see that Caleb has let me oversleep this morning. It’s already almost ten. Crawling out of bed, I hurry to dress myself. Bethany is no doubt waiting for my call. She’d help me dress, and bring me breakfast.

I don’t feel like going through the routine this morning. So I quickly dress myself, and, after snacking on some fruit that has been left out in the room, I head toward the Hall in search of Caleb.

I won’t bring up the harem issue in front of others. Instead my plan is that perhaps being around Caleb in his kingly element will help wake me from the fantasy I had concocted in my own head. I needed to realize that Caleb is such an important man, his duty to his kingdom far exceeds any loyalty to me.

Seeing him work was just the thing to help me reset my frame of mind.

Also, I really needed to talk to him about the things that Jason told me, so that we could alert the scouts to narrow their search to more specific locations. The sooner they tracked down Tristan, the sooner we would make efforts to finally rescue him.

I should have told him about these things last night, but my foolish heart and its oversensitivity led to another night of distraction.

Walking into the Hall, I found that the Alpha Council was already in session. Not only that, but an argument was in full swing.

“There is no need for commoners in the court,” one of the Alphas is saying. “It makes our duty seemingly unnecessary. We, as our pack Alphas, are to report to you on the issues of the pack. You shouldn’t need to go to commoners to hear what’s happening.”

“You are right, in part,” Caleb said. “I shouldn’t have to hear what’s going on from the commoners, and yet, that is exactly what I am being forced to do.”

He’d been slouching on his throne, his chin held up by his palm. Now, he rights himself, glaring out over the Pack Alphas.

Watching, I stand in the back of the room near the waiting servants who were ready to attend any who had need of them.

“For who knows how long, my people were being mistreated while I had no idea. Long enough for them to form a sizable rebellion,” Caleb said, his voice low and firm. “Where were the messages from the pack Alphas in that time? I heard nothing about what was truly happening outside of the capital.”

“We weren’t going to bother you with every little thing,” one of the Alphas says. “We are more than capable of handling many of the problems.”

Caleb glares at him. “Obviously, you aren’t. If you were, we wouldn’t have a rebellion on our hands right now.

“So what now?” asks another. “Do you intend to replace us all with commoners?”

“There is no reason I cannot consult you both,” Caleb said. “They can tell me what you aren’t, and you can tell me what they might be exaggerating.”

“They are exaggerating everything!” someone shouts.

“If that were true, we wouldn’t have an army looming in the forests,” Caleb snapped. “I tire of being lied to. From now on, everyone will tell me the truth of what goes on in their lands. Now that I have ways of discovering the truth for myself, everyone will be held accountable.”

“This is outrageous,” someone grumbled. “The King accuses us of being liars, no better than common thugs!”

“Please, my King,” said someone more level-headed and reasonable. “Please reconsider. To diminish our power here means we will have less control back in our pack lands.”

“I am not taking away your control,” Caleb said. “I am merely monitoring it, to ensure that power is not abused. We are all guilty of leading our kingdom to the brink of war, I ask that you help me walk us back from this dangerous place.”

Some of the Alphas glanced at each other. Others continued to gruffly express their displeasure. A few even say they want to leave.

“You are not prisoners here,” Caleb said. “If you want to leave this council, you are welcome to.”

With that permission, a handful do seem to gather their courage and start to file out.

One, spotting me, glares openly.

A pair speak softly to each other, not realizing that I can overhear.

“I can’t believe he’d do something like this.”

“I can. Remember what Gladys said?”

“Yeah. She was right.”

“Makes you wonder what else she’s right about.”

As they exit through the door, a sense of cold washes over me.

What did Gladys said? And why are these pack Alphas speaking with her?

From his throne, Caleb eases his glare somewhat as he considers the Alphas that stayed.

“We need to work together if we wish to preserve this kingdom,” he says.

This admittance seems to calm the remaining ruffled feathers of the group, and the rest of the meeting seems to continue on as normal.

When they finally take a break, I weave forward through the crowd toward the throne.

Seeing me, Caleb hops down to greet me on the ground. Leaning in, he presses a soft kiss to my cheek.

“You are here,” he says.

“I needed to talk to you about a few things,” I say. When Caleb leans back to look at me again, I lower my voice. “Things that Jason said.”

“Jason.” He thinks for a moment. “The commoner. Yes. What is it?”

“It’s…” I looks around, at all the wolfy ears far too close for my liking. They appear as if they aren’t paying attention, but I’ve spent enough time in court by now to know that isn’t true. “I will need to speak with you in private about it.”

He considers this. “Later then. I cannot risk leaving this room and more of the Alphas walking out in my absence.”

This surprises me. “You think they would do that?”

“I know they would. The Alpha Council has always been fragile, but now even more so.” Caleb’s eyes drift out over the room. “There are many who thirst for power, Harper.”

A name springs to mind. “Like Gladys?”

Caleb looks back at me with intense focus. “What makes you suggest her?”

“Something the Alphas who were leaving said…”

When I tell him, his face hardens.

“I see,” he says, and I can already tell he is planning something.

I just don’t know what.