Chapter 210: Released
Rebecca’s POV
Shortly after the phone call ended, five of the Tiger Rogues stood up and checked their weapons.
The rogue leader turned to them, nodding toward the dark woods. "Go," he ordered sharply. "Get the money and bring it straight back."
Before leaving, the leader stepped closer to me, looking down with cold, harsh eyes. "They have gone to take the cash," he said, his voice threatening and dark. "You better pray your people don’t mess up."
Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and walked away into the shadows of the camp.
I sat on the cold ground, my entire body shaking. I closed my eyes and began to pray with everything in me. I prayed for my safety, for Kaden’s pack to do the right thing, and most of all, for the little life growing inside my belly.
One long hour passed. Then two. Every minute felt like an eternity, dragging out the agonizing fear in my chest.
Suddenly, quiet whispers spread across the camp. The bushes rustled, and the five men returned, carrying three large, heavy duffel bags.
The rogue leader walked forward and unzipped the first bag. He reached inside and pulled out a thick bundle of hundred-dollar bills. He unclipped the paper strip and flipped through the cash. It was real.
A heavy silence fell over the camp as everyone watched him. To be completely sure, the leader unzipped all three bags and dumped the massive piles of money directly onto the ground. Millions of dollars lay piled before them, the crisp scent of freshly printed notes filling the cave.
Once they saw it was all real money, the rogues erupted into loud cheers and laughter, high-fiving each other and celebrating their huge prize.
I just sat there, frozen. A strange, numb feeling washed over me. I didn’t even know if I should be grateful or terrified. My mind was completely blank.
The leader finally looked away from the mountain of cash and motioned toward me and the other prisoners who were captured from Kane’s packhouse.
"Take her and the other prisoners," he commanded three of his men.
The three rogues stepped forward and grabbed us roughly. The leader looked at us one last time. "We are letting you go, just like we promised," he said flatly. "But you will all be blindfolded. My men will drop you off at a hidden spot in the forest, and then we will call your people to tell them where you are."
I couldn’t say a word. My throat felt too dry to speak.
One of the rogues pulled a dark cloth over my eyes, tying it tightly behind my head. They pulled us up and began leading us forward.
After walking for a while, I noticed the hard stone beneath my bare feet changed to soft grass and damp leaves. We had left the cave and were now deep in the woods.
As we walked, a sudden, terrifying change took over my body. I began to feel overwhelmingly weak. I didn’t know how to explain it, but it felt as if my life was slipping away. A freezing chill spread through my blood, and my body temperature dropped rapidly. I felt like I was dying... right then and there.
My legs gave out, and I stumbled, gasping for air.
One of the rogues caught me by the arm and stopped. "What’s happening to her?" he asked, sounding surprised.
I tried to answer, but my lips were numb and I couldn’t form a single word.
The rogue quickly pulled the blindfold off my face. He looked into my eyes and gasped in shock. "Shit! Her eyes are completely white!"
Panicking, he quickly scooped me up into his arms, carrying me over his shoulder as he hurried the pace. We moved through the thick forest for another five minutes before he suddenly stopped near a giant, ancient tree.
He gently laid me down on the damp ground against the trunk. "Stay here," he told the rest of the prisoners. "Your people will come for you all soon."
With that, the three rogues turned around and melted back into the dark woods, leaving us behind.
A maid who had been captured alongside me from Kane’s packhouse quickly crawled over to my side. She looked down at my pale, ghost-white face in sheer panic.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked, her voice crying out in fear. "What’s happening?"
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even lift my hand. Deep in my chest, I could feel my heartbeat slowing down... lower and lower, as if my body was giving up.
Tears slipped down my cold cheeks. Kaden... my mind cried out weakly. Where are you? I’m dying...
With the tiny bit of strength left in my fading body, I pressed my cold hand against my flat stomach.
Please... I begged silently to the heavens. Please spare my baby...
Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots crunching through the bushes broke the silence of the forest. Bright flashlight beams cut through the darkness, sweeping across the trees.
"Over here!" a voice shouted.
The warriors arrived, moving fast through the brush. A tall, strong figure was leading them. Through my blurry vision, I saw the familiar shape of his face. My heart gave a weak, hopeful flutter.
"Kaden..." I whispered, thinking he had finally come to save me.
But as the man rushed closer and dropped to his knees at my side, the flashlight beams hit his face, and my heart sank.
It wasn’t Kaden. It was his twin brother.
Instead of Kaden’s pitch-black hair and bright green eyes, I saw brown hair and worried brown eyes looking down at me. It was Alpha Kane.
The moment his eyes landed on my pale face, his expression turned to pure horror.
"Rebecca!" Kane called out, his hands shaking as he touched my icy shoulder. "Rebecca, can you hear me?"
I forced my heavy eyelids open just a little wider, looking up at his worried face through a cloud of darkness.
"Alpha Kane..." I whispered, my voice barely a thread of sound. "I’m... I’m dying... please... save my baby."
His eyes widened in shock. But before he could answer, the darkness swallowed me whole, and my world went completely black.