Kaden’s POV 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

​Two days had passed. Two days of absolute, suffocating hell.

​Ten of the most powerful healers from across the world had arrived at the mansion. One by one, they had marched into Rebecca’s room, burning rare herbs, chanting ancient spells, and channeling massive amounts of raw magical energy into her still form.

​And one by one, they had failed. There was absolutely no success. Her body remained perfectly healed, but her soul was buried so deep away that none of them could even touch it.

​I paced inside the room, my knuckles white as I clenched my fists.

The last remaining healer—a high-ranking elder from the Northern Tundra pack—was checking her vitals, running a glowing hand over her chest.

​Suddenly, the heavy scent of a powerful Alpha flooded my senses, making my wolf growl deep in my throat. Before I could even turn around, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, and the doors to Rebecca’s room were pushed open without my permission.

​Kane walked straight into the room, his eyes wild and dark with a terrifying intensity. He didn’t look at the guards, he didn’t look at Logan, and he completely ignored the raw aura of an Alpha King radiating off me. He marched straight past the bed, turned around, and grabbed the front of my shirt in a tight, bruising grip.

​The healers in the room gasped, instantly bowing their heads in terror before scrambling out the door to escape the impending bloodbath between two powerful Alphas.

​"Release that choker from her neck!" Kane roared right into my face, his chest heaving as he gripped my collar tightly. His eyes flashed a dangerous, feral color as he stared at the heavy silver band locked tightly around Rebecca’s throat. "That choker is blocking her power! If you take it off, it can help her wolf wake up and heal her!"

​"It won’t," I growled back. I wrapped my hand around his wrist, my grip crushing his bones until he was forced to let go of my shirt.

​I didn’t want to take any chances. If I removed that silver choker, her hidden wolf would wake up, and if she is Kane’s mate, they will both know. I couldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t.

​With a powerful shove, I pushed Kane away from me, forcing him back three large steps. "What the hell are you even doing in my territory, Kane? What are you doing in my pack?!"

​Kane straightened his jacket, eyeing me. "This is our grandfather’s pack, Kaden," he spat, stepping up until we were chest-to-chest, two Alphas refusing to back down. "I have every right to be here. And let me tell you something—if anything happens to her, if you let her die in this bed, you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life."

​He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dark whisper that made my wolf snap its jaws. "See you in your court tomorrow."

​Without waiting for my response, Kane turned on his heel and walked away, his heavy boots echoing down the hallway.

​The sudden silence returned to the room, heavy and suffocating. I stood frozen by the side of the bed, my chest heaving as I stared down at Rebecca’s quiet, pale face. Slowly, my eyes drifted up to the shiny silver metal locked around her throat.

​Kane’s desperate rage, the way he looked at her as if his own soul was tearing apart... it all clicked together in a horrific, crushing realization.

​I reached out, my trembling fingers hovering just inches above the silver band on her neck.

​"Are you really my brother’s mate...?" I whispered into the empty room, my heart sinking at the mere thought of it.

​I shook my head, tearing my gaze away from her pale face. "No," I growled under my breath, trying to force the terrifying thought out of my mind. "You are not his mate. I won’t allow it."

​Turning on my heel, I walked away from her bedside, the silence of the room chasing me out into the corridor. I forced my legs to move. I bypassed the guards, ignored Logan’s questioning look, and went straight back to my bedroom, slamming the heavy doors shut behind me.

​Exhaustion hit me like a physical blow. I slumped heavily into the large leather armchair by the fireplace, my muscles aching from the days of endless tension. With trembling hands, I reached for the crystal decanter on the side table, pouring more dark whiskey into my glass until it nearly spilled over the rim. I threw the burning liquid down my throat, hoping it would numb the roaring chaos in my chest, but it did nothing.

​The alcohol couldn’t wash away the image of Rebecca dying in my arms or the terrifying possibility that Rebecca belonged to my brother.

​Within minutes, the exhaustion won. The glass slipped from my loosening fingers, and I fell into a deep, heavy sleep right there on the couch.

​Suddenly, the room vanished.

​I was standing in a vast, beautiful forest. The trees were unnaturally tall, their green leaves glowing with a soft, ethereal light that felt entirely disconnected from the real world.

Suddenly, My eyes locked onto a figure standing just a few yards ahead of me, her back turned to my direction.

​I would recognize that hair anywhere. That rich, brow-chocolate hair falling past her shoulders. That slim, curvy body that I had held captive, the one I had tried so desperately to break and control.

​"Rebecca!" I yelled, the name ripping out of my throat in a surge of pure relief.

​I ran toward her, my heavy boots making no sound against the glowing grass. I reached out, my hands trembling as I grabbed her slender shoulders, desperately pulling her around so she would have to look at me. I needed to see her eyes. I needed to see her look at me again.

​But when she turned, the face looking back at me wasn’t Rebecca’s.

​It was Helen.

​My late wife stood before me, her beautiful face flawless and untouched by the tragedy that had taken her from the living world. I froze, my hands going completely numb against her shoulders as my heart stopped in my chest.

​"Helen..." I breathed, the shock leaving me completely breathless. "It’s you."

​She looked up at me, but there was no spark of joy in her eyes. Instead, she gave me a soft, incredibly sad smile, her gaze reading the immediate disappointment written all over my face.

​"It’s me, Kaden," she said, her voice sounding like a soft echo in the vast forest. She slowly stepped back, making my hands drop from her shoulders. "But you don’t seem happy to know it’s me."

​The truth of her words hit me... She was right. I wasn’t happy. A dark, hollow pain formed in the center of my chest, because the moment I realized it was Helen standing in front of me, something deep inside me screamed in disappointment.

It wasn’t her I wanted to see.

It was Rebecca.