From Substitute To Queen. Chapter 29

Caelan paused, his gaze shifting to Darrell with obvious reluctance. His expression could have frozen hellfire.

Caelan's acknowledgment was arctic. "Alpha Darrell."

He didn't even glance at Camila.

he lobby had gone completely silent.

*I need to get him out of here before this situation explodes.*

I moved forward, hoping to defuse things quickly. "Caelan, ready to go?"

Three pairs of eyes snapped to me.

Darrell's mouth fell open. "Caelan?"

Camila's expression shifted from confusion to shock to something that might have been fear.

And Caelan? Caelan smiled.

"Yes, Sabi. I'm ready when you are."

Darrell's eyes blazed with fury as they fixed on me. "You trying to harass His Majesty? Sable, have you lost your fucking mind? Someone like you – how dare you even approach him?"

He spun toward Caelan, his posture immediately shifting to one of obsequious respect. "Your Majesty, please forgive this intrusion. This woman has serious mental issues. Her behavior's been completely erratic lately."

I felt my jaw clench. The sheer audacity of him standing there, playing the concerned pack member while assassinating my character to royalty.

"She's been renting expensive cars to pretend she's wealthy," Darrell continued, his voice dripping with false concern. "Buying counterfeit designer shoes. She's completely lost touch with reality."

Camila pressed a trembling hand to her bandages, swaying slightly against Darrell's side. Her voice came out weak and breathy. "Your Majesty, please don't let her appearance deceive you."

She touched the white gauze wrapped around her head. "Last night she attacked me in a jealous rage because Darrell and I are together. She gave me a mild concussion."

The bandages were pristine white, professionally wrapped to look as dramatic as possible. Camila angled her head so the artificial lights caught the medical tape, making her look like a wounded angel.

"Look what she did to me," she whispered, eyes glistening with manufactured tears.

Darrell's voice rose with righteous indignation. "Sable, how dare you try to approach His Majesty! Do you have any idea what kind of crime that could be?"

He gestured wildly, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Your Majesty, she's just a common doctor with violent tendencies. Please don't let her bother you any further."

I watched this performance with growing disbelief. The nerve of these two, standing here spinning lies.

Caelan's expression had turned to carved ice. His voice came out deadly quiet. "Actually, Sable is my—"

"We should go," I interrupted, grabbing his hand without thinking. "Don't waste time on them."

*I can't let him reveal our relationship here. Not like this. Not when they could use it against us somehow.*

The rational part of my mind knew I was being paranoid, but something about Darrell's calculating expression made my skin crawl. Whatever game he was playing, I didn't want to give him any ammunition.

Darrell's hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist like a steel trap. "Where do you think you're going? Apologize to His Majesty first!"

He yanked me backward, his grip tight enough to bruise. "What makes a low-born woman like you think you can get close to royalty? What makes you think you're worthy?"

I jerked my arm free, fury blazing through my veins. "Darrell, the only people here with mental problems are you two. Camila's injury is completely her own fault."

"You're just jealous!" Darrell's voice cracked with rage. "Jealous that I chose Camila over you! And you went insane over some worthless old necklace."

He stepped closer, his breath hot against my face. "It was just a piece of junk anyway. Here – I'll give you two hundred bucks to buy five more just like that piece of trash."

CRACK!

The slap echoed through the lobby like a gunshot. Darrell's head snapped sideways, a bright red handprint blooming across his cheek.

"You fucking bitch!" Darrell's roar shook the windows. "How dare you hit me!"

His hand shot out toward my throat, rage twisting his features into something inhuman.

He never reached me.

Caelan moved faster than should have been possible. His leg swept up in a precise arc, his boot connecting with Darrell's abdomen with devastating force.

The impact lifted Darrell off his feet.

He flew backward through the air, slamming into the information desk with a sickening crunch. Hospital pamphlets scattered like confetti as he crumpled to the floor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The entire lobby went dead silent.

Caelan stood in perfect balance, his eyes blazing with lethal intent. Every line of his body screamed predator ready to kill.

*Holy shit.*

Fear shot through me – not of being hurt, but of what I was seeing. This wasn't the gentle man who'd tutored me through calculus. This was the Lycan King in his full, terrifying glory.

The violence in his gaze made my blood run cold.

*What if Darrell's seriously injured? As a doctor, I could be held responsible if I don't help...*

I rushed toward Darrell, dropping to my knees beside his crumpled form.

"Are you okay?" My hands moved automatically, checking for obvious injuries.

Behind me, I heard Caelan's sharp intake of breath. When I glanced back, pain flickered across his features before his mask slipped back into place.

But I couldn't explain right now.

Camila rushed to Darrell's other side, shooting me a look of pure hatred as she helped him sit up.

Darrell clutched his ribs, breathing hard. His gray eyes fixed on me with venomous intensity.

"Seems like you're fine," I said coldly, starting to stand. "I'm leaving."

His hand whipped out, fingers closing around my wrist like a vise. He pulled me down so his mouth was near my ear.

"I don't care what kind of relationship you have with him," Darrell whispered, but each word dripped poison. "But you should know what kind of monster he really is."

Ice water flooded my veins.

"You think Caelan Blackwood is some kind of hero?" His laugh was bitter and cruel. "He's a cold-blooded killer. His hands are soaked in more blood than you could ever imagine."

"What do you mean?" The words tore from my throat.

Darrell's smile was pure evil. "When you discover the truth about him... you'll regret it."