Chapter 152: The Unusual Visit
Kaden’s POV
By the time my private jet landed, the clock was past eleven at night. Logan had already called ahead, and black cars were running, waiting for our arrival.
We got in, the tires spitting dirt as we sped off. In less than five minutes, the car drove through the big gates of the packhouse grounds. The whole place was dead quiet. The yards were covered in deep shadows, with only the silhouettes of guards standing watch at every corner, showing that the pack was ready for any attack.
As the car stopped at the front door, I saw him. Kane was already waiting for me, standing under the porch light with his arms crossed over his chest, a dark look on his face.
I pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold night air.
"Kaden, I know you are the Alpha King," Kane said, his tone sharp and angry. "But coming to my pack at such a crazy hour? What are you doing here?"
I stopped a few feet from him, staring at my brother. For a single, weak moment, a strange feeling washed over me. I wanted to drop my guard. I wanted to run forward, hug him, and break down crying into his arms. I wanted to look him in the eyes and tell him that he had been right all along. While I had been completely blind with my own pain and anger, he was the one who saw the truth. He saw what I couldn’t see.
But I pushed the feeling down. I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. How silly it was—Kane was still my rival. We both wanted the same woman.
I forced a hard, cold look onto my face, lifting my chin. "I have every right to be here whenever I want, Kane. First, I am the Alpha King. Every single pack land is under my rule. Second, this is my home, too. This is my mother’s home."
Our parents were only children to our grandparents. So when the time came, I took over the throne in our father’s pack to become the Alpha, while Kane took over the throne here, in our mother’s pack.
Kane let out a low laugh, rolling his eyes as he looked at my stiff posture. "Just say you are here to see Mother and Father."
My eyes grew wide. A sudden wave of nervousness hit my chest. "Mother and Father? Here?"
"Yes, here," Kane said, a small smile playing on his lips. "They are back."
I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. Our parents were supposed to be halfway across the world for their big tour. I never wanted to see them like this—not while my hands were still dirty from the mistakes I had made, and definitely not while I was carrying a burden this heavy.
I cleared my throat, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I am not here for them, Kane. I am here to see Rebecca."
Kane’s smile disappeared instantly. His face went dark, and a dangerous growl started in his throat. "For what?"
My wolf growled possessively inside me.
"That is between me and my breeder, Kane," I fired back, stepping closer until we were nearly chest-to-chest. "You have no right to keep her away from me, and you know it. No matter whose packhouse she sleeps in, she is still my slave."
Kane glared at me, his eyes flashing with a wild, protective anger. "Only for a little while longer, brother," he said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Soon, I will find the proof. I will show her innocence to the whole world. And the exact second I do, you will have absolutely no right over her."
He stepped past me, his shoulder hitting hard against mine as he walked away into the dark yard.
My heart twisted painfully in my chest. I didn’t turn around, but I let my head drop a little.
"Kane..." I whispered softly to myself, the words barely leaving my lips. "I have no right over her already."
I took a deep, shaky breath and turned to Kane’s Beta, who was standing quietly by the door, trying to look invisible.
"Give my men a room to sleep," I ordered flatly. "And tell the maids I will be sleeping in my old room tonight."
The Beta bowed quickly. "Right away, Alpha King."
I stepped inside the massive house, the heavy front doors closing behind me. The house was dark and still, but the moment I walked into the big hallway, I breathed in deeply. My wolf stirred instantly. There it was. Floating through the quiet air was the sweet smell of Rebecca.
Without asking anyone where her room was, I let my feelings guide me. I moved down the hall and walked up the wide stone stairs, my heart beating like a drum against my ribs with every step I took.
I walked down the upper hall until the smell became so thick it filled my nose. I stopped right in front of the door and sucked in a deep breath.
Out of old habit, I reached out, grabbed the cold metal doorknob, and twisted it. But it didn’t move. I realized instantly that it was locked from the inside. Back at my mansion, her doors were always left unlocked.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling thicker than ever. I lifted my hand and knocked softly. I didn’t want to wake up the whole house, but my wolf inside was begging, scratching at the surface just to see her.
For a few seconds, there was nothing but dead silence. Then, I heard soft, quiet footsteps moving across the floor inside the room. Every step she took felt like it was stepping directly on my heart.
The lock clicked.
The door pulled open slowly, revealing a sleepy-faced Rebecca. Her hair was a little messy from bed, and her eyes were half-closed, heavy with sleep. But the very second her eyes focused and she saw me standing in the dark hallway, her eyes widened in pure shock. All the sleepiness vanished from her face, replaced by instant fear and surprise.
She opened her mouth to speak, to yell, or maybe to slam the door right in my face—but I didn’t give her the chance.
Before she could even make a sound or take a step back, I pushed myself inside the room, using my size to gently but firmly sweep past her. The moment I was fully across the threshold, I reached behind my back, grabbed the edge of the door, and pushed it shut.
Click.
