Rebecca’s POV

​"You look so beautiful."

​His rough whisper kept echoing in my ears, making my chest ache. I hated him. I hated the way he controlled me, the way he treated me like property, and the way he could turn from a ruthless beast into something completely soft in a split second. But more than anything, I hated how much that single compliment had thrown me off balance.

​When I finally reached the heavy wooden doors of my chambers, I pushed them open and slipped inside, letting out a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I closed the door behind me and leaned my back against it, closing my eyes. I was sore, sticky, and completely exhausted. I just wanted to crawl into a corner and hide from the world.

​A soft splash of water and the sweet scent of lavender caught my attention.

​I snapped my eyes open, fear instantly spiking in my chest. Had the palace maids come to torment me again? I braced myself, tightening my grip on the sheet as I looked toward the bathroom door.

​A figure stepped out into the bedroom, holding a pile of fresh towels. When our eyes met, the towels slipped straight from her hands, hitting the floor in a silent heap.

​"Rebecca?"

​My breath hitched. I couldn’t move. Standing right in front of me, wearing a clean, neat maid’s uniform, was Stephanie. Her eyes were wide, glittering with instant tears as she stared back at me.

​"Stephanie?" My voice broke, a tiny whisper slipping past my lips.

​Before I could even think, she ran across the room and threw her arms around me, holding me so tight it hurt my sore ribs. I dropped the edges of the sheet, letting it pool around my ankles as I wrapped my arms around her neck, burying my face in her shoulder. We both sobbed openly, the heavy weight of the past few weeks finally breaking through.

​"Oh my God, you’re here," I wept, gripping the fabric of her uniform.

​"I’m here, I’m right here," Stephanie choked out, pulling back just enough to look at my face, her hands wiping the tears from my cheeks. "They dragged me out of the dungeon at dawn. I thought they were taking me to the execution block, Rebecca. But the Beta himself unlocked my chains and told me I was being reassigned. He said I was your personal maid now."

​I froze, her words sinking in. Kaden didn’t lie. He had actually done it. He had freed her from that dark, freezing hole and brought her back to me before the sun was even fully up.

​"He kept his word," I whispered, a strange, confusing mixture of relief and disbelief twisting in my stomach.

​Stephanie’s eyes drifted down to my bare body, and her breath caught. In the bright morning light, the evidence of last night and this morning was impossible to hide. The bright red handprints on my skin, the deep bruises from Kaden’s heavy grip on my hips, and the clear sheen of the cooling cream he had rubbed into my skin were on full display.

​A look of pure, protective anger and deep worry crossed her face. "Rebecca... what did he do to you?" she whispered, her hands trembling as she touched a dark mark near my collarbone. "Did he do this because of me? Did he hurt you to punish you?"

​"No," I said quickly, grabbing her hands to calm her down. I swallowed hard, looking away because I couldn’t bear the shame of telling her the whole truth. "It... it wasn’t a punishment, Steph. It’s just... what happens when you are trying for a baby... but you’re safe now. That’s all that matters."

​Stephanie looked at me, her eyes filled with a sad, heavy understanding. She knew exactly what my life as a breeder meant in this palace, but she didn’t push me for details. Instead, she squeezed my hands tightly.

​"Come on," she said softly, her voice filled with a fierce determination to care for me. "I drew a warm bath for you with lavender oils to help with the soreness. And I have a hot tray of food waiting. I’m going to take care of you, Rebecca. No one is going to touch you or hurt you in this room while I am here."

​As she led me toward the steaming bathroom, a heavy tear rolled down my cheek. I was so incredibly happy to have my friend back, but as I looked back toward the hallway leading to Kaden’s office, a terrifying thought hit me.

​Kaden had protected me from the other maids. He had given me the one person who could make me happy, all while claiming it was just for his future heir. He was a monster, but he was a monster who was slowly rewriting every rule he had ever made—and I was terrified of what that meant for both of us.

​After bathing in the warm lavender water and eating the hot food Stephanie had prepared, I finally felt a little bit like a human being again. The physical pain had eased into a dull ache, and having my friend by my side made the heavy walls of the palace feel a little less like a prison. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

​But just as I was starting to relax, a loud, sharp knock echoed at the chamber door.

​Stephanie and I exchanged a quick, tense look. She walked over and opened it carefully. Standing in the hallway was one of Kaden’s personal royal guards. He didn’t look at her, nor did he try to push his way in. Instead, he dropped two large, heavy bags onto the floor.

​"These are clothes the Alpha King ordered for you," the guard said, his voice flat and robotic. He finally looked past Stephanie, his cold eyes landing directly on me. "He said you should get dressed immediately. You are following him for hunting today."

​My eyes widened in sheer shock. Hunting?

​Before I could even open my mouth to ask a question, the guard turned on his heel and walked away, the heavy doors clicking shut behind him.

​Stephanie closed the door and locked it quickly. She turned back to me, her face pale as she looked from the heavy bags on the floor up to my face. "Rebecca... what on earth is happening? Why is he taking you out to the woods?"

​"I don’t know," I whispered, my heart starting to beat fast against my ribs again. I walked over to the bags and unzipped the first one. Inside were thick, high-quality leather trousers, heavy fur-lined boots, and a protective tunic—all perfectly sized for my small frame. It wasn’t the cheap, thin clothing of a slave. It was proper, expensive riding and hunting gear. "I really don’t know, Steph."

​Stephanie stood completely still, her eyes fixed on the clothes. Her face twisted into a look of deep confusion and fear.

​"Is there something wrong?" I asked, noticing the strange look on her face. "Stephanie, what is it?"

​She swallowed hard, taking a slow step toward me. "Rebecca... the late queen loved hunting. It was her favorite hobby and her favorite place to be. Every single week, Alpha Kaden would take her out into the royal woods."

​My blood ran completely cold. The room felt like it was spinning.

​"So why..." Stephanie’s voice shook as she looked at the expensive gear in my hands. "Why is the Alpha King taking you there?"