ALPHA KING KADEN’S POV
As usual, I was woken up by the loud, angry howls of my wolf echoing inside my head. Feeling utterly exhausted, I sat up on the edge of the large bed and rubbed my eyes. The clock on the bedside table read 7:00 AM.
With a soft groan, I forced myself into the bathroom for a quick, scalding bath to wash away the lingering fatigue. I pulled on a simple outfit of black jeans and a black button-down shirt. Just as I fastened the final buttons, a sharp knock rattled the door.
It was ti for the morning duty—the routine washing of my feet. I instantly rembered my own cold command from yesterday: Rebecca would be the one to do this task once she healed.
"Go back. I do not wish to wash my feet today," I ordered coldly.
"Very well, my Lord," the maid replied, her footsteps quickly fading down the hall.
Standing in front of the large mirror, I ran a comb through my hair, gelling it back into its usual pristine style. I forced my features into a hard, unreadable mask, preparing myself for another long day of ruling the Full Moon Pack and commanding the entire werewolf clan.
"Alpha King Kaden," Logan’s voice suddenly crashed into my head through the mind link. His voice was completely panicked, stripping away his usual calm.
"What is it, Logan?" I asked back sharply through the ntal connection.
"I think you need to co to your breeder’s room imdiately," my Beta murmured, his ntal tone laced with deep worry. "Right now."
I didn’t ask why. Breaking the link, I strode out of my room, my boots slamming heavily against the tiled floor as I hurried down the upper hallways. A strange, tight knot began to twist in my chest—an inexplicable anxiety that mirrored the exact feeling I had the day Helen wandered away during the Mating ceremony, only to be found dead.
When I reached the breeder room, the two guards outside bowed in sheer terror. I pushed the heavy doors open. Inside, two young maids stood near the bed, their bodies trembling violently, while Logan stood by the edge of the mattress, looking utterly pale.
"What is going—"
The words died in my throat the mont my gaze fell upon the bed.
Rebecca was lying completely still. Half of her body was covered by the heavy blankets, her face entirely drained of life and color.
"What is going on here?" I growled, my heart pounding with an unfamiliar, suffocating fear.
"I think... I think she is dead, my Lord," Logan murmured softly. The words hit like a physical blow.
"That’s impossible," I whispered, my voice barely sounding like my own.
I crossed the room in two large strides and climbed onto the edge of the bed. I pressed my fingers firmly against the side of her neck to feel for a pulse, then placed my hand over her mouth.
Nothing. No rhythmic thudding. No warm air. Werewolves ran hot, but she was completely, terrifyingly ice-cold.
"How did this happen?!" I roared, the sound vibrating through the cramped room as I glared fiercely at the trembling maids.
"My lord, she... she was very sick throughout yesterday," one of them squeaked, keeping her head pressed to the floor. "We thought it was just a minor sickness from her injuries. We didn’t know..."
"What!" I raged, my Alpha aura flaring so violently that the glass pitcher on the bedside tray shattered into shards. "She was sick, and none of you bothered to let know?!"
"Alpha King, your orders."
Martha’s cold, steady voice cut through the tension. The head maid walked into the room, hands clasped in front of her, showing absolutely no remorse.
"You strictly commanded us that no doctor or healer was to see her. She begged for a doctor last night, claiming she couldn’t breathe and that her wounds were infected. But I carried out your exact decree. We left her precisely as you ordered."
The words felt like a blade driven straight into my chest. My own words. My own cruel punishnt.
"Shit!"
I slamd my fist against the heavy wooden bedpost, the timber splintering under my strength. I ran both hands through my hair, completely ruining the neat, gelled strands in pure frustration.
"Leave! All of you, get out!" I yelled.
The maids and Martha scrambled for the door. Logan followed close behind, quietly pulling the heavy doors shut to give space.
Once the room fell silent, a low groan escaped . A sharp, suffocating ache tightened around my heart. I was supposed to be happy. I was supposed to feel a deep sense of relief that the woman who brutally killed my wife was finally gone. Her death should have brought peace to Helen’s mory; it should have been the ultimate revenge.
Instead, I felt completely heartbroken and empty.
Turning back to the bed, I slowly reached out and pulled Rebecca’s limp body up into my arms. Holding her against my chest, she looked as though she were rely in a deep, peaceful sleep. I stared down at her pale face, and for the first ti, I couldn’t deny her beauty. Long, curly lashes rested against her cheeks, framing a small, pointed nose and softly curved lips. She looked so innocent, and a sickening wave of guilt washed over .
Why had I only ever looked at her with pure hatred?
Because of the wolf-suppressing collar I had forced onto her neck, her human-like healing couldn’t fight off a simple infection from the stoning and silver arrows. My restrictions. My ban on dical help. I had essentially signed her death warrant myself.
The realization pierced my heart. Carefully, I laid her back down on the pillows and walked over to the window, staring blankly out at the pack grounds, wondering what on earth was happening to .
"Damn it!" I snarled, turning around to punch the stone wall. The impact left a deep crack in the rock, and my knuckles split open, but I welcod the pain.
How could I have been so blind? If only I hadn’t given that cruel order... if only I had co to see her myself last night, I would have noticed. I could have called a healer. I could have saved her.
I took a deep, shaking breath, trying to calm my heavy breathing. Rebecca’s death was supposed to be my victory, but I felt completely defeated. It felt like I was the one who had just lost sothing irreplaceable.
Walking back to the bed, I sat down beside her still form. The only proper solution left was to take her back to her father, Alpha Kelvin, and let them bury their daughter.
I opened my mouth to call the guards to carry her down to the vehicles, but the command died in my throat. The re thought of another man’s hands touching her skin, even in death, sent a toxic wave of possessive fury rolling through my veins.
No. I couldn’t do it.
Leaning down, I slid my arms beneath her knees and her back, lifting her bridal style. The mont her cold head fell against my shoulder, my wolf let out a loud, grieving howl deep inside my mind—a visceral reaction I couldn’t explain.
Her body felt far too light. When was the last ti she had eaten properly?
My jaw tightened as mories of every punishnt, every cruel order, and every bruise flashed through my mind. For the first ti, I didn’t see them as justice. I saw them as pure cruelty.
Pushing away the guilt, I carried her out of the room. I marched down the grand staircase, my heavy boots echoing ominously through the vast pack house. My dark Alpha aura was so thick and volatile that the maids and guards in the foyer instinctively dropped to their knees, unable to look in the eye.
I was heading straight for the front doors to demand that Logan ready the lead vehicle, when a sharp voice shattered the silence.
"Kaden?!"
I snapped my head up. My brother, Kane, was stepping out from the grand study. He froze dead in his tracks, his eyes darting from the kneeling guards to the blanket-wrapped bundle clutched tightly against my chest.
His face drained of all color as he recognized Rebecca’s pale, still face.
He took a rushed, panicked step forward, his own alpha energy flaring in disbelief.
"What the hell happened, Kaden?" Kane demanded, his voice cracking with a mix of rising horror and rage. "What did you do to her?!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers