Chapter 189: Must Pretend
Rebecca’s POV
"So he knows..." I whispered, my voice completely hollow. "He knew. No wonder... Goddess, no wonder."
My knees suddenly felt weak, unable to support my weight anymore. The whole room spun in a blur of sharp colors and shadows as my mind rushed backward, replaying every single moment from the past few days.
The giant plush teddy. The expensive dresses. The gentle way he touched my skin after saving me at the cliff. The soft kisses on my temple when I woke up on his lap.
None of it was remorse. None of it was a change of heart. He hadn’t stopped seeing a murderer—he had just started hiding the truth from me. He knew I was completely innocent, yet he let me walk around in a silver slave collar, enduring the glares and spat insults of every wolf in the realm.
"Rebecca..." Kane’s voice sounded muffled, as if he were shouting at me from underwater.
"I should have told you the second I found out," Kane said, his tone softening with a desperate edge. He dropped down to one knee beside me, his hands hovering near my arms. "I swear to you, I wanted to. But Kaden... you know how he is. He is my brother, but he is the Alpha King first. He warned me that if I opened my mouth to you, he would strip my pack of its lands and take everything I own. He threatened to destroy me, Rebecca. That’s why I couldn’t tell you right away."
Hot, furious tears finally spilled over my eyelashes, burning my cold cheeks. A choked, painful sob tore out of my throat as I crumpled completely onto the hardwood floor, pulling my knees up against my chest.
"He knew..." I sobbed, my voice cracking into sharp, helpless pieces. "He knew the whole time!"
The betrayal cut ten times deeper than the collar around my neck ever could. It wasn’t just that he had kept me trapped; it was the sickening realization that every soft word he whispered in my ear on that jet was built on a massive, calculated lie.
Alpha Kane stood over me, his expression darkening as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"He doesn’t want to let go of you, Rebecca," Kane said, his voice cold and blunt. "Because to him, you’re a good fuck tool. You’re convenient. And you’re letting him think he can treat you like that by always running to his bed, by offering your body to him every single time he smiles at you."
His words hit me like a physical punch to the gut, making me flinch. A cold, bitter rage suddenly ignited deep within the hollow spaces of my chest, burning away the tears in an instant.
I snapped my head up, wiping the wetness from my face with the back of my trembling hand. I pushed myself up from the floor, standing on unsteady legs as my breathing turned sharp and ragged.
"I am going to him," I spat out, my teeth grinding together as I turned straight toward the heavy wooden door. "I’m going to tear that lying mask right off his face."
"No!" Kane barked, leaping forward and slamming his hand against the doorframe, blocking my path. "Are you insane? You can’t let Kaden know you know the truth!"
"Get out of my way, Alpha Kane!" I hissed, shoving his broad chest with all the strength I had left.
"Listen to me, Rebecca!" Kane growled, grabbing both of my wrists and holding them tight. "If my brother finds out I told you about Monica and Brandon, he will kill me! He will execute me for treason without a second thought, and then he will lock you up somewhere so deep no one will ever find you again!"
I glared at him, my heart hammering like a wild animal trapped in a cage. "So what do you expect me to do?!" I spat, a harsh, hysterical laugh escaping my lips. "Pretend?! You want me to just pretend everything is fine? You want me to still act like his obedient little slave, playing along even when my innocence has already been proven?!"
Kane locked his dark eyes with mine, his grip on my wrists firm and unwavering.
"Yes," Kane said flatly. "That is exactly what you are going to do."
"No..." I gasped, shaking my head violently. "I can’t. I can’t look at him without throwing up."
"Yes, you can, Rebecca," Kane insisted, his grip tightening on my wrists as he leaned in closer. "Listen to me! If you go out there right now and confront him, Kaden will lock you away. He will claim you’re insane, he will strip away whatever tiny freedom you have left, and he will bury the truth forever. Is that what you want?"
Tears blurred my vision again, but I didn’t answer.
"Keep pretending like you don’t know he knows you are innocent," Kane urged, his voice dropping into a low, persuasive whisper. "Give me time to unmask him properly. You have to stay here in my pack for a month—that was the agreement. Before your thirty days are over, I will gather the proof... I will bring it before the High Council publicly. I will expose him as a tyrant who caged an innocent girl, and then you will finally, officially be free."
I shook my head again, my throat raw. "I can’t pretend, Kane. I can’t let him touch me..."
"That is the only way out of this," Kane pleaded, looking straight into my eyes. "Rebecca, trust me. If you tell Kaden you know the truth right now, it will make everything ten times worse. He is the Alpha King. No one can fight him head-on. We have to play smart."
I closed my eyes, my chest heaving as the harsh reality sank in. He was right. Kaden had all the power, all the guards, and the entire realm under his thumb. If I went to him now in a blind rage, I would only be walking straight into a trap I could never escape.
"Fine," I whispered, opening my eyes. The words felt like broken glass in my mouth.
Kane let out a heavy breath of relief, slowly letting go of my wrists. "Please... just don’t let him suspect anything. Act the same. Don’t give him a reason to doubt you."
Without saying another word, I wiped the wetness from my face with the back of my hand, turned around, and walked out of his room.
I moved like a ghost through the quiet hallways until I reached the guest room Kane had assigned to me. I slipped inside, shut the door behind me, and collapsed onto the large bed. I pulled my knees tight against my chest, and the tears I had been holding back finally burst through.
I cried until my throat burned and my head throbbed. I didn’t even know why I was crying so hard. Was it because I knew he held the proof of my innocence and still refused to let me go? Or was it because, somewhere deep down in the dark corners of my heart, I had actually started to fall for his sweet words and soft touches?
The betrayal bled through every part of me.
Suddenly, the soft sound of the door handle turning broke the quiet. I froze, realizing too late that I had forgotten to lock the door.
I quickly turned my head toward the entrance just as the heavy wooden door pushed open.
Alpha Kaden stepped inside, dressed in simple, comfortable pajamas. The moment his sharp green eyes landed on my tear-stained face and shaking frame, his eyes widened with worry.