Novel Full Chapter 144: Seeing Her Again
Chapter 144: Seeing Her Again
Kaden’s POV
The engine of my sports car roared to life, matching the wild, dark storm raging inside my chest. I didn’t take a driver. I didn’t bring a guard. The small glass bottles of Rebecca’s medication sat heavily in my front pocket, pressing against my chest like a loaded gun.
It was my excuse. My golden ticket to cross into my brother’s territory and see Rebecca without acting like a lovesick man.
The drive to Kane’s pack took less than two hours, but to me, it felt like two years. Every second away from her was pure torture. My wolf was pacing beneath my skin, clawing at my chest, begging me to push the gas pedal down further. The closer I got to the border, the more Kane’s words replayed in my ears.
"I feel she is my mate."
A red mist covered my vision, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tight the leather began to rip. If Kane touched her, if he looked at her the wrong way, if he even breathed the same air as her for too long, I would tear his throat out with my bare teeth, ancient laws be damned.
By the time I slammed on the brakes in front of Kane’s massive iron gates, the sun was high and hot in the sky.
Two of Kane’s border guards immediately stepped out, their spears raised. But the moment they saw my face—the face of the Alpha King, dripping with murderous rage—their weapons trembled. They instantly dropped to their knees, bowing their heads.
"A-Alpha King Kaden," the guard stammered, his voice shaking with fear. "We did not know you were coming. Alpha Kane is inside."
"Open the gate," I ordered impatiently.
The heavy iron gates clicked and swung open. I hit the gas, the car flying up the long driveway and screeching to a halt right in front of Kane’s modern, glass-walled mansion. The house looked too clean, too bright, too quiet. It didn’t suit my dark mood at all.
I stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut. The moment my feet hit the gravel, I threw my head back and took a deep, desperate breath.
There.
Her scent. It was faint, but it was there. Nutmeg and honey. My wolf let out a possessive howl deep inside my mind, instantly locking onto her location. She was upstairs.
I didn’t hesitate. I kicked the grand front doors open, the wood hitting the walls with a booming crash that echoed through the entire mansion. Kane’s house guards instantly ran into the foyer, their bodies tensed for a fight. But when they saw me walking in like a god of war, my dark green eyes glowing with total dominance, they all froze. They instinctively took three steps back, bowing their heads. None of them dared to stand in my way.
I stormed up the wide, carpeted stairs, following her scent like a predator tracking its prey. It led me straight down a long hallway on the second floor, right toward a set of heavy double doors at the very end.
The scent grew stronger, but as I reached the door, another scent hit my nose.
Kane.
His smooth, woody scent was mixed right in with hers. My heart stopped, a cold, feral jealousy exploding in my veins. They were together. In a closed room.
I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed the handles and violently threw the double doors open, stepping into the room with a deadly growl vibrating in my throat.
"Rebecca—"
The word died in my mouth.
The scene before me made my soul completely freeze.
Kane was on one knee on the floor right in front of Rebecca. She was sitting back in a large chair, looking down at him, her small hand resting flat against his shoulder for balance. Kane’s head was bent low, his fingers wrapped tightly around her ankle as he carefully fastened a thick, glowing silver bracelet around it.
From where I stood, all my wolf could see through the blinding red mist of fury was my twin brother kneeling before the woman I claimed to hate. It looked exactly like a proposal. It looked like a fated mate claiming his queen.
Their hands were touching. They were close. Too damn close.
A sound tore from my chest—a sound that wasn’t human. It was a deep, guttural roar of pure, feral jealousy that shook the glass windows of the study.
"Get your hands off her!" I bellowed.
Before either of them could fully react, I moved like lightning. I stepped into the room, grabbed Kane by the back of his black shirt, and violently yanked him backward, forcing him away from Rebecca. My claws extended, carving deep cuts into the palms of my hands as I bared my teeth at my own brother.
Kane stumbled back a few steps but caught his balance easily. Instead of shifting into his wolf or roaring back in anger, he just slowly brushed off his pants. He looked up at me, a calm, mocking smirk playing on his lips.
Rebecca gasped, pressing herself flat against the back of the chair. Her eyes were wide with that familiar terror, her chest heaving as she stared at my glowing green eyes.
"Well, well," Kane chuckled smoothly, completely unbothered by my murderous aura. He cast a quick, meaningful glance down at Rebecca before locking his eyes back onto mine. "Look who couldn’t even last two days."
I turned to him, my chest heaving as the raw anger burned through my veins. "Why the fuck are you touching her? I didn’t give you permission to put your hands on her!"
Kane rolled his eyes slowly, entirely amused by my reaction. He folded his arms against his chest with a lazy shrug. "Calm down, brother. That bracelet is a healing bracelet given to me by my pack healers. Her body is still weak, or did you forget that?" He stepped closer, his smirk getting on my nerves. "Besides, I don’t need your permission to touch what is mine. Rebecca is my mate."
"She is not your mate!" I roared, the sound vibrating through the stone walls. My wolf was clawing at the surface, ready to rip his head off for even uttering those words.
Kane scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh? If you don’t believe me, then prove it. Let’s take the choker off right now and let the bond speak for itself."
"Never," I snarled, my fist clenching.
Kane’s smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, deadly serious expression. He walked right up to me, standing chest-to-chest, his eyes boring into mine. "I will prove Rebecca’s innocence, Kaden. And when I do, you will lose her forever. You will pay for every single thing you did to her."
Those words... he sounded so completely sure of himself. There wasn’t a single hint of doubt in his voice.
A sudden wave of panic hit my chest, making my heart race for a completely different reason. Did he actually know something? Did he have proof?
I swallowed the sudden lump of fear in my throat, forcing my voice to sound harsh. "I’ll be waiting. Prove her innocence if you can."
Forcing myself away from him, I finally turned my gaze to Rebecca, who was still frozen in the large chair.
My breath caught in my throat. She looked different. She was wearing a fancy, beautiful floral gown that hugged her curves perfectly. Her brown hair was neatly piled on top of her head, and her skin—which had been so pale and bruised under my roof—was clean and clear. Just two days away from me, and she was already glowing.
A sharp, painful sting hit my heart. Was I really that bad for her? Was my very presence killing her?
I forced the painful thought down and tore my eyes away from her glowing face. I needed to be alone with her.
"Kane, leave," I commanded, my voice dropping into a low, authoritative growl. "I would like to talk to her alone."
"No," Kane replied instantly, stepping right between me and Rebecca’s chair, blocking my view of her. "I am not leaving my mate alone with you."
I snapped. I stepped forward and grabbed him by his collar. "Stop calling her that. She... is... not... your... mate!"