Chapter 161: Worried
Chapter 161: Worried
Rebecca’s POV
The heavy weight of Kaden’s body crashed across my lap, pressing me deep into the cushions of the couch. I gasped, my wide eyes staring down at the back of his dark head. He was completely still. His chest rose and fell in short, painful jerks, and his shoulders trembled as his wolf fought the terrible poison inside him.
I felt a sudden rush of worry. Even though he had been so cruel to me, he had just risked his own life to save mine.
Slowly, Kaden forced himself up. He shifted off my lap and sat heavily on the floor right beside the couch, leaning his back against the cushions. He closed his eyes tight, his jaw clenched hard as he breathed through the pain.
"Alpha Kaden?" I asked, my voice shaking with fear. "Are you okay?"
He didn’t open his eyes. He just gave a small, tight nod to show he heard me, but his face was deathly pale.
His mother stepped closer, looking down at him with a mix of shock and worry. "That was so risky, Kaden," she whispered.
Kaden didn’t respond to her. He just kept his eyes shut, his hands balled into tight fists on the carpet.
Suddenly, the large front doors slammed open. Alpha Kane walked into the living room, his boots clicking loudly against the floor. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes scanning the messy scene—the blood on the floor, his brother slumped on the ground, and me looking pale on the couch.
"What is happening here?" Kane asked, sounding worried.
Kaden finally opened his eyes, though they looked tired and cloudy. He looked at his brother and spoke in a rough, weak voice. "Get a healer. Rebecca was bitten by a snake."
I quickly looked at Kane, then back to Kaden. "I am fine," I said softly, my heart pounding. "It is all thanks to him."
Kaden forced himself to stand up. His legs shook slightly, but his stubborn pride kept him upright. His mother reached out a hand to support him. "Kaden, I will go get a healer for you right now."
"That will not be needed," Kaden snapped weakly, waving her hand away. "I just need to lie down."
I watched him quietly as he turned around and walked out of the living room. I kept my eyes on him, watching him slowly climb up the stairs, step by step, until he turned the corner at the top and was completely out of sight.
The moment Kaden disappeared, Alpha Kane moved to the couch and sat down right beside me. His face was filled with deep concern as he searched my eyes. "Rebecca, are you okay?"
"Yes, I am," I replied, but my mind was still racing with worry. "But... you guys should check on Alpha Kaden. He swallowed so much of that poison for me."
Kane sighed, shaking his head gently. "Don’t worry about him. He is an Alpha King. His wolf is strong enough to handle it. He is fine."
Just then, a man hurried into the room carrying a small leather bag. It was one of the pack healers, finally arriving. He quickly rushed over to the couch and dropped to his knees. Without wasting any time, I extended my leg toward him.
The healer took out some strange, crushed green weeds from his bag. He carefully rubbed the warm herbs directly over the bloody puncture wounds on my ankle. Almost instantly, a soothing heat washed over my skin. I watched in absolute amazement as the dark holes on my ankle began to close, completely disappearing until my skin was smooth again.
"You are healed, young lady," the healer said, standing up and packing his things.
Before I could even thank him, the healer turned around and left the room. He didn’t even ask about Kaden. He didn’t move toward the stairs to check on the man who had actually swallowed the venom.
Panic started to rise in my chest again. I turned to Kane, my face etched with worry. "What about Alpha Kaden? Why didn’t the healer go to him?"
Kane reached out, placing a calm hand on my shoulder. "I told you, Rebecca, don’t worry about Kaden. He will be alright."
But as I stared at the empty staircase where Kaden had vanished, a heavy knot formed in my stomach. I couldn’t stop worrying. He had put his own life in danger just to save mine, and now he was completely alone in his room.
"Go upstairs and rest," Alpha Kane said softly, his hand lingering on my shoulder for a brief moment before releasing me.
I nodded, the heavy knot in my stomach only tightening. "Thank you, Alpha Kane."
Stepping away from the couch, I made my way toward the grand staircase. My ankle was completely healed; the throbbing pain was entirely gone, and I could walk properly without even a hint of a limp. The magic of the pack healer’s herbs had done their job perfectly, but my mind was far too occupied to marvel at it.
I was supposed to make my way to my own room. I knew that was what was expected of me—to lie down and rest. But I couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the deadly paleness of Kaden’s face and the way his shoulders had trembled under the weight of the poison.
Instead of turning toward my quarters, I began locating Alpha Kaden’s room. The problem was, I had no idea where it actually was in this massive estate.
Luckily, I met a guard patrolling the long hallway. Trying to keep my voice steady, I stopped him. "Where is Alpha Kaden’s room?"
The guard looked at me with a momentary flicker of surprise, but quickly bowed his head. "Third room on the fifth floor, miss."
"Thank you," I nodded quickly, picking up my pace.
I hurried up the additional flights of stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. By the time I reached the fifth floor, the corridor was eerily quiet. I counted the doors, stopping right in front of the third one.
I took a deep breath and knocked.
There was silence. No response.
I waited a few agonizing seconds, my anxiety spiking. I knocked again, louder this time, the sound echoing down the empty hallway. Again, no one responded. The silence from the other side of the door was deafening, suffocating.
Worried sick that the poison had finally overcome his powerful wolf, I didn’t care about the consequences anymore. I reached for the handle, turned it, and pushed the door open.