Chapter 192: Keep it away
Rebecca’s POV
"No."
Stephanie blinked, pulling back slightly to look at me. "Becca—"
"No one can know."
I grabbed her wrist, my fingers trembling violently against her skin, my grip so tight my knuckles turned white.
"Not Kane. Not Kaden. No one."
"Rebecca, you can’t keep something like this a secret!" Stephanie pleaded, her voice rising in panic. "If Alpha Kane is trying to help you, he needs to know—"
"If Kane finds out, there is a chance Kaden will eventually discover it too," I cut her off, my voice dropping into a harsh, frantic whisper. "You know how Kaden is! He has been desperate for an heir. If he finds out I am carrying his child, he will never let me go. Even if Kane succeeds in proving publicly that I am completely innocent, Kaden will just use this unborn child as another reason to keep me trapped in his pack forever!"
The terrifying weight of that realization settled over the room like a dark cloud. If Kaden knew, the silver collar around my neck wouldn’t be the only thing binding me to him. A child would bind me to the Alpha King for the rest of my life.
Stephanie looked at the two dark lines on the test, then back at my pale, tear-streaked face. Her expression softened, the panic in her eyes replaced by deep, motherly concern.
"Becca..." Stephanie said gently, covering my hand with her own. "I know you’re terrified, and I know you want to get rid of this baby right now to hurt him back. But don’t make a permanent decision today just because of something Kaden did. Give yourself time. Don’t let your anger at him steal your chance to think clearly."
I stared down at my lap, my chest heaving as her words sank deep into my mind. She was right. I was drowning in betrayal, acting out of pure agony and shock.
I took a slow, painful breath, wiping the remaining tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.
"Fine," I whispered softly, my thumb brushing over the flat expanse of my stomach beneath my shirt. "I’ll keep it a secret for now. But you have to swear to me, Stephanie... swear on your life that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone."
Stephanie pressed her lips into a firm line and nodded. "I swear, Becca. Not a soul."
But Stephanie sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor before rising back to meet mine, still filled with doubt. "Okay, fine. The silver collar will hide the scent and mask the heartbeat, Becca... but what about your body? In a couple of months, your belly is going to start showing. You can’t hide a growing bump. Once your stomach swells, everyone in this pack will see it with their own eyes."
I swallowed hard, the harsh truth of her words settling over me. But I pressed my lips together into a firm, stubborn line.
"I will figure something out by then," I said, my voice laced with quiet determination as I stroked my flat stomach beneath my shirt. "A lot can happen in a few weeks. Kane promised he would help me clear my name before my month here is over. Right now, I just need to survive one day at a time without Kaden or anyone else suspecting a single thing."
Stephanie stared at me for a long moment, seeing the unyielding look in my eyes, before she finally gave a slow, reluctant nod. "Alright, Becca. I’m with you. We keep this between us."
"Thank you, Steph," I whispered, relief washing over me.
She offered a small, reassuring smile, picking up the positive pregnancy test from the counter and wrapping it tightly in a piece of tissue. "I’ll dispose of this where no one will ever find it. You get dressed and rest for a bit. I’ll bring you up some bland tea to settle your stomach."
"Okay," I agreed softly.
I watched her slip out of the bedroom, the heavy door clicking shut behind her. The moment I was left completely alone in the quiet room, I walked over to the tall wall mirror.
I stood there in silence, looking at my reflection—my pale face, the dark circles under my tired eyes, and the thick, gleaming silver band fitted tightly around my throat.
Slowly, I lifted my hand and pressed my fingers against the freezing metal once more. A bitter smile touched my lips.
What a twisted, cruel joke.
The very thing Kaden used to cage me, to brand me as a murderer, and to reduce me to a slave... had suddenly become the only shield protecting my secret from him.
I spent the entire day locked away inside my guest room, refusing to step out into the grand, unfamiliar halls of Kane’s estate.
When Stephanie brought up my tray of bland tea and crackers later that afternoon, she offered me a piece of news that made a heavy weight drop off my shoulders: Kaden was gone. He had been called back urgently to his own pack territory to deal with pressing pack matters.
I sank back against my pillows, letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding all morning. I was immensely grateful. I needed distance. I needed time to process the terrifying reality growing inside me, and more than anything, I needed to avoid looking into the face of the man who held the key to my freedom, yet chose to keep me chained. Alpha Kane was nowhere to be seen either, buried under his own pack duties, leaving the wing quiet and peaceful.
By the time night fell, exhaustion finally caught up with my weak, battered body. I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, wrapped tightly in the heavy duvet.
I didn’t know how many hours had passed when a faint rustle of fabric disturbed the dark quiet of the room.
Before my eyes could fully adjust to the shadows, two broad, warm arms reached out, wrapping around my waist from behind and pulling my back flush against a hard, broad chest.
A sharp, terrified gasp tore from my throat as I instinctively flinched, my limbs tensing to fight off the intruder.
"Shh... calm down, baby," a soft, deep rumble vibrated straight against my spine.
Kaden.
His familiar, intoxicating scent—a blend of dark mint and fresh rain—instantly swept over my senses, making my stomach churn with that familiar, sickening mix of unwanted warmth and bitter fury.
"Kaden?" I rasped, my heart hammering against my ribs as I tried to twist around to face him. "How... how did you get in here? I locked the door!"
He chuckled softly, a low, smooth sound that warmed the back of my neck as he tucked his chin onto my shoulder. His hand slid down my stomach, his heavy fingers resting right over the spot where his secret heir was silently taking root beneath my skin. My heart nearly stopped at the gesture, my breath hitching in pure terror, but he was completely oblivious.
"I had a duplicate key made the moment Kane assigned you this wing," Kaden murmured against my skin, his lips pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the side of my neck, right above the freezing edge of my silver collar. "I didn’t want to wake you up every night just to open the door for me."
My brows pulled together in a tight, bitter frown. I pushed weakly against his broad wrists, trying to create even an inch of space between us, but his grip was like iron wrapped in silk.
"What are you even doing here?" I asked, my voice laced with frustration. "You left for your pack this morning. This isn’t your house, Kaden. You can’t just come and go as you please."
Kaden let out a long, heavy groan, pulling me even tighter against his warm body until there wasn’t a single whisper of air left between us. He buried his face into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply, as if my scent were the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth.
"You’ve ruined me, Rebecca," he whispered softly, his tone unusually tender, almost vulnerable, in a way that made my chest ache with cruel irony. "I tried to sleep in my own bed tonight. I sat in my office for hours trying to work, but the room felt too cold. Too empty."
He paused, his thumb gently tracing soothing circles over my waist, brushing against the fabric of my nightgown with careful reverence.
"You’ve spoiled me, sweetheart," he murmured into my skin, his voice dropping into a rough, possessive whisper. "I can’t sleep without you in my arms anymore. So from now on... I don’t care where I have to travel, or what business I have to run. Every single night, I am coming back to you. I am sleeping right here."
I frowned, staring blindly at the wall while he pulled the duvet over us both, his warm breath fanning across my collarbone as he drifted off to sleep within minutes, completely content.
He held me like I was the most precious treasure in the world. He spoke like a man hopelessly, desperately in love.
But if this was Kaden’s idea of love—keeping me chained while holding me close, hiding the truth while whispering sweet words into my ear—then I wanted no part of it.
I didn’t want his love.
I wanted my freedom.