Chapter 186: Thank Me Properly
Kaden’s POV
I stormed through the glass doors of the lobby, my heavy boots hitting the floor with a loud thud. The workers and guards inside scrambled out of my path, sensing the thick, dangerous anger rolling off my body. I slammed my hand against the button for the private elevator, my chest rising and falling fast as I stared at the closed metal doors.
The ride up to the penthouse felt like it took forever. My mind was spinning with dark thoughts. Someone at this summit had tried to kill me, but instead, they had almost sent Rebecca flying off a three-hundred-foot cliff. The mere thought of her body hitting the rocks made my inner wolf roar with a wild, uncontrollable fury.
When the elevator doors finally slid open on the top floor, my two warriors stepped aside immediately, bowing their heads.
"Is she inside?" I barked, my voice rough.
"Yes, Alpha King," the lead guard replied quickly. "The pack healer is just finishing up with her right now, just as you ordered."
I pushed the heavy double doors of the suite open and stepped into the room. Near the edge of the large bed, the healer—an older woman—was just standing up, pulling her hands back as a soft, warm glow faded from the room. She had used her pack magic to fully heal the injuries.
Rebecca was sitting on the edge of the mattress. She had already changed out of the dirty, bloody tracksuit and into a fresh, simple set of clean clothes. Her face was still a bit pale, but her ankle looked perfectly straight, the swelling completely gone. The moment I walked in, her head snapped up. She looked right at the dried blood on the side of my face, and her small hands tightly gripped the fresh bedsheets.
"Alpha King Kaden," the healer said, bowing her head quickly. "I have completely healed her. Her ankle is completely healed, and I’ve taken care of the cuts on her arms. Physically, she’ll be fine, but she still needs time to recover from the shock."
"Thank you. Please leave us," I commanded, my eyes locked entirely on Rebecca.
The healer gathered her things and hurried out of the room, closing the heavy doors softly behind her.
Once we were completely alone, the silence in the room grew heavy. I didn’t move from my spot near the door. I just stood there, my breathing rough, my hands still curled into tight fists at my sides. The gold in my eyes was slowly fading back to green, but the fear gripping my chest refused to leave.
I took a slow breath, trying to calm the wild beat of my heart. "How are you feeling?" I asked, my voice low and soft in the large room.
Rebecca looked up at me, her blue eyes scanning the dried blood on my forehead. "I should be asking you that," she whispered, her voice shaking just a little. "You are bleeding. Why didn’t you tell the healer to fix you before sending her away?"
A small, sudden smirk touched my lips, though my chest still felt tight. "Are you worried about me, Rebecca?"
She quickly rolled her eyes and snapped her head to the side, looking away from me.
I let out a soft scoff, stepping further into the room. "I’ll be fine. My wolf can heal a small scratch like this. It’s already working on it."
She didn’t say another word, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. The heavy scent of dirt, sweat, and forest clung to my clothes, and I suddenly felt incredibly dirty. "I’m going to wash up," I muttered, turning toward the bathroom.
I took a quick, hot shower, letting the water rinse away the blood and the stress of the afternoon. When I stepped back out into the bedroom, I was only wearing a white towel tied low around my waist, damp hair falling over my eyes.
Rebecca was no longer on the bed. She was now seated on the velvet couch, her hands neatly folded in her lap.
"We are leaving in an hour," I told her, my voice commanding but not harsh.
She simply nodded to show she understood. I walked over to the closet, quickly changed into fresh, comfortable travel clothes, and then we left the suite.
By the time we walked down to the main lobby, evening had already arrived, casting long, orange shadows across the pack grounds. Before we could reach the cars, Alpha James ran up to me, his face pale and full of stress. He was practically pleading.
"Alpha King Kaden, please," James begged, his voice shaking. "Think about the treaty. Without those silver mines and trade routes, my people will suffer. Please take back your words."
I stopped and glared down at him, my expression cold as ice. "Until you find out exactly who cut that leather strap, my words stand. I am not changing my mind."
"I will find them, I swear it," James said quickly, bowing his head in shame. "I am deeply sorry for what happened on my lands."
I didn’t waste another second listening to his apologies. I walked past him and led Rebecca straight to the back of the waiting black car. After a quiet five-minute drive through the secure pack roads, we arrived at the private airfield where my pack’s luxury jet was waiting.
We climbed up the steps and got inside. The interior was quiet and warm. Rebecca and I sat down right across from each other in the heavy leather seats. Sensing the deep, heavy tension between us, my elite guards immediately moved to the front cabin, sitting far away from us to give us total privacy.
The jet began to move, taxiing down the runway before smoothly lifting up into the dark evening sky.
For a long time, the cabin was completely silent. The only sound was the soft hum of the engines. I kept my eyes on Rebecca, watching the way the dim lights played across her beautiful, quiet face.
Suddenly, she cleared her throat softly. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely louder than the hum of the engines.
I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her gaze to her hands. "For saving me. I... I could have died today."
My amusement disappeared.
Don’t say that.
Even hearing the words made something inside my chest tighten painfully.
For one horrifying second, I saw it again—Midnight charging toward the edge, Rebecca screaming my name, the empty cliff waiting beyond her.
My wolf stirred violently.
Never.
I would never allow anything to take her from me.
But Rebecca was watching me now, and I refused to let her see just how deeply those words had affected me.
So I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as a slow smirk returned to my lips.
"Then thank me properly, Rebecca."
Her blue eyes widened. "How?"
I let my gaze travel slowly over her before returning to her face.
"You know exactly what I like."
Her lips parted.
The blush spreading across her cheeks told me she understood perfectly.
Her nervous gaze flickered toward the front cabin.
I followed it and smirked.
"Give us privacy," I commanded.
Without hesitation, my guards disappeared into the forward cabin, pulling the heavy divider shut behind them.
The soft click of the door echoed through the sudden silence.
Now, there was no one here but Rebecca and me.
I leaned back in my seat, never taking my eyes off her.
"Well?" I murmured.
Her throat moved as she swallowed.
"I’m waiting."