Chapter 203: Almost Caught
Rebecca’s POV
Morning came slowly, carrying a bitter, icy draft that crept into the entrance of the cave. I sat pressed against the cold stone wall, shivering as pale daylight pushed back the heavy shadows.
The cave was starting to wake up. A few tiger shifters stirred lazily from their sleep, grunting and stretching their broad shoulders across the dirt floor, while others kicked at the gray ashes of the fire to revive the flame.
My hands were still tied tightly in front of me, the rough rope digging into my wrists. The sharp pain from the warrior’s slap still throbbed along my cheek and jaw, but the terror from last night had settled into a heavy, watchful alertness.
I rested my bound hands over my lower stomach, my fingers pressing gently against the thin fabric of my skirt.
We made it through the night, I whispered silently to the precious life growing inside me.
It was still hard to believe. The rogue leader’s violent outburst from last night echoed clearly in my mind. He hadn’t protected me out of kindness or pity. He had done it out of pure, terror-filled respect for Kaden’s name. The mere threat of the Alpha King coming for them had been enough to turn a room full of wild, dangerous fighters completely silent.
For the first time since my capture, being known as Kaden’s woman had saved my life.
Across the cavern, the pale servant girl from Kane’s pack was already awake, sitting quietly with her knees pulled to her chest. Beside her, the two women stirred on their bed of dry straw, their faces pale and drawn with exhaustion.
I leaned my head back against the stone, staring out toward the mouth of the cave. Sunlight filtered through the dense trees outside, but the air felt heavy and suffocating.
Where was Kaden right now? Was he out in the forest? Was he tearing the realm apart, searching every inch of land for a trail?
A sharp, painful ache tightened in my chest. I knew how fiercely protective he was. I knew he was probably burning with a rage that could scorch the earth until he found me.
Hold on, I prayed softly into the quiet morning, a single tear slipping down my cheek. Please, Kaden... Just find us.
A sudden wave of morning sickness hit my stomach, sharp and unprompted. I clamped my jaw shut, pressing my tied hands tightly against my lips, swallowing the nausea down before anyone could notice.
Hours passed slowly, marked only by the shifting daylight outside the cave.
Around mid-morning, one of the female rogues, a thin girl, walked up to me holding a wooden tray. Her hands trembled slightly as she set it down on the dirt floor right in front of my feet.
"Here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the revived fire. "You need to eat."
It was still early for a full meal, but I didn’t complain. I knew I needed to keep my strength up, no matter what. I offered her a quick, appreciative nod and picked up the wooden spoon with my bound hands. The tray had a greasy, gray soup with thick pieces of plain meat and half-cooked roots.
I took a small bite. The greasy food felt heavy in my mouth, and right away, my stomach turned upside down.
A sharp, violent wave of nausea rushed straight up my throat. I dropped the spoon, bent over, and threw up onto the dirt floor. I couldn’t stop it. My body shook as I threw up everything in my stomach, coughing and gasping for air.
The loud, wretched sounds echoed off the stone walls, instantly catching the attention of every shifter in the room. Conversations stopped dead. Heavy boots thudded against the dirt as several warriors turned to glare at me.
The rogue leader stepped forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he walked over to where I was kneeling, weak and out of breath. He looked down at the vomit on the floor, then at my pale, sweating face.
"What is wrong with you?" he demanded, his voice harsh and suspicious.
Panic spiked in my chest. If he realized I was suffering from morning sickness, he would know I was pregnant—and a pregnant hostage was too valuable. I had to cover it up right away.
"The... the food," I gasped out, wiping my mouth with the back of my tied hands and shaking my head. "It’s too cold... and the grease is bad. My stomach can’t take it."
The leader stared at me for a long, agonizing moment before letting out a loud scoff.
"Of course," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "You are the Alpha King’s woman. I suppose you’re used to royal chefs and fine dining, not rogue rations."
Relief washed over me. Thank God he believed me.
He squatted down in front of me, bringing his rough, scarred face level with mine. The mocking grin faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression.
"So tell me," he said, leaning in slightly. "Do you have the Alpha King’s direct private number? A personal contact?"
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look him dead in the eye without blinking. "No," I said smoothly, keeping my voice steady. "I don’t have his private line memorized."
The leader didn’t look angry. Instead, he just shrugged and smirked. "No worries. If we can’t reach the King directly, I will just contact his twin brother. Alpha Kane will do just fine."
My heart raced. Alpha Kane. They were going to contact Kane’s packhouse.
I swallowed hard, trying to sound curious rather than terrified. "How much money are you asking for?"
The leader scoffed, letting out a dark laugh as he stood back up to his full height. "Don’t worry yourself about numbers, sweet girl. The Alpha King is so wealthy, what we are asking for is like taking a single bucket of water from a massive river. He won’t even miss it."
He turned away from me and barked an order to one of his men standing near the mouth of the cave. "Get me my notebook from the supply pack! And bring me my satellite phone. Now."
I pulled my legs close to my chest, my mind spinning as I watched the warrior run over to a pile of stolen bags in the corner. He grabbed a small, worn notebook along with a thick, heavy phone and handed them straight to his leader.
The leader flipped through the stained pages of the book with his dirty thumb, stopping near the back. "Kane’s traitor Beta gave us this number before we crossed the border," he muttered to himself, tracing a line of handwritten numbers with his fingernail. "Said it was Kane’s direct private line for ransom."
He pulled out the long antenna of the satellite phone and carefully punched in the digits from the notebook, holding the receiver up to his ear. The heavy silence in the cave returned, except for the low hum of static coming through the small speaker.
Every ring tightened the knot in my chest. I leaned forward slightly, my eyes locked on the leader’s face, waiting for someone to answer on the other end.
Pick up, Kane. Please, pick up.
If Alpha Kane answered, the news would reach Kaden in a second. Kaden wouldn’t hesitate. He would throw all his gold, all his riches at these rogues without a second thought just to get me back safely.
The leader grunted in annoyance, lowering the phone for a second to look at the screen before putting it back to his ear. "Come on, pick up," he muttered under his breath.
After a few more agonizing rings, he let out a sharp curse and snapped the phone shut with a loud click.
"Nothing," the leader grumbled, turning to his men in frustration. "No signal, or the damn line is dead. We’ll try again later once the storm clears up."
My heart sank straight to the bottom of my stomach. The tiny spark of hope that had flared in my chest died out instantly.
I leaned my head back against the cold stone, pulling my knees tight against my body as a deep, suffocating sadness washed over me. Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I forced them back, staring blankly at the rough dirt floor.
How had my life come to this?
Just a short time ago, I was safe in Alpha Kane’s territory. Back then, I thought being Alpha Kaden’s prisoner—his breeder, his slave—was the worst thing that could ever happen to me.
But as I sat here in the dark, filthy cave, covered in cold vomit, bound with rough ropes, and surrounded by wild, ruthless monsters who looked at me like a pile of gold... the brutal truth hit me like a slap to the face.
Even with all his scary power, his cold eyes, and the possessive grip he had on my life... Kaden had kept me safe.
A heavy tear finally slipped down my cheek, dropping onto my bound wrists.
For the first time...I understood something I never thought I would.
Being with Kaden... even as his slave... was a thousand times better than this hell.