Chapter 224: Let Me Help
Kaden’s POV
I kicked open the bedroom door with enough force to shake the hinges, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
"Ruby!" I yelled, stepping into the room with my wolf raging right beneath my skin, ready to tear apart whatever was hurting her.
Instead, I froze dead in my tracks.
Floating right in front of Ruby—who was pressed tightly against the bed, shaking in terror—was a huge, beautiful golden eagle. Its wings took up the space above the bed, feathers shining like sunlight. It was easily the size of a full-grown wolf. Its sharp, glowing amber eyes were locked onto her, but it wasn’t attacking. It just stayed there, scary and amazing, filling the entire room with a heavy, old warmth.
I was shocked. I knew that bird.
Before I could even speak, the giant eagle let out one last low cry, turned into a cloud of golden mist, and completely disappeared into thin air.
Ruby gasped, holding her chest, her sea-blue eyes wide with shock and fear. Her breathing was fast, her skin pale as snow.
"It’s okay," I said quickly, keeping my hands raised as I took a slow step into the room. "Don’t be scared. It’s gone."
She looked up at me, still shaking. "W-what was that?"
"It was an ancestral spirit," I explained softly, forcing my Alpha power down so I wouldn’t scare her more. "An old animal tied to our family... linked directly to my mother’s bloodline. It only appears during rare moments of life. I think... I think it just came to welcome you to the family, since you are carrying his descendant."
Ruby took a shaky breath, slowly nodding her head as the tightness in her small shoulders relaxed a little. "A welcome..." she whispered to herself.
That was when my eyes moved down, and a sharp frown pulled at my forehead.
She was wearing a soft, thin nightgown that stopped right above her knees. Her legs were bare, and on her right thigh, a long, red scratch was bleeding down her pale skin.
A sharp worry flared in my chest at the sight of her blood. "You’re hurt," I said, my voice dropping into a low growl before I could stop it. I rushed to the side of the bed. "How did this happen?"
"I... I fell off the bed," she said, her cheeks turning pink as she looked away. "When the light appeared, I panicked and moved back too fast. I scratched my leg on the sharp corner of the wooden bed."
"I’ll get the healer right now," I said, turning toward the door.
"No!" Ruby called out quickly, her hand reaching out toward me before she pulled it back. "Please... don’t bother the healer for a small scratch. It’s really nothing. There’s a first aid box in the bathroom. I can do it myself."
I frowned, not liking the idea of her taking care of herself while bleeding, but I watched as she carefully moved her legs off the bed. She stood up, walking with a small limp into the bathroom.
A minute later, she came back holding a small box, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She opened the box, her small hands shaking a little as she tried to pull out some cotton and a bottle of medicine.
"Where is Kane?" I asked, looking around the empty, quiet room. "Why isn’t he here?"
"He went out for a night run," Ruby said softly, cleaning the cut. "He needed to clear his head."
My jaw went so tight my teeth hurt. A furious anger burned in my chest. He left her alone? In a strange house, while she’s weak and carrying his baby?
"He shouldn’t have left you alone," I said, my words sharp and angry.
Ruby gave a small, sad smile, not looking up from her leg. "It’s fine, Alpha Kaden. He will be back soon."
Her soft words still didn’t calm my annoyance. Before my brain could process what I was doing, my body moved on its own.
"Let me do it," I said, taking a step closer and holding out my hand.
Ruby pulled back a little, her blue eyes looking up at mine in surprise. "No... no, it’s really okay. You don’t have to—"
"I said let me do it, Ruby," I repeated. My voice was quiet, but it was so strong it made her hands freeze. "You are my brother’s woman. You’re carrying the future of my family," I argued calmly. "The least I can do is make sure you’re treated properly while you’re under this roof."
It was a complete lie. A terrible excuse to touch her, and we both knew it.
Without waiting for her to answer, I dropped down to one knee right in front of her.
My breath stopped in my throat. Being this close to her was hard to handle. Her soft, sweet scent filled my nose like a heavy blanket, making my head spin and my chest feel tight.
I reached out and took the cotton from her fingers.
The small touch of our skin sent a quick spark of electricity straight up my arm, shooting right to my heart. Ruby let out a soft gasp, her breath catching in her throat. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look down at her leg instead of her face, trying hard to ignore the wild beating of my heart.
"This might hurt a little," I said, my voice low and rough.
I poured a drop of the medicine onto the cotton and gently pressed it against the scratch on her leg.
Ruby went stiff, her hand flying out to grab my shoulder to hold herself up. The light weight of her hand on my skin burned like fire. I held my breath, my fingers carefully wiping away the line of red blood, moving as gently as I could.
Gods... her legs were so smooth. So soft, pale, and incredibly beautiful.
Stop it, you fool, I yelled at myself inside my head, my jaw clenching as a dark heat grew inside me. She is your brother’s woman. Don’t look at her like that. Don’t think about her like that.
Yet, as I placed a clean bandage over the cut, my thumb accidentally touched the soft skin of her upper leg.
Ruby shook, her sea-blue eyes locking onto mine. The air between us turned thick, heavy, and full of a strong feeling we couldn’t hide. Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed. I was kneeling between her legs, looking up at her, completely trapped by her.
Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed wide open.
"Care to explain why you’re kneeling between my woman’s legs, brother?" Kane’s angry voice broke the silence.