Chapter 243: Putting Us In Danger
Rebecca’s POV
I knew there was no point lying. Not with Kaden’s scent still clinging to me. Not with my hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around my body.
I swallowed hard. "Kaden and I went for a swim together."
Kane stared at me. For one second, he looked like he hadn’t heard me correctly.
"You did what?"
"We went swimming," I repeated, trying to keep my voice calm. "It was nothing."
"Nothing?" Kane spat, his dark eyes flashing with anger. "You call that nothing? Are you okay, Rebecca? Is this some kind of sick joke?" He stepped closer, towering over me. "Why are you getting closer to Kaden when the entire point of this plan is to keep him from remembering you?"
"I know what the plan is."
"Then act like it!"
My jaw tightened, pulling the towel tighter around my chest.
Kane began pacing in front of me, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.
"First, I find you sitting alone with him in the garden. Then he’s holding your hand. Now you’re swimming with him?" He stopped and turned toward me, his voice filled with anger. "Do you understand how dangerous this is? One wrong move, Rebecca. That’s all it takes. One memory. One familiar touch. One scent that triggers something in his head, and everything we’ve done falls apart. You’re going to get us all killed!"
"I’ve been careful," I insisted.
"Careful?" He gave a humorless laugh. "You went swimming alone with him."
"It wasn’t planned!"
"And that makes it better?" He sneered, stepping right into my personal space. "What happens next, Rebecca? You kiss him?"
My stomach dropped. My breath hitched. I looked away.
Because we’d almost done exactly that.
Kane didn’t notice my reaction. "Or maybe you end up in his bed?" he spat bitterly. "Where does it stop, Rebecca?"
"Oh, please!" My anger finally exploded, bursting through my fear as I took a step toward him. "Stop standing there acting like I’m the only person putting us in danger!"
Kane went still. "What about me?"
"Who was the woman?"
The anger on his face flickered, instantly rigidifying into total surprise. "What woman?"
"Don’t do that." I folded my arms tightly. "The woman you were sitting with at the coffee shop."
Kane froze. There. I saw it.
"You saw me?"
"Yes. Kaden and I saw you."
His face changed instantly.
I continued before he could interrupt. "And before you start getting ideas—no, I don’t care who she is. You can meet whoever you want. You’re not actually my man. But not when Kaden thinks you are!"
Kane’s mouth snapped shut.
"He saw you sitting there with another woman after I stupidly told him I thought you might be cheating on me," I said, holding his glare.
"You told him what?"
"I needed an excuse to get into his bedroom!"
Kane stared at me like he wanted to strangle me.
I groaned. "That’s not the point!"
"Rebecca—"
"The point is that now Kaden thinks you’re cheating on your pregnant woman!" I snapped. "And now he has actually seen you with her! So don’t stand there accusing me of destroying the plan when you’re creating suspicion too."
"That meeting had nothing to do with you," Kane growled, his jaw tightening into a cold wall.
"Who is she?"
"None of your concern."
I scoffed. "I just told you I don’t care who she is!"
"Then stop asking."
"Because I need to know what I’m supposed to say when Kaden starts asking questions!"
"He won’t."
"He already is!"
Silence crashed between us, thick and suffocating. Kane stared at me, his chest heaving, and I stared right back. Neither of us moved.
Finally, Kane shook his head. "I shouldn’t have agreed to this plan in the first place."
"Well, it’s too late," I spat.
His eyes flashed. For a second, I thought he was going to argue again. Instead, he turned sharply on his heel, walked toward the door, and yanked it open.
"Kane—"
"Where are you going?" I called out.
"Anywhere that isn’t this room," he snapped.
The door slammed shut behind him with a heavy bang that rattled the frame.
I stood there staring at it. "Great," I muttered. "Just great."
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it. My anger disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, leaving me completely exhausted.
Kane wasn’t completely wrong. That was the worst part. I was getting too close to Kaden, and tonight had proved exactly how dangerous that was.
I walked into the bathroom, peeled off my wet underwear, and dried myself off before pulling on a loose nightdress. When I returned to the bedroom, I switched off the bright overhead lights, leaving only the small bedside lamps glowing with a soft, warm light.
I crawled beneath the covers and pulled them up to my chin.
But sleep didn’t come easily. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw blue water. I saw Kaden laughing. Kaden splashing me. His hand reaching down to help me from the pool. His bare arms catching me when I slipped on the marble.
What if things were different?
God. Why had I asked him that? And worse... why had his dark, rough answer made my heart nearly burst?
I rolled onto my side and squeezed my eyes shut tight. "No," I whispered to myself into the dark. "Never again."
It had to stop. Tonight had been nice—I could admit that much to myself. For a few hours, I’d forgotten everything. I’d laughed. I’d felt normal. I’d seen a side of Kaden I never knew existed.
But it couldn’t happen again. No more swimming. No more walks. No more private conversations. And definitely no more almost-kisses.
I was here for one thing: the key. Once I had it, I was gone.
With that thought repeating like a chant in my head, I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.
When I woke the next morning, the other side of the bed was untouched.
I frowned, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Kane hadn’t come back. Or if he had, he hadn’t slept here.
I pushed myself out of bed, took a quick bath, and slipped into a simple casual gown. Standing in front of the mirror, I brushed my hair and let my eyes drop to my stomach.
Still flat. There was no visible sign of the tiny life growing inside me yet.
I placed my palm gently over my tummy. "I have to get that key," I whispered to my reflection. "For you. For me. For our freedom."
My fingers moved upward to the beautiful silver choker wrapped snugly around my neck. Somewhere in this packhouse was the key that could finally take it off, and I was going to find it.
I left the room and headed downstairs. The faint scent of fresh coffee reached me before I even entered the dining room.
When I stepped inside, Kaden was already there. He sat at the head of the long table with a cup of black coffee in one hand, dressed casually in a dark shirt with the sleeves pushed up his forearms.
His eyes lifted the moment I entered. Mine met his.
And immediately, last night slammed back into my head. His forehead almost touching mine. His warm hand against the back of my neck. His breath fanning across my lips. That one dark word—yes.
My steps faltered.
Kaden looked away first, taking a slow sip of his coffee. So he felt awkward too. Good. At least I wasn’t suffering alone.
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to take another step forward. "Good morning, Alpha Kaden."
His gaze returned to me, setting his coffee glass down on the table. "Good morning."
I pulled out a chair, but before I could sit, he added quietly, "And please... just call me Kaden."
My fingers stopped against the back of the chair. "What?"
"Kaden." He leaned back slightly, his dark green eyes locked onto mine. "You don’t have to call me Alpha Kaden every time you speak to me."
I stared at him, my throat dry.
"I think we’re past that level of formality now," he said softly.
My heart gave one stupid, dangerous little jump against my ribs.
No, we’re not. If anything, after last night, we desperately needed more formality. But arguing with him now would only make things even more awkward.
So I just nodded politely. "Okay... Kaden."
Something changed in his eyes the second his name left my lips. It was only for a fraction of a second, but I saw it. And judging by the way his knuckles tightened slightly around his coffee cup... he had felt it too.
I quickly sat down and reached for the plate in front of me, keeping my eyes firmly on the food.
Get the key, Rebecca. Get the key and leave.
Because if I stayed in this house much longer, I was beginning to fear that this choker wouldn’t be the hardest thing to break free from.