Chapter 228: Stay Away
Rebecca’s POV
The moment the bedroom door clicked shut behind us, Kane let go of my hand. The softness in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, heavy frustration.
He spun around to face me, pacing once before stopping right in front of me.
"Rebecca, what on earth was that?" Kane asked, his voice low but harsh.
"Kane, listen to me—" I started, lifting my hands in defense, but he immediately cut me off.
"No, you listen to me," he snapped, running a hand down his face in pure exhaustion. "If you want Kaden back that badly, you should have just said so from the start! We wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble, risking everything with this cover story. What were you thinking, Rebecca? Sitting out in the dark garden with him, letting him hold your hand? If Kaden ever gets a hint of what’s going on, it’s over!"
"It isn’t what you think!" I argued. "I didn’t plan it! I couldn’t sleep, and he was just there. He wouldn’t let me go alone, Kane. You know how relentless he is!"
Kane stared at me for a long, heavy moment. He let out a harsh breath, clearly too angry and tired to argue further.
"Whatever," he muttered coldly.
He turned away, walked straight to the bed, and climbed in, pulling the sheets up and turning his back completely to me.
The silence in the room felt twice as heavy as before. I stood by the edge of the bed for a long time, the guilt tightening around my throat like a collar.
"I’m sorry, Kane," I whispered softly into the dark, looking at his silent back. "I really am. I’ll try my absolute best to stay as far away from him as possible."
Kane didn’t answer. He didn’t even shift under the covers.
Sighing quietly, I slid back under the blanket on my side of the bed. I curled into a small ball, closing my eyes and forcing my racing mind to quiet down until sleep finally pulled me under.
When morning came, the space beside me on the bed was already cold. Kane was gone.
I sat up, pushing the heavy blankets aside. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the bathroom to freshen up. I took a quick shower, dressed in a soft, loose-fitting morning gown, and grabbed a towel to dry my damp hair.
A gentle knock sounded on the bedroom door, followed by it pushing open.
When I saw who walked in, a massive wave of relief washed over me. "Stephanie!"
Stephanie smiled warmly, shutting the door behind her. "Good morning, Rebecca. I’m glad to see you rested. I’ve been assigned as your personal maid."
I sank down onto the edge of the bed, letting out a long sigh as she came closer. "I’m so glad you are here... I think Alpha Kane is really angry with me."
Stephanie’s eyebrows pulled together in concern. "Why? What happened?"
I poured my heart out, keeping my voice down as I told her about last night—the walk in the garden, Kaden’s strange, rewritten memories of Helen dying in childbirth, the way he grabbed my hand, and Kane finding us together.
Stephanie listened closely, her face growing serious. "Rebecca, you have to be so careful," she warned softly, taking my hand in a sisterly grip. "You must stay away from Alpha Kaden as much as you can. Staying too close to him may trigger some memories."
"I know," I nodded, squeezing her fingers. "I know... I’ll be more careful."
Another knock cut our conversation.
Stephanie stepped back as a housemaid poked her head into the room. "Good morning. Alpha Kaden has requested everyone down in the dining hall. Breakfast is served."
The thought of sitting across from Kaden at a morning table made my stomach turn into knots.
"Oh..." I said quickly, putting a weak hand over my stomach and trying to sound frail. "Please tell Alpha Kaden I’m experiencing terrible morning sickness today. I can’t come down for breakfast. I’ll just have a light meal brought up to my room later."
It was a complete lie, but I couldn’t risk facing Kaden right now—especially not with Kane still upset with me.
"Of course," the maid bowed her head politely. "I will let him know."
Once the maid walked away, Stephanie gave me an understanding smile. "I’ll go down to the kitchen and bring your breakfast up myself."
"Thank you, Stephanie," I said gratefully.
Right after Stephanie left the room, the door opened again. Kane walked in, a towel draped around his neck and his skin glistening with a fine sheen of sweat. It looked like he had been out doing an intense morning workout to burn off his frustration.
I looked up at him carefully. "Good morning."
"Morning," Kane replied, his voice flat as he wiped his forehead with the towel.
"Do you... do you want to talk?" I asked quietly.
Kane paused, looking at me for a short second before heading toward the bathroom. "After I take a shower."
"Okay," I nodded.
Ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Kane walked out refreshed, wearing simple, casual dark trousers. He dried his hair with a fresh towel, looking much calmer than he had last night, though a serious shadow still hung over his face.
Kane tossed his damp towel onto the back of a chair and pulled a fresh shirt over his shoulders. The cold tension from last night still lingered between us, heavy and suffocating.
I swallowed my pride, stepping toward him with my hands trembling slightly at my sides.
"Alpha Kane... I am so sorry about last night," I said softly, looking straight into his eyes. "I know how much you’re risking to keep me and my baby safe. I promise you, I will never do anything like that again. I won’t put us in danger, and I won’t risk everything we’ve built. Please... forgive me."
Kane paused, his dark eyes searching my face for a long, quiet second. The harshness in his posture softened just a little, but before he could say a word, his body went rigid. His wolf ears twitched, his head snapping toward the hallway outside.
"My brother is on his way up," Kane whispered sharply, his voice dropping into an urgent command. "He just passed the main landing. We have to put on an act, Rebecca."
My heart jumped straight into my throat. "What? What do you mean?"
Kane didn’t answer. Instead, he moved with lightning speed. He crossed the room in two strides, unlocked the heavy wooden door, and turned back to me.
Before I could even register what was happening, Kane grabbed my waist and pulled me onto the soft mattress of the bed. I gasped as he hovered directly above me, his broad shoulders blocking out the sunlight from the window.
"Close your eyes," Kane growled under his breath, his voice urgent against my ear.
"Kane, wait—"
He didn’t give me time to think. Kane leaned down and captured my lips in a deep, heavy kiss. My eyes widened in absolute shock, my body going stiff beneath him.
Knock. Knock.
A hard, heavy knock rattled the bedroom door.
Kane didn’t stop. He leaned further into the kiss, letting out a loud, rough moan that echoed right through the quiet room. His large hands slid down to the hem of my morning gown, bunched the fabric up, and slowly massaged the bare skin of my thigh.
My heart was pounding inside my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move.
Knock! Knock!
The knocking came again, sharper and more impatient this time. When no one answered, the handle turned, and the bedroom door slowly swung open.
"Ruby, the maid said you were—"
Kaden’s deep voice abruptly cut off.
Kane slowly pulled his mouth away from mine, letting his lips trail down to press a heavy, lingering kiss onto the side of my neck. As he did, I turned my head slightly, my breath hitching as my eyes met Kaden’s.
Kaden was standing right in the open doorway, frozen.
His dark green eyes were wide, burning with a scary, suffocating rage as he stared at Kane hovering over me, his hands buried in the fabric of my dress on top of the bed. The sheer, terrifying power rolling off Kaden made the very air in the room turn ice-cold.
Kane acted as if he had only just noticed the door opening. He slowly lifted his head, turning his cheek toward the entrance with an annoyed look.
"Moon Goddess, brother..." Kane spat, his voice thick with fake breathlessness as he stroked my thigh one last time. "Ever heard of knocking? Close the damn door."