Chapter 222: Strangely Familiar
Kaden’s POV
Kane cleared his throat, tightening his hold on Ruby’s waist as he looked me dead in the eye.
"We met six months ago," Kane explained, his voice calm and steady. "My border patrol found her badly injured near my territory after a rogue attack. They brought her back to my estate, and I took care of her while she healed."
I kept my eyes locked on Kane, but every fiber of my being was hyper-aware of the woman standing beside him. "And her past? Her pack?"
"When she woke up under my care, the trauma had wiped her mind clean," Kane said, shaking his head slightly. "She lost all her memories. She didn’t know her name, her family, or where she came from."
"No family?" I asked, my brow furrowing as I turned my head to look directly at her. A strange, sharp pain squeezed my chest at the thought of her being all alone in the world.
"And you didn’t want to search for them? To find out who you were?"
The hall fell dead silent for a long moment.
Ruby took a soft breath, her sea-blue eyes rising to meet mine. Though her shoulders trembled slightly under my intense gaze, her voice came out remarkably clear.
"I don’t want to," she said quietly. "I don’t remember anything from before that day... but deep down, something tells me I’m safe letting the past stay dead. Whoever was looking for me... it’s better they think I’m gone."
I stared at her, completely frozen.
There was something about the way she spoke—something about the soft cadence of her voice and the brave, guarded look in her eyes. My mind was a complete blank, yet my blood burned like fire just being near her.
She was standing right in front of me, wrapped in my brother’s arms, carrying his child... so why did every single bone in my body tell me to pull her to my arms?
Get a grip, I told myself hard, digging my nails into my hands until the sharp pain forced me back to reality. This is Kane’s woman.
I took a slow, deep breath, but every time my eyes landed on her, my wolf purred in my chest. Damn, she was beautiful.
"So why haven’t you introduced her to me before now, Kane?" I asked, looking back at my brother. "We talk all the time. You kept her hidden for six months?"
Kane held her waist a little tighter. "Because I wanted more time," he said smoothly. "I wanted her to heal away from pack business and watching eyes. But now that she is pregnant... I can’t hide her anymore."
My eyes moved down to her neck. Smooth, pale skin... completely free of a mate mark.
"She isn’t your mate," I said, and Goddess have mercy, I was so relieved about it.
"No," Kane admitted without stopping. "She isn’t. But she is the woman I chose."
I took a step closer to them, my boots sounding heavy against the floor. I saw Ruby swallow hard, her small body going completely stiff. She had just met me, yet I could see a clear fear in her sea-blue eyes whenever I moved near her. I hated it. It made a strange, painful ache twist inside my chest.
As I got closer, my eyes locked onto the thick piece around her throat.
"What is that on her neck? That’s quite a piece of jewelry," I said, pointing a finger toward her throat.
Ruby’s breath stopped for a second. Her hand flew up to cover the piece, her blue eyes opening wide as she pressed herself closer into Kane’s side.
Kane didn’t flinch. "It’s a gift from me," he explained without missing a beat. "Her wolf has been very wild and unsteady because of the pregnancy hormones. The doctors said to use a suppressor to keep her calm so she doesn’t hurt herself or the baby. I had a worker cover the metal with gold so she could wear it easily."
"A suppressor..." I repeated slowly.
The word felt heavy in the air between us. It made sense. A pregnant wolf with wild instincts could hurt her own unborn baby. Yet, deep in my stomach, a dark doubt began to grow. A doubt I couldn’t explain.
My wolf was completely focused inside my head, staring out through my eyes. He didn’t care about Kane’s words. He didn’t care about the gold necklace or the story of her wild wolf.
He just couldn’t take his eyes off her.
"We’ve had a long drive, Kaden," Kane said, stopping the growing tension in the room. "Ruby is very tired. If it’s okay, I’d like to take her up so she can rest."
"Of course," I forced out, stepping back to give them room. "Logan has already prepared the rooms for your workers and your... guest."
"Thank you, Alpha King," Ruby whispered softly, giving another small bow.
Goddess... why does she smell so good? Her scent filled my nose—soft, sweet, and so strangely familiar that it made my head spin.
She turned with Kane, as he led her toward the main stairs. I stood frozen in the middle of the hall, watching them walk away.
After they disappeared up the stairs, Logan stepped up beside me, his eyes searching my face carefully. "Alpha? Is everything okay?"
I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t.
Instead, I turned on my heel and walked away, taking the stairs two at a time as I made my way straight back to my private suite. I shut the heavy wooden doors behind me, leaning my head against the wood as I closed my eyes, trying to clear the lingering scent of nutmeg and honey that still filled my mind.
I walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, dropping my head into my hands.
You felt it too, right? my wolf asked, his voice low and heavy inside my head.
"Felt what?" I muttered aloud, acting ignorant, trying to shut him out.
There is something about her... my wolf continued, standing tall in my mind. Something about her voice, her eyes, her scent—
"No," I cut him off harshly, pulling my hands down from my face. "Don’t say it. For goodness’ sake, that is Kane’s woman! She is carrying my brother’s baby. Stop it!"
My wolf went quiet, but the lingering pull in my chest remained, burning like a silent fire I couldn’t put out.
A sharp knock at my door broke the heavy silence.
"Come in," I barked, forcing my Alpha voice back into place.
The door opened, and one of the guards assigned to the guard the dungeon stepped inside, bowing his head in respect. He looked nervous, his hands fidgeting at his side.
"Alpha... I apologize for bothering you," the guard said, his voice hesitant. "It’s about the prisoners in the dungeon. Brandon and Monica... they are at the brink of death. What should we do with them?"
My brow furrowed deeply as a cold confusion washed over me.
"Brandon and Monica?" I repeated, frowning at the guard as I searched my memory. Nothing. Not even a face came to mind. "Who are they?"