Chapter 208: Why Wasn’t It Him?
Rebecca’s POV
The leader of the Tiger Rogues ended the call, and looked down at me with cold, dark eyes. "I just spoke to Alpha Kane," he said, his voice low but threatening. "You better pray he does the right thing."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away into the shadows of the camp.
I sat on the cold ground, shaking all over. The awful smell of my own vomit filled my nose, making my stomach feel sick all over again. I swallowed hard, trying not to cry out of pure fear.
Thirty million dollars...
The huge number echoed in my head, sending a wave of dread straight through me. Would Kaden pay that much money for me? I knew he was wealthy—an Alpha King with endless resources. But was I worth that much to him?
Panic gripped my chest, making it difficult to breathe. What if he decided to gamble with my life, just like he did in the past? What if his pride got the better of him? What if he refused to pay, making these dangerous rogues so angry that they killed me on the spot?
They won’t just kill me, I realized, my hand instinctively pressing against my stomach. They’ll kill the child growing inside my womb, too.
I squeezed my eyes shut, rocking back and forth against the cold ground. I silently prayed with every piece of my soul that Kaden would just pay the money, that he would be merciful, and that everything would go smoothly.
A few minutes later, one of the female rogues walked over. She casually wiped away the vomit on the floor in front of me with a dirty cloth. She tossed a small bucket of water and a rag at my feet.
"Clean yourself up," she muttered before turning her back on me.
My hands were still tightly bound with rope, making every small movement an agonizing struggle. Working as quickly as my tied wrists allowed, I washed the dry vomit from my skin and clothes. My muscles throbbed, my bones ached, and my entire body felt completely drained of energy.
When I was finished, I leaned my head back against the rough stone wall, exhausted. My body was covered in dark purple bruises, and my skin burned with fever.
Around the camp, the rogues were talking, laughing, and eating. Watching them, I couldn’t help but wonder how long they had been living in these hidden caves. Were they planning to stay here forever, even after stealing so much from Alpha Kane’s packhouse? Or would they vanish into the mountains the moment they got the money?
Time dragged on painfully slowly. Morning faded into late afternoon, and before I knew it, night fell over the forest.
The rogues built a large fire in the center of the camp, its orange flames throwing long, terrifying shadows across the trees.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps approached. The rogue leader walked back toward me, stepping into the firelight. He held up his satellite phone and looked down at my face.
"I’m calling them back," he announced flatly.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my heart slamming wildly against my ribs.
He pressed a button and put the phone on speaker. After two long rings, Kane’s sharp voice came through the speaker.
"Hello."
"So," the rogue leader said, stepping closer to me. "What is your decision? Have you told the Alpha King?"
A moment of silence passed over the line before a different voice spoke up—colder, smoother, and deeply serious.
"This is Beta Logan," the voice declared. "Alpha Kaden’s Beta."
My heart skipped a beat. Logan? Why wasn’t Kaden the one speaking?
The rogue leader raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk touching his lips. "Oh... so where is Kaden?"
"I am his Beta, and I am handling this," Logan answered smoothly. "The money will be dropped at the exact location you gave us within the next hour."
The rogue leader’s smile faded, replaced by a deadly serious expression. "I hope you aren’t trying anything stupid, Beta. Because if I see a single warrior, she dies."
"She is in your hands, so no, we aren’t doing anything stupid," Logan replied without hesitation. "We are dropping the money, and you are sending her back. That is the deal."
"Once my men retrieve the money and make it back safely to camp, I will release her immediately," the rogue leader said.
"Make sure you don’t play games," Logan warned, his voice tightening. "I believe you know exactly who Alpha Kaden is and what he will do to you if she is harmed."
The rogue leader chuckled darkly. "Of course I do. Relax, Beta. This is just business. Deliver the money, and she’ll walk away alive."
Before Logan could respond, Alpha Kane’s voice cut in urgently over the speaker. "I want to hear her voice. Put her on the phone right now."
The rogue leader crouched down in front of me and held the phone out toward my face.
"Rebecca?" Kane’s voice called out, sounding anxious. "Are you okay?"
"Yes..." I whispered, my voice trembling and weak. "I’m... I’m okay."
"Don’t worry," Kane said quickly, trying to reassure me. "We are going to get you out of there. Just hang on."
"Thank you," I breathed out.
My mind was racing. Foolishly, a part of me wanted to blurt out a question. I wanted to ask about Kaden. Why wasn’t he the one on the phone? Why was his Beta negotiating my life instead of him? The Kaden I knew—the powerful, controlling Alpha King—would never let anyone else handle something like this. He would have taken the phone himself. He would have threatened to tear this camp apart stone by stone to get me back.
Why was he silent?
I swallowed my words, forcing myself to stay quiet. I couldn’t risk making the rogues suspicious, nor could I cause trouble while my life hung by a thread.
The rogue leader pulled the phone back to his ear. "Drop the thirty million at the location in one hour. My men will be waiting. Once they confirm the cash, I’ll release her right away. If you are smart and do exactly as you are told, you will get her back tonight."
Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call.