Chapter 133: Worthless
Chapter 133: Worthless
Rebecca’s POV
It had been three days since I started taking the medication. There was some improvement, but only because the burning pain in my stomach had finally stopped. I no longer woke up groaning in the middle of the night, clutching my stomach in agony. But apart from the pain stopping, there was no positive feedback. The doctors and healers kept checking my pulse and using their glowing green magic every morning, but their faces remained hard. They told me the internal healing process was still dangerously slow. My womb was still fighting the poison, and the fifty-fifty gamble was still hanging over my head.
For those three days, I remained completely confined to my room. I hadn’t stepped a single foot out of my door. It wasn’t like I was locked in from the outside this time—but I simply didn’t want to see the world. I couldn’t face the empty, cold hallways of the palace while carrying the terrifying weight of my uncertain future.
Stephanie remained by my side, bringing me my meals and making sure I swallowed every single drop of my medicine on time. She tried her best to keep me updated on what was happening beyond my four walls. According to her, the tracking teams had found absolutely nothing. Lily had completely vanished into thin air, as if she had disappeared from the face of the earth the moment she crossed the pack borders.
Stephanie also told me that Alpha Kaden had been consumed by fury. His Alpha aura had become so violent that the entire palace walked on eggshells around him. Day and night, he was tearing the territory apart, hunting for Lily as though he intended to drag her back with his bare hands.
Yet... for the past three days, he hadn’t come to see me even once.
For a moment, I felt a wave of relief. Not having his towering, terrifying presence in my room meant I could breathe easily without worrying about his next outburst. But in the next moment, a cold dread would wash over me, and it was as if my future life was flashing in my head. Why wasn’t he coming? Was it because he was busy with the hunt, or had he already decided that my womb was ruined?
If the treatment failed... if I truly could never bear his heir... perhaps this silence was preparing me for what came next. Perhaps he was already learning how to live as though I no longer existed.
I couldn’t stay inside my room for another second. The walls felt like they were shrinking, suffocating me with my own dark thoughts. I needed to breathe. I needed fresh air.
I turned away from the door and looked back at my only friend in this palace. "Stephanie, let’s go for a walk," I said quietly, hoping she would agree.
Stephanie looked worried at first, but she nodded and carefully helped me out of bed. She supported my weight as we walked slowly toward the palace gardens. I wore a long, simple dress that hid my pale, thin body, but the heavy black magic collar was still locked tightly around my neck. It was a cold, harsh reminder that no matter where I walked, I was still just a prisoner.
The garden was quiet. A soft breeze brushed against my face, and for the first time in days, a tiny, weak smile touched my lips.
But my moment of peace didn’t last.
I heard the heavy sound of boots on the stone path. I looked up, and my heart instantly stopped. It was Alpha Kaden.
He was walking back toward the palace, surrounded by a dark, heavy aura. He looked like he had been through hell. His clothes were rumpled, his jaw was covered in thick, dark stubble, and dark circles shadowed his green eyes. He looked completely exhausted, like he hadn’t slept a single wink since the night he rushed me to the healers. Another day spent with the search party, hunting for Lily... and another day of finding nothing.
The moment his eyes landed on me walking slowly through the garden, he stopped dead in his tracks. His entire massive body froze.
My weak smile vanished instantly. I immediately lowered my eyes to the ground, my chest tightening with fear. I expected him to just keep walking past me like I was invisible, or worse, roar at me to get back into my cage.
But he didn’t. Instead, I heard his heavy footsteps slowly walking toward me.
He stopped right in front of us. His towering shadow covered me completely.
"Why are you out of bed?" he asked. His voice was rough, cold, and empty.
I kept my eyes glued to his dirty boots, my voice trembling. "The healers said I could walk for a little while. I just wanted some fresh air."
He didn’t say anything. I could feel his heavy, intense gaze studying me. He was looking at how much weight I had lost, how pale my skin was, and how weak I looked just standing there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw tighten so hard the muscle ticked.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. My weak legs gave out, and I stumbled forward, letting out a small gasp as I started to fall.
"Rebecca!" Stephanie cried, reaching out for me.
But Kaden was faster. Before Stephanie could even touch my arm, Kaden lunged forward. His large, strong hands grabbed my waist, catching me effortlessly before I could hit the hard stone path.
For one single second, my hands pressed against his hard chest. I felt the wild, racing beat of his heart under my palms. It was beating so fast that, for one impossible second, I wondered if he had been frightened for me.
But the moment I was steady on my feet, he immediately let go. He pulled his hands back quickly, stepping away as if touching me was a mistake.
"Watch your step," he said coldly, his face completely blank.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, stepping closer to Stephanie. "Thank you," I whispered.
He ignored my thanks. His green eyes drifted over to Stephanie.
"Did she take today’s dose?" Kaden asked sharply.
Stephanie quickly bowed her head. "Yes, Alpha King."
Kaden turned his cold eyes back to me. "Don’t miss a single dose."
His voice wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t caring. It sounded exactly like an Alpha King giving a strict order to his property. To him, this wasn’t about my health—it was about protecting his investment.
The coldness in his voice finally broke something inside me. The fear, the pain, and the isolation of the last three days boiled over. Without thinking, I looked up and met his dark green eyes.
"Why haven’t you come to see me?" I asked, my voice cracking with a pain I couldn’t hide.
Silence fell over the garden. The air between us turned freezing cold. Kaden stared down at me, his frown deepening.
"I have no reason to visit you." His voice was cold and emotionless. "Until the healers know whether the treatment worked, there is no need for me to see you." He paused for a brief moment before delivering the words that shattered me completely. "For now... you are worthless."
The words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. All the air left my lungs. My heart shattered into a million pieces.
He didn’t wait to see my tears fall. He turned his back on me and walked away.
"Rebecca..." Stephanie whispered, her voice trembling with pity as she stepped closer, wrapping an arm around my shaking shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"I’m fine," I choked out, forcing the lump down my throat. I fiercely blinked back my tears, refusing to let a single one fall on my cheek. I pulled away from her gentle hold, my weakness completely forgotten, replaced by a numb, hollow emptiness. "Let’s go back. I want to go back to the room."
Stephanie didn’t say another word. She just matched my hurried, uneven steps as we left the garden behind. The fresh air I had craved so badly now felt like poison in my lungs. Worthless. The word repeated in my mind with every beat of my shattered heart. He was right. In his eyes, I was never a person—just a vessel. And a broken vessel had no place in his life.
We hurried down the hallways, my feet moving on pure survival instinct. I just wanted to crawl under my blankets and hide from the cruel reality of my life.
When we finally reached my door, Stephanie pushed it open, stepping in first to clear the way.
But the moment we crossed the threshold, we both froze dead in our tracks.