Chapter 140: Letting Me Go
Chapter 140: Letting Me Go
Rebecca’s POV
PRESENT DAY!!
The silence in the hall was heavy. Every single Alpha in the alliance held their breath, waiting for Kaden to speak. Kane had just given him the ultimate choice: let me go for thirty days, or lose me forever.
Suddenly, Kaden snapped. With a loud roar, he kicked a heavy wooden chair out of his way. The wood slammed against the stone wall and split into two pieces, crashing to the floor.
I swallowed hard and looked away, my heart jumping into my throat. I was so scared. His angry aura was completely suffocating, pressing down on the entire room like a thick, dark cloud. My knees shook beneath my plain brown dress.
But Kane didn’t seem bothered by the terrifying display of rage. Instead, he kept his smooth smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "Brother, we are all waiting for your answer."
Silence filled the grand hall once more. No one dared to breathe.
Finally, Kaden spoke, his voice low and scraping like gravel. "She can go with you for a month."
My eyes widened in pure shock. He accepted. He was actually letting me go.
Before I could even process the words, Kaden moved like lightning. He stepped forward and grabbed Kane by his collar, bunching the fabric tightly in his bloody fists.
"Touch her," Kaden growled, his face inches from Kane’s, his pitch-black eyes glowing with total madness. "Touch her, and I swear to god, I will kill you myself."
Kane just scoffed, not scared by Kaden’s outburst. "I will bear that in mind, brother."
Kaden violently let go of Kane’s collar. He didn’t look at the elders, he didn’t look at the other kings, and he didn’t look at me. Not even once. He turned on his heel and walked straight out of the grand hall, his heavy steps echoing until the massive wooden doors slammed shut behind him.
I turned my head and stared at the closed doors. For some reason, a strange, sharp discomfort shot straight through my chest. I couldn’t explain it, but looking at his retreating back, I felt a deep, sudden pain inside me. I hated him. I feared him. He had broken me in several ways, so why did my heart feel so heavy now that he was letting me walk away?
The moment the King was gone, loud murmurs arose in the hall. The Alphas began whispering and talking all at once, shaking their heads at the drama that had just unfolded.
Kane turned to me, his smile widening as he held out his hand. "Come, Rebecca. It’s time to leave."
I didn’t take his hand, but I followed him as he led me out of the loud pack hall. We walked down the long hallways and out into the cool night air. In the driveway, a line of sleek black cars was waiting. Kane’s men stood by the doors, their faces serious.
To my surprise, Kane walked ahead and opened the back door of the main car for me himself. I paused, feeling completely confused. Why was he treating me so nicely? He was a powerful Alpha, yet he was acting like a polite gentleman. After weeks of Kaden’s harshness, this kind gesture felt strange and out of place.
Before I could step inside, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
"Rebecca!" Stephanie cried, her voice breaking. She hugged me hard, her body shaking with tears. When she pulled away, she cupped my face. "I will be waiting right here for you. Please, find a way to call me. Let me know you are safe."
"I will, Stephanie. I promise," I whispered back, my throat tight.
I stepped into the car, and the guard closed the door behind me with a heavy thud. A second later, the opposite door opened, and Kane slid into the seat beside me. The moment the door shut, I immediately shifted away from him, pressing my back against my side of the door to leave as much space between us as possible. Even if he was helping me, he was still an Alpha.
Kane noticed, but he didn’t say anything. He just gave a small nod to the driver, and the car began to move forward, rolling away from the palace entrance.
I let out a shaky breath and looked out the dark, tinted window, watching the palace lights fade away. But as the car drove further down the long driveway, a strange feeling washed over me. It was a sudden weight in the air, a familiar pressure that made the hairs on my arms stand up.
My eyes instinctively lifted, looking toward the high stone walls of the palace.
There, standing high up on the grand royal balcony, was Kaden.
He was standing completely alone at the stone railing, the cold night wind blowing his heavy black cloak wildly around him. He wasn’t moving. He didn’t have his guards or his elders with him. He was just leaning forward slightly, his hands gripping the stone railing, watching the car carry me away into the night.
Even from this distance, I felt the weight of his gaze. The fury that had burned in his eyes inside the hall was gone. In its place was something far more terrifying—an empty, silent devastation. He looked like a man watching the only thing keeping him alive leave, and for reasons I couldn’t understand, the sight sent a sharp ache through my chest.
I couldn’t look away from him, and he didn’t look away from me. He just stood on that high balcony, growing smaller and smaller in the distance, until the car sped up and the trees hid him from my view completely.
I took a deep breath, tearing my eyes away from the window, and forced myself to look straight ahead.
"You are missing him already," Kane said softly from beside me.
My head snapped toward him, my body tense. But before I could even open my mouth to deny it, Alpha Kane let out a small, knowing chuckle and shook his head. He leaned back against his seat, his eyes gleaming with a strange, dark confidence as he looked out into the night.
"Don’t worry," Kane whispered, a smirk playing on his lips. "He will come for you soon. Let’s give him two days."