Chapter 227: Caught Again
Rebecca’s POV
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to push back against the intense heat of his gaze. If I let him see even a sliver of my true feelings, everything Kane and I were trying to do would crumble.
"Of course Alpha Kane and I are in love," I said, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts to sound calm. "We love each other very much, Alpha Kaden."
Kaden didn’t break eye contact, but a quiet, dark shadow passed over his face. He held my gaze for a long, heavy second before slowly nodding his head.
"That’s great," he said, rolling back onto his spine to look up at the night sky again. The raw intensity in his voice was replaced by a quiet, faraway tone. "When Helen and I were together... Kane used to tell me he wanted a love just like ours. I’m glad he finally has it."
I looked at him, my heart aching as I watched the moonlight catch the sharp lines of his jaw. A deep curiosity stirred inside me. What had the seer changed inside his head? How did Kaden remember the most painful night of his past?
"I’m sorry to ask..." I began softly, keeping my voice gentle. "But... how did your wife die?"
Kaden went silent. The soft breeze rustled the rose petals around us, filling the air with the quiet hum of the night. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer me at all.
"She died during childbirth," Kaden spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the stars above. "While she was giving birth... there were severe complications. The healers couldn’t save her, and she passed away."
My eyes widened in pure, unhidden shock. My hand flew to my mouth to keep from gasping out loud.
Childbirth?
Helen hadn’t died in childbirth. She had been brutally murdered right inside the pack library by Monica and Brandon. The spell had not only erased me from Kaden’s mind—it had completely rewritten Kaden’s memories of Helen’s death. He had replaced the dark murder with a sad tragedy so Kaden would never look for any killer.... Dear Goddess... what had they done to his mind?
Kaden must have seen the pure terror locked in my face because he suddenly sat up, his green eyes filled with dark worry.
"Oh... I’m sorry," he said quickly, reaching out to me. "I shouldn’t have said that to you. You’re pregnant... I shouldn’t have talked about my wife dying while giving birth. I scared you."
Before I could move, Kaden reached out and wrapped his large, warm hand around mine.
A sharp gasp escaped my throat. I tried to pull my hand back, but his grip was firm and protective, refusing to let me go. The heat of his skin sent wild sparks straight up my arm, making my heart beat frantically against my ribs.
"Don’t worry," Kaden said softly, his thumb gently pressing against the back of my hand. "Nothing like that will happen to you. I won’t let—"
"Ruby? Kaden?"
A sharp, angry voice echoed through the air.
We both turned our heads toward the stone archway. Kane was standing right at the edge of the grass, his arms folded tight across his broad, bare chest, his forehead pulled into a deep, furious frown.
"What is happening here?" Kane asked, his eyes dropping to where Kaden was holding my hand.
Panic hit me instantly. I jerked my hand out of Kaden’s grip, quickly standing up on the soft grass and smoothing down my nightgown.
"Kane!" I called out softly, taking a step toward him. "I... I couldn’t sleep. I just came down to get some fresh air, and I bumped into Alpha Kaden in the hall."
Kane’s frown deepened as he looked at me, his eyes dark with clear annoyance. "Then why didn’t you wake me up to tell me, Ruby? Or at least let me come with you?"
Before I could answer, Kaden stood up to his full height, dusting the grass off his trousers. He didn’t look guilty at all. Instead, his dark green eyes locked onto his brother with sharp authority.
"Is that your only concern, Kane?" Kaden interrupted, his voice dropping into a harsh growl that echoed through the quiet garden. "Your pregnant woman left your bed, walked down the stairs, and stepped outside for almost twenty minutes... and you had no idea about it."
Kane went stiff, his jaw going tight. "Kaden—"
"You should have felt it the very second she stepped out of that bed!" Kaden snapped, taking a hard step forward, towering over Kane. The power rolling off him was suffocating, heavy with pure Alpha anger. "You are an Alpha, Kane. You are supposed to be vigilant at all times. If an enemy had snuck into this territory tonight, or if something happened to her out here in the dark... do you realize she could be dead by now while you were comfortably asleep?"
Kane let out a harsh laugh, taking a step right back into Kaden’s space.
"Brother, I would really appreciate it if you stayed out of our relationship," Kane said, his tone low and possessively firm. "I don’t need you telling me how to take care of my woman. I know how to protect her."
"You’re doing a terrible job of showing it," Kaden spat back, his fists balled tight at his sides. "A pregnant woman under your protection should never have been wandering these grounds alone. Twice tonight she was left alone. Twice tonight she was put in danger."
"Enough, Kaden!" Kane roared softly, his own Alpha pride flaring up as he glared into Kaden’s eyes. "She is my woman. She is carrying my child. Your job is to host us while my packhouse is being rebuilt, not to run my life or hover over my woman. If this continues... if you keep pushing your way into our business... I will take Ruby and leave tonight. We will find somewhere else to stay."
The threat hung in the cool night air.
Kaden froze, his dark green eyes narrowing in anger. The mere thought of me leaving seemed to strike something deep inside him. His chest rose sharply, and for the briefest moment, real panic flashed across his face before he buried it beneath cold anger. But he stayed silent, his jaw clamped shut so hard I could hear his teeth grinding.
Kane turned away from Kaden, reaching out to gently grab my hand. His touch was firm, pulling me away from the rose garden.
"Ruby, let’s go," Kane said softly, looking down at me. "Back to bed."
I gave a tiny nod, not daring to look back at Kaden as Kane led me down the stone path and back inside the mansion. But even as we walked away, I could still feel Kaden’s dark, possessive eyes burning into my back.