Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 122

Chapter 122

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Chapter 122

Lillian’s POV

Teacher recognized Grayson, and Grayson knew Teacher as the First Warrior.

None of that mattered overmuch to me when Teacher was pointing the tip of a deadly arrow straight in Grayson’s face. Doing the only thing I could think to do in that moment, I stepped to the side, placing myself directly in that arrow’s path.

“Lily,” Grayson growled, his hands moving to my hips from behind like he was going to forcibly move me away. I swatted his hands away, refusing to move.

“Get out of the way, girl,” Teacher said.

“No,” I insisted. “I’m not going to stand here and let two people I care about kill each other. Teacher, whatever you think of the royal family, Grayson isn’t responsible for this. We are only here because we heard rumors about this and wanted to see for ourselves. Grayson is a man who cares about his people. That’s why we are here.”

“And he dragged you along,” Teacher said. “Where’s the sense in that? You should be safe.”

“I insisted,” I said. “Because of what you taught me, I can hold my own.”

Teacher frowned.

“Lily, get out of the way,” Grayson said.

“No,” I said firmly. “Not until we all swear not to kill each other.”

Teacher looked past me to where Grayson must have been looking back at him.

“If you loose that arrow and it hits her, I will find a way to kill you,” Grayson growled. “First Warrior or no.”

Teacher studied him a moment, then lowered his bow. “I wouldn’t hurt her, princeling. She’s one of my best pupils.”

I exhaled deeply.

Teacher wasn’t done, “Did you really not know what’s been going on here?”

“No,” Grayson said. “This has been kept from me.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said nowhere was safe,” I told Teacher. “Dangers at court have threatened both our lives, but Grayson’s most especially. There’s plots on his life, even by my father and Calvin.”

Teacher spit. “I never liked that boy.”

“He wants to be King,” I said. “He’s willing to do whatever he wants to get there.”

“I suspect he’s not the only one,” Grayson said.

Teacher returned his arrow to the quiver on his back. “Come to my camp. We’ll speak there. Now with no secrets between us.”

Grayson moved to my side. “Fine,” he said to Teacher, before glaring at me. “Do not put yourself in danger like that again. Not for my sake.”

“But -”

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Chapter 122

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“Never, Lily,” he said.

Teacher huffed a laugh. “Listen to your mate, Lillian.” Again he turned to lead the way, this time taking us in a different direction, like the first way had been false. Like he had expected this conversation to happen, this blowup. Or like he had taken Grayson out here to kill him, and maybe me too.

Maybe I couldn’t trust my Teacher as much as I hoped I could.

I didn’t want to believe that, not about the man who had spent years training me. He had been more like a father than my real father ever was.

Eventually, we arrived at an arrangement of campfires and tents, a makeshift city of rogues, all immediately looking at Grayson and me with suspicion.

“Peace, friends,” Teacher said, and they took him at his word, returning to what they were doing before.

Teacher led us to the center fire, the biggest, where he gestured for us to sit down on a log. Grayson and I did, side by side, while Teacher sat on the ground. The other rogues milled around, including some non-warrior looking types who began to cook some fish on the fire.

Glancing, I noticed children running around, playing.

This wasn’t a bandit camp, as was my initial suspicion, but a kind of home for refugees, fiercely protected and hidden away by the rogues. With how many twists and turns it took to get here, I wasn’t sure if I could find my way back even if I wanted to.

“I won’t apologize for my suspicions,” Teacher said. “At least not to the heir of the royal family. I will apologize for frightening you, Lillian.”

“I wasn’t afraid,” I lied.

“Yes, you were, but you were still brave. I’m proud of you for that.”

I fell silent.

“Where have you been all this time?” Grayson asked.

“I imagine you weren’t told. The Council of Elders banished me long ago. Years are hard to keep track of. It was probably before you were born,” Teacher said. “I believe I might be part of this attack. I don’t want to take all the credit and think I’m the cause. But I’m sure someone regrets my exile and wants to try to kill me instead.”

“I never heard about this,” Grayson said.

“Yeah,” Teacher said. “I’m starting to think the royal family might have been more in the dark than I had originally thought. Though your blind trust of the Elder Council has led you astray more than once; You’d think, just once, you’d actually look at them and see them for the connivers and thieves they are.”

“More plotting behind my back,” Grayson grumbled.

Teacher glanced at Grayson, and then to me. “Lillian. You have my aid, always. I’ll help you, however I can. If you need me, you can call on me.”

“You are a rogue,” I said.

“I’m the First Warrior first,” he said. “There are many who await my return, who never knew about my exile. But there’s only one chance for surprise, and it must wait until absolutely necessary.’

“I understand,” I lied.

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“You don’t, but you will. When your back is against the wall, and there’s nowhere else to go. Then and only then call for me and I will come to your rescue.”

“She won’t need that,” Grayson said.

“I hope you are right, princeling. Truly.”

We ate with Teacher and rogues, each given one of the fish that had been over the fire. The mood was tense and quiet, but the food was good. After, as night crept in, Teacher directed us to a tent Grayson and I could share for the night.

“It’s a small thing, but a young mated couple like you won’t mind I’m sure,” he said, grinning. He patted Grayson hard on the back, laughing.

Grayson stayed completely upright, frowning.

Blushing, I entered the tent, not looking back. Gods, it was small, barely wide enough for two narrow frames, let alone Grayson’s wide one. Still, he climbed in after me, and the tent flap closed, my Teacher laughing as he walked away.

I tried to inch as close as I could to the far side of the tent to give Grayson as much room as he could possibly need.

He laid flat on his back and watched me for a minute. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to make room.”

“There’s plenty of room,” he said, and reaching, grabbed me and pulled me down so that I was laying on top of

his chest.

“Grayson,” I gasped.

“What?” he asked. “Are you so afraid to be near me that you can’t sleep like this for one night? There have been plenty of instances where I woke in the night to find you wrapped around me worse than this.”

My cheeks heated, hotter.

“Grayson, please.”

He hummed. “Fine. You are right.”

“What–?”

He flipped us, so that I was on my back on the ground and he was over me. “This is much better,” he said, then leaned down and kissed me.

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