Kaden’s POV

​The same damn question had been looping in my mind for the last hour.

Why am I taking her there?

It hadn’t even been four hours since she had barely been away from me, yet instead of focusing on the pack or the upcoming border councils, I felt completely compelled to have her by my side again.

I couldn’t shake the need to see her, to keep her within my line of sight.

And out of all the places in this kingdom, I was taking her to the royal woods. Hunting.

It was Helen’s favorite thing to do. Before her death, those woods were her sanctuary, her absolute favorite place to be.

I told myself this was insane. Bringing her killer—a slave—into the space that belonged to my late queen was a direct insult to Helen’s memory. It was desecration. Yet, as I paced the length of my room, a dark, possessive urge twisted deep in my chest, completely overriding my logic. I found myself utterly unable to stop it. My wolf inside me was restless, pacing the borders of my mind, demanding her presence.

A sharp knock at my office door broke the silence.

"Enter," I rasped, adjusting the heavy leather collar of my hunting gear.

The royal guard stepped in, bowing his head respectfully. "Alpha King, your breeder is ready and waiting for you downstairs."

"Good."

I didn’t waste another second. I stood up, my heavy boots thudding against the floor as I left my room and headed down the grand staircase.

When I stepped outside into the cool evening air, the horses were already saddled. And there she was.

Rebecca was waiting for me, looking small standing beside the large beasts. She was dressed in the heavy riding leathers, fur-lined boots, and protective tunic I had ordered for her. The high-quality gear hugged her curves perfectly, covering the bruises I had left on her skin just hours prior.

Our eyes met across the courtyard. She looked incredibly anxious, her fingers tightly gripping the reins of her horse, her lower lip trembling slightly under my intense gaze. She looked like a trapped rabbit waiting for the predator to strike.

Logan, my Beta, stepped up to my side, breaking the suffocating silence. He didn’t say a word about why the slave was dressed like royalty, but his eyes held a questioning, cautious look. Without a word, Logan handed me the rifle for the hunt.

I gripped the weapon, my eyes never leaving Rebecca’s pale face. "Mount up," I commanded, my voice booming through the quiet courtyard.

I jumped onto my big horse in one quick move, not waiting to see if she was keeping up. My chest felt tight with a mix of anger, guilt, and a scary need to hold onto her. I kicked my horse into a fast run, tearing out of the yard and straight into the dark trees of the royal woods.

I rode hard, pushing a very fast pace. Every stomp of my horse’s feet reminded me of Helen, but my eyes kept snapping back to check on Rebecca, who was struggling behind me.

But as we went around a steep, loose dirt path near the deep drop-off, her horse tripped badly over a huge, hidden root. Rebecca let out a sharp, terrified scream as the animal buckled.

My heart completely stopped. A jolt of pure adrenaline shot through my veins, and before my brain could even process the movement, I was off my stallion. I didn’t care about the pace, the memory of Helen, or my pride—all I knew was that I couldn’t let her hit those rocks. I caught her just in time, my large arms locking around her waist and pulling her flush against my chest as we both tumbled onto a patch of thick, soft moss.

No injuries. Not a single scratch on her.

Our heavy breathing filled the quiet space between us. I stared down at her pale, trembling face, my wolf snarling in relief. I was furious—at the horse, at the woods, but mostly at my damn self. My own carelessness had almost caused her harm, and the thought of her bleeding made my chest tighten in a way I couldn’t explain.

"Get up," I growled, my voice rough as I pulled her to her feet. I didn’t let her go back to her horse. "You’re riding with me."

Without waiting for her reply, I lifted her up onto my stallion and climbed up right behind her. I pulled the reins tight, trapping her completely between my arms. Her soft back pressed against my chest, and her intoxicating scent flooded my senses, driving my wolf into a quiet, satisfied purr.

I couldn’t explain it, but my grieving wolf was starting to like having Rebecca around, which was strange. He was supposed to hate her, to want to tear her apart. Instead, the damn beast calmed every time she was near.

I shook the thought off, and we rode deeper into the valley, the trees thickening as we finally started the hunt. I slowed the horse to a halt near a clearing where a large prey was grazing in the distance. Unstrapping the rifle from my saddle, I brought it forward.

"Do you know how to shoot?" I murmured against her ear, my hot breath making her shiver.

Rebecca shook her head quickly, her voice small and tight. "No."

I gripped the cold steel of the rifle, positioning it against my shoulder, and then reached forward, wrapping my large, calloused hands completely over her small, trembling ones. I forced her fingers onto the trigger, pulling her body back until she was locked completely against my hard chest.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I was in Helen’s sanctuary, teaching her killer how to hold a weapon. Worse, I trusted her close enough to put that weapon in her hands. A weapon she could literally turn around and point at my own chest. I am going completely, utterly insane.

But my wolf is practically wagging its tail because she’s close, completely ignoring the fact that she’s his mate’s killer.

"Keep your eyes on the target," I whispered roughly, forcing my racing thoughts to lock down as I guided her hands. "Take a deep breath."

She inhaled sharply, her small frame rising against mine. I squeezed her hands, aligning the sight with the prey, and together, our fingers pressed down on the trigger.

BANG!

The loud blast echoed through the trees, the recoil sending a sharp jolt through both of our bodies as the prey dropped instantly in the clearing.

Rebecca gasped, staring at the fallen animal in total shock. I just stared at the side of her face, completely trapped by how beautiful she looked in the soft forest light.

But a second later, the small body pressed against my chest started to tremble.

Her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Her hands, still trapped under my large ones, grew icy cold. She stared at the dead deer, her wide eyes unblinking as a hard shiver traveled straight down her spine. She looked like she was losing her mind, her whole frame shaking so violently that the heavy metal of the gun rattled in our grip.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked, my voice low and filled with concern as I leaned closer.

Before she could even try to answer, a sudden rustle in the thick bushes made my ears perk up.

The soft ground thudded. Heavy, hurried footsteps of animals were heading straight toward our direction.

Every muscle in my body locked up. My wolf snapped awake, baring his teeth as a foul, rotten scent flooded the air. Rogues.

"Stay on the horse," I ordered harshly, shoving the gun into her shaking hands.

In one quick move, I jumped down from the horse, my boots hitting the dirt with a loud thud. I dropped to a low crouch, the bones in my jaw cracking as I prepared to shift into my wolf form and tear apart whatever was coming.

The bushes exploded open.

Four massive, pitch-black wolves stepped into the light, their lips pulled back in ugly, dripping snarls. Their fur was painted with dirt and dried blood, their eyes glowing with a crazy, unstable hunger.

I narrowed my eyes, my blood boiling with pure rage. How the hell did they get here? How did four filthy rogues bypass my border guards, slip past my warriors, and make it this deep into the royal pack lands without anyone noticing? It was impossible. Unless someone on the inside had let them in.

The largest black wolf stepped forward, his bones snapping and popping as he forced his body to shift into a human shape. He stood naked in the cold air, a dark, wicked smirk spreading across his scarred face as he looked at me, then glanced up at Rebecca on the horse.

"We got you, Alpha King," the rogue sneered, his voice cracking and rough. "We heard you are a beast in a fight. Let’s see what you’re really made of."

He didn’t wait for a reply. With a loud howl, the man shifted straight back into a massive black wolf, and all four of them charged forward, throwing themselves directly at me.