Rebecca’s POV
I sucked in a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to drop as I began moving around the dimly lit room. My stomach was churning with anxiety, but standing frozen in the middle of the room would only make Kaden wonder what was wrong with me, so I slowly began walking around, pretending to take everything in with nervous, wide-eyed curiosity.
The room was just as intimidating as I remembered it. Dark walls, dim lights, and cabinets built into one side. Different kinds of restraints were arranged neatly instead of carelessly thrown around—everything had its place.
I walked over to the heavy wooden X-frame bolted against the far wall—the wooden post used for restraints. I ran my fingers over the smooth, dark grain of the wood, feeling the cold leather cuffs hanging from the metal rings at the top.
"So... a lady gets tied up here?" I asked softly, glancing back at him over my shoulder.
His mouth twitched slightly. "Yes," Kaden answered, his voice low and cautious. "Only if she’s comfortable with it," he added quickly.
Something about how fast he clarified that almost made me smile. For a man who had spent the last ten minutes warning me about how frightening this room could be, Kaden looked far more nervous than I did.
I continued moving, keeping my expression neutral as I moved further into the room. There were blindfolds hanging neatly from hooks, soft ropes, velvet ropes, paddles, and several other things I didn’t even want to ask about. A large bed stood near the center of the room, while a long padded bench sat farther away, right near the display of whips and padded cuffs neatly arranged on the wall.
Every detail was intimidating, but I wasn’t really interested in any of the BDSM gear. My eyes were searching, scanning every hidden corner, shelf, and drawer for where a tiny key might be hidden. Logan had said he was certain the locket’s key was somewhere inside this room—I just had to find it without making it obvious that finding it was the entire reason I had come here.
I spotted a dark wooden drawer built into a side cabinet. I walked toward it.
"Can I open this?" I asked, pointing toward it.
Kaden hesitated for barely a second before moving a little closer. "Go ahead," he said immediately.
I pulled the drawer open. Inside were several neatly folded silk scarves, soft leather blindfolds, leather straps, and padded wrist wraps.
No key. My heart sank.
I picked up one of the black scarves, pretending to examine it. "You have a lot of things."
Kaden gave a quiet laugh behind me. "You’re judging me."
"Maybe a little."
"I warned you."
I smiled despite how nervous I was and placed the scarf back, closing the drawer gently.
When I glanced at him again, I nearly laughed. It was almost strange seeing him like this—the ruthless Alpha King genuinely looked like a nervous child showing a friend his weird, secret playthings, waiting to see whether she would run screaming from the room. I had never seen this side of him before, and a small part of me actually found it sweet. But I forced the thought away and hated how much I liked it.
Focus, Rebecca. I had a mission.
I kept moving around the room, my stomach tightening. Where the hell could that key be? What if Logan had been wrong? What if the key wasn’t here at all, and I had crossed this line with Kaden for absolutely nothing?
I turned around, and then my eyes fell on a small metal hook mounted on the wall near a cabinet and a tall mirror. Hanging from it was a heavy leather keychain.
My heart hammered against my ribs, stumbling in my chest. There.
I forced myself not to rush toward it, continuing to look around for another few seconds before casually wandering toward the wall with measured, casual strides.
"What are these?" I asked, lifting the key ring from its hook and turning the keychain slightly in my palm.
There were several small silver keys attached to it. Most looked ordinary, though a few were unusually tiny, alongside a pair of miniature handcuffs.
Kaden walked closer, stepping up beside me. "Keys for some of the handcuffs and the ankle restraints."
I nodded slowly, turning the ring between my fingers as though mildly interested. Then, tucked right between two small keys, my breath caught in my throat.
It was a tiny, thin metal pin—not really a key at all, but a pin. It was exactly the right size to fit into the tiny hole on Helen’s locket.
My pulse spiked wildly, a sudden wave of anxiety rushing through my veins while my fingers almost started shaking. Goddess. Could it really be that fucking easy?
I forced my posture to stay relaxed, hiding the tremor in my hands and taking care not to let my face change or stare for too long. I lightly touched the thin metal pin with the tip of my finger, lifting it slightly.
"And this too?" I asked.
Kaden glanced down, stepping closer. "Oh... no," he said casually, his expression not changing in the slightest. "That’s the pin key for the locket around your neck."
He said it so easily, so completely offhandedly, as though he hadn’t just handed me the answer to every fucking problem I’d had for weeks.
My entire body went rigid inside. My heart slammed against my ribs. This was it. The key to the locket. And inside that locket was the pin that could unlock the choker around my neck. Freedom was literally hanging between my fingers.
My fingers tightened around the key ring before I quickly loosened them. I squeezed my eyes shut for a microsecond to keep my relief from showing, then offered him a simple, quiet nod.
"Oh. Ah, I see."
Inside, I was screaming.
For one wild second, I considered taking it right there. I could pull it from the ring and hide it in my pocket—but no. Too risky. Kaden was standing barely two feet away with his eyes locked onto me.
I calmly returned the key ring to the hook, letting it drop back against the wall.
Later. I would steal it later, once Kaden was completely defenseless and asleep. All I had to do was make sure he fell asleep in this room tonight.
My stomach twisted at the thought.
I turned around fully to face him. Kaden was still watching me, the uncertainty creeping back into his expression. He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around the space.
"Well?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Well what?"
"You’ve seen the room." His green eyes returned to mine. "Are you okay with it?"
Despite everything racing through my head, a small smile tugged at my lips. I stepped into his space, walking toward him slowly—one step, then another—until there was barely any distance left between us.
His expression changed as the space between us disappeared. I stopped directly in front of him, looking up into his dark green eyes, my voice dropping into a soft, seductive whisper.
"So? Where do we begin?"
His gaze darkened instantly.
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