Rebecca’s POV
I pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway, leaving Stephanie behind with her worried gaze pinned to my back. My footsteps were steady, but inside, every single nerve ending felt pulled taut.
I needed that pin.
If Kaden’s wolf was already starting to recognize the baby through the choker, it was only a matter of time before his mind caught up. The gifts sitting on my bed—the thoughtfully chosen snacks, the massage oils, the stupidly soft socks—proved how dangerously observant he was becoming. He wasn’t just developing feelings for me anymore. He was taking care of a woman he was falling for. And the terrifying part was that my own heart had stuttered when I read his words.
I couldn’t afford to soften. I couldn’t afford to break out of my plan for freedom.
When I reached the grand hallway leading toward the Alpha King’s wing, I slowed my pace. The guards stationed near the heavy double doors of his office gave me cautious, respectful nods. Word moved fast in a pack house; they already knew I had spent hours behind those doors earlier today.
"I need to see Alpha Kaden," I said, pitching my voice to sound calm and composed.
The head guard hesitated, pressing a hand to his comm-link. A moment later, he looked back at me. "The Alpha is finishing up a meeting. Wait here, Miss Ruby."
I crossed my arms over my chest, biting the inside of my cheek as I waited. Every tick of the clock felt like a countdown.
Finally, the heavy oak door clicked and swung inward. A senior pack official walked out, muttering a quick apology to me as he hurried past.
Through the open doorway, I saw Kaden standing beside his massive mahogany desk, his broad shoulders tense as he shoved a file back into a drawer. His gaze lifted and landed on me.
Surprise flickered across his face for a second before his expression settled back into that intense, brooding mask.
"Ruby," he said, his voice dropping into a cautious tone. "I thought you went back to rest."
I stepped fully into the study and closed the door behind me, letting the soft click echo in the quiet room.
For a moment, I simply stood there with my hand still wrapped around the handle, trying to gather enough courage to do what I had come here to do. This was different from last night. Last night, everything had happened naturally. One moment had led to another until I’d somehow ended up inside Kaden’s private room. Today, I was deliberately going back.
For the pin.
That was the only reason.
I took a slow breath, released the door, and turned around. Kaden was still standing by his massive mahogany desk, watching me with those intense, dark eyes.
"Ruby?" His brows pulled together, his expression becoming curious. "Is everything okay?"
I didn’t answer. I didn’t give myself time to overthink or let my courage fail me. I braced myself, squared my shoulders, and walked directly up to him. When I finally reached him, I wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him.
Surprise rippled through his body, making him go rigid for a second. But almost instantly, a low growl rumbled in his chest. His large hands came down to grip my waist, pulling my body flush against his, and his lips parted to take control of the kiss. He kissed me like a starving man, deep and possessive, his thumb digging gently into the curve of my waist. The warmth of him almost made me forget what I was doing.
When I finally pulled away, resting my forehead against his chest, my heart was hammering against my ribs. I looked up into his dark gaze and offered a soft, breathless smile. "Thank you for the gifts, Alpha Kaden."
A faint, handsome smile touched his lips. "Kaden to you, remember? Especially after last night."
Heat rushed into my face. "Fine. Thank you, Kaden."
"Better." His smile widened, the harsh lines of his face softening completely. "Did you like them?"
"I loved everything," I admitted honestly, my voice dropping. "The chocolates, the oils, the soft socks... all of it. It was really sweet."
"Even the socks?"
"Even the socks."
He laughed softly. "I didn’t know exactly what pregnant women need, so I might have asked about fifty questions before buying anything."
My chest tightened. Of course he had. That stupid warmth started spreading through me again, and I hated how easily he was making this difficult.
"You didn’t have to do all that," I murmured.
"I wanted to."
Three simple words. Yet they landed far heavier than they should have.
Kaden lowered himself onto the edge of his desk and, before I could move away, caught my waist and gently pulled me onto his lap. I didn’t resist. I wrapped one arm loosely over his broad shoulders and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. His smile returned immediately.
"You’re unusually affectionate today."
My stomach tightened. Careful, Rebecca.
"Maybe I missed you," I whispered, running my fingers lightly through the short hair at the nape of his neck.
His eyebrows rose.
"You don’t believe me?" I asked.
"I believe you." He looked far too amused. "I’m just enjoying hearing it."
I rolled my eyes, but I knew I couldn’t afford to waste time playing around. I needed to get him into that private room.
"I want you," I whispered, staring directly into his dark eyes.
The amusement disappeared from his face. His eyes darkened instantly, his grip on my hips tightening. "Ruby..."
"Not here."
He studied me for several seconds, then glanced toward the door before looking back at me. He chuckled, though his breathing was already growing heavy. "Love, you don’t have to thank me with sex, you know. I bought those things because I wanted to take care of you, not because I expected anything in return."
"I’m not doing it to thank you," I lied smoothly, tilting my head. "I genuinely want you."
He hesitated, his gaze dropping to my stomach before lifting back to my eyes. A tender, protective look crossed his face. "Ruby, you’re in the early stages of pregnancy. I don’t want to hurt you or push you too hard."
My chest squeezed, but I immediately huffed, acting offended as I made a move to slide off his lap. "Fine. My pregnancy is completely fine, but if you don’t want me, then I’ll just go back to my room."
Before my feet could even touch the floor, Kaden’s strong arm locked around my waist, pulling me right back onto his lap with a sharp tug.
"Don’t say that," he growled softly against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "Don’t say I don’t want you. You have no fucking idea how many times I’ve thought about you today. You’re driving me insane."
My heartbeat stumbled. He pressed a soft, lingering kiss against my cheek, then another to the side of my neck, right above the choker. My guilt returned with brutal force. This man thought I had come here because I wanted him, and the worst part was that it wasn’t entirely a lie. I did want him. I just wanted freedom more.
Kaden pulled back enough to look into my eyes. "You’re sure?"
I nodded. "Completely."
"Let’s go," he murmured.
He stood up, effortlessly lifting me with him before setting me on my feet. He grabbed his coat, took my hand, and led me out of his office. The guards standing outside snapped to attention, but Kaden ignored them completely, his focus entirely on me as he guided me down the private corridor toward his personal elevator.
I dropped Kaden’s hand almost instinctively as we walked past the guards. His jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing. We stepped inside the elevator, the silver doors sliding shut to cut us off from the rest of the pack house. Kaden kept his arm wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me against his side as the elevator smoothly ascended to the top floor.
"You’re quiet," he noted, glancing down at me.
"I’m thinking."
"That usually means trouble."
I looked up at him. "Maybe it is."
His mouth curved. The elevator finally slowed, and my stomach tightened into hard knots. The doors opened, and we stepped out into the quiet, dimly lit hallway leading to his private suite.
He walked me up to the heavy double doors guarded by the electronic keypad. He stood in front of the lock, shielding it slightly with his broad body, but I leaned in close under the guise of resting my head against his chest, my eyes laser-focused on his moving fingers.
Last time, I had managed to catch only:
1 - 8 - X - X - X - X - 2 - 3.
My heart pounded violently in my chest as his fingers danced quickly over the glowing screen. I held my breath, tracking the precise movement of his hand across the keypad.
1... 8...
His hand partially blocked my view as he entered the third digit, but then his wrist shifted slightly. The fourth button became visible for barely half a second.
4.
His hand moved again, covering the fifth digit, but when his thumb reached for the sixth key, I caught it clearly.
0.
Then came the final two numbers I already knew: 2... 3.
A soft beep sounded, and the light above the keypad flashed green. A soft click echoed down the hallway, and the heavy door slowly swung open, revealing the luxurious, quiet bedroom inside.
1 - 8 - X - 4 - X - 0 - 2 - 3.
Six numbers. I had six of the eight fucking numbers now. Only two missing.
Kaden turned toward me, and I immediately lifted my eyes to his face, hoping he hadn’t noticed where I’d been looking. His expression gave nothing away. He stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter the dimly lit suite.
"After you, baby."
I swallowed hard, forcing my face to show only warm anticipation. "Thank you."
I stepped across the threshold and walked inside, my mind racing as the heavy door clicked firmly shut behind us.
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