Chapter 236

Caleb hears each and every word Gladys utters, including her plans to kill Harper and drive him insane. Without his meaning to, a growl escapes his throat.

Immediately, Harper looks at him with worry. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Caleb lies to her. He will not tell her the truth, not wanting to worry her needlessly. What Gladys is threatening will never come to pass. Caleb will protect Harper to his dying breath. If she is to be killed, it will only be after Caleb is already dead.

Swallowing his growl, he tries to compose himself. He needs to hold this together. Now isn’t the time to lose his cool. Harper’s presence helps, as does the feeling of comfort he is able to feel through the bond he has with her. Now that he knows to look for it, he can feel it, a warm tether that binds their hearts together.

He is certain he could follow this feeling, even if they were to be separated. Though he has no intention of letting himself be removed from Harper’s side, or having her be taken from his.

He will kill anyone who tries, without mercy.

Right now, Gladys is on the top of his list.

He scents the air, careful to keep tabs on the patrols. Yet, as he suspected, everyone has been called back to the front gate, to meet the approaching army. No one should be bothering them back here. At least, not for a few moments.

That gives him more than enough time to act.

“Stay close to me,” he says and steps out of the brush.

Harper likes to be defiant, but he is pleased that she can tell the seriousness of this situation. To best protect her, he needs her to abide by his commands. He’s relieved to see that she, so far, is obeying without question.

He has no doubt this will not last forever.

Honestly, in better circumstances, he looks forward to sparking the fight in her.

Not right now though. Not until they are all safe back in the capital.

Moving forward, Caleb walks right up to the bars at the base of the wall. In a flash, he shifts into his massive Alpha form. Gathering a bar with each hand, he rips them straight out of the stone. Some of the stone chatters and dust fills the air.

He tosses the mangled mess of the grate to the side and looks down at the new opening in the wall. Shifting back into human form, he leans down.

“Tristan?” he calls.

“In here,” Tristan says. “Bethany is in the next cell. We could use that bar-bending trick of your in here.”

Relief filling Caleb, he calls back, “I’m sending in Harper first.”

“There’s no danger here currently,” Tristan says. “But I will protect her with my life.”

Caleb has missed his friend and Beta. Tristan knows him better than most, and knew he needed to hear that Harper’s safety would be assured. There aren’t many left that Caleb would trust with Harper’s life, but Tristan is one of them.

If Tristan says he will give his life to protect Harper, then Caleb believes him.

Caleb waves to Harper, and then gestures her closer. “I’ll help you down.”

Taking her arms, he guides her down into the hole in the wall he made. It obviously looks like a jailbreak. If anyone were to happen by, they would be able to see and know. They should get in and out as soon as possible before someone does see.

But it’s still too dangerous to leave Harper out here unprotected. For now, she has to come with him wherever he goes and that means into this dungeon and whatever trouble awaits.

After she is inside, Caleb too descends through the hole.

He lands on his feet in a small, dimly lit cell. Harper is there, hugging a man. It takes Caleb more than a few seconds to realize this man is Tristan.

He is so much thinner than he used to be, and more grizzled, with his hair and beard shaggy and unkempt. Yet, he is alive, which is better than Caleb feared he might be for some time.

After Harper pulls away from Tristan, Tristan turns to Caleb.

“My King,” Tristan says, dipping his head with reverence.

Caleb wonders how coldly he must have treated his Beta over the years for the man to act so distantly in the moment of his rescue and their reunion. Did he not understand how vitally important he was to Caleb’s rule? Not just that, but also as a friend?

Briefly, Caleb reflects, knowing that he was far too cruel in the time before Harper entered his life. While he does not regret much of his ruthlessness to those who deserved it, he does regret the mistreatment of those most loyal to him. Those who should have been his friends.

“Thank you for searching for me,” Tristan says. “I am embarrassed that I could not manage to escape on my own.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Caleb says and moves forward. Tristan stills as Caleb embraces him as one would a brother. Because to Caleb, that is exactly what Tristan is.

For too long, he allowed Tristan to believe that he was nothing more than a servant. No longer.

“You are my Beta and my friend,” Caleb says.

Tristan relaxes slightly in Caleb’s hug. Then, slowly, he begins to return it. “Thank you, my King. My brother.”

“My brother,” Caleb replies, solidifying their deep friendship.

As they both pull away, Caleb spots the pride shining in Harper’s eyes. He feels some pride of his own, knowing he is mending a friendship that had long suffered due to his neglect and coldness.

Also, and maybe more, he now had that same trusted friend beside him, after worrying he was dead.

“I’m glad to find you alive,” Caleb says. “When we found traces of what happened…”

“It couldn’t have been a pretty picture,” Tristan replies. “But that, I fear, is a conversation for later. For now…”

He turns to look at the cell across the bars, so Caleb and Harper follow his lead. In the dark, I can see Bethany there, standing near the bars while Gladys is behind her, rising from an old wooden stool.

Harper squints. Her human eyes likely can’t see much in the dim light, at least beyond the moonlight creeping in through the hole Caleb made.

“Bethany?” she calls out.

“Harper! I’m here,” Bethany calls back.

Harper immediately smiles and goes toward the bars.

Touching her shoulders, Caleb eases her back. Fortunately these bars seem flimsier than the ones at the window, so he shouldn’t need to shift to bend them. His alpha form would be cramped in such a small space. Still, he needs some room, not wanting Harper to be hurt by the ricochet.

Tristan, as if sensing what Caleb is about to do, takes Harper by the arm and guides her backwards. She goes willingly, standing near the wall, even as Tristan shields her with his body.

Tristan nods at Caleb, and Caleb grips the bars tighter.

Suddenly, there’s a yelp from the other cell.

“Bethany?” Harper gasp, recognizing the voice of her friend.

Across the walkway, Gladys has grabbed Bethany by the back of the head, gripping her hair in a tight fist, and yanked her backwards. Bethany, not expecting the attack, fell down.

As Gladys stands over her, she shifts open her cane, revealing that the bottom half was only a sheath for a secret sword hidden within.