Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

​Kaden’s POV

​We walked back inside the hall. My heart was racing wildly, but I kept my face hard and completely blank. No matter what this council decided, I was not taking that choker off. I would burn this entire room to the ground before I let them touch it, and I believed they should know that by now. I was the Alpha King. My word was law.

​We took our seats at the long wooden table. The silence in the room was thick and heavy as everyone waited.

​The head councilman cleared his throat, adjusting the papers in front of him. ”We have reviewed the laws of the Alliance and the terms of the slave contract,” he began, his voice firm. ”Given the weight of a true mate claim versus a capital crime conviction, this council needs more time to study the details. Therefore, this hearing is adjourned until next month.”

​”Next month?!” Kane yelled, slamming his fists onto the table again as he stood up. His chair flew backward. ”You are going to make my mate suffer in his hands for a whole month? Look at him! He is losing his mind!”

​”Alpha Kane, sit down,” a senior council elder said, his voice calm but strict. ”You must remember that right now, Rebecca is legally his slave. Whether she is your true mate or not, the deal stands. If you want a quick fix, I would advise you to talk to your brother like family, not an enemy.”

​I stood up slowly, my long black coat brushing against the chair. I didn’t look at the elder. I kept my cold, hard gaze fixed completely on Kane.

​”There is nothing for us to talk about,” I said, my voice dropping into a dark, frozen whisper that made the room go completely cold. ”I am not releasing her until I am completely done with her. And believe me, I don’t think I will ever be.”

​Kane’s jaw clenched so hard I thought it would break.

​I leaned closer across the table, staring straight into his angry eyes. ”She is not your mate, Kane. And even if she is... I am never giving her to you.”

​Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked out of the hall. My mind was a total mess; it was full of anger and that same terrifying fear that I was trying so hard to hide.

​I got into the back of my car, slamming the door shut. Sam, my driver, quickly got into the front seat and started the engine. Outside, the three black SUVs carrying my full security team moved into formation—one in front of us and two behind us to guard the path.

​It took almost an hour’s drive through the dense trees to arrive back at the Full Moon packhouse. The entire ride was dead silent, the wheels humming against the road while my wolf paced back and forth in my head, growling quietly about the maid’s words and the video footage I still needed to check.

​The moment the car stopped, I got out. But instead of going up to my private room to rest or heading to my study to look at some files, my boots automatically led me down another hallway. I made my way straight to see her. To see Rebecca.

​The two guards standing at the door immediately stood up straight and bowed deeply to me, their eyes fixed on the floor. I didn’t say a word as I pushed the heavy door open.

​I entered the quiet room, the steady, robotic beep of the breathing machine hitting my ears first. And there, sitting right beside Rebecca’s pale, lifeless body on the bed, was Stephanie.

​The maid was seated in the small chair, her hands resting in her lap. The moment she heard the door slam, she flinched, her shoulders tightening instantly.

​I ignored the maid completely, walking right past her toward the bed. My eyes fixed on Rebecca’s pale, still face. The anger that had been building up inside me all morning finally broke.

​I grabbed her cold, lifeless hand, squeezing it tight. ”Wake up!” I yelled. ”Wake up and face me, Rebecca! You think you can just sleep through this? You think you can escape me by hiding in this coma?”

​Her hand was limp in mine, offering no response except for the steady, annoying beep of the machine.

​”You are never escaping me,” I hissed, leaning over her body. ”Never. You will wake up and face your punishment.”

​”If you continue like this, she won’t wake up!” Stephanie’s voice suddenly cut through my anger.

​I froze. I turned my head slowly, my eyes snapping to the maid. ”What did you say?” I asked, daring her to repeat what she had just said.

​Stephanie was standing up now, her face pale but her eyes filled with that same wild boldness. ”I said, if you continue like this, Rebecca will never wake up. Your anger is heavy enough to kill what is left of her.”

​A wave of pure fury hit me. How dare this servant speak to me like this again?

​In one swift movement, I crossed the room and grabbed her by the jaw, pinning her back. I leaned down close, my face just inches from hers, ready to spit out a cruel threat that would put her in her place forever. I opened my mouth to yell. But the moment I looked into her eyes, the words died in my throat.

​A sudden, powerful shock ran straight down my spine. My wolf, who had been quiet since we left the council hall, suddenly woke up and began to roar inside my head, clawing at my mind to get closer to her. The air between us instantly turned hot and thick.

​My frown deepened; I didn’t understand what was happening. I was completely confused and furious with myself.

​I felt a sudden, crazy physical pull toward this girl. It was a deep, magnetic spark that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons. It made no sense. My wife was dead, the woman who killed her was lying in a coma right next to us, and here I was, feeling a wild, unexplainable connection to a low-ranking palace maid.

​My hand began to shake against her jaw. I felt disgusted with myself, losing my mind over the strange heat burning in my chest.

My wolf wasn’t asking me to release her.

He was demanding that I pull her closer.

​”Stay away from me,” I choked out, my voice rough and commanding as I violently let go of her face. I stepped back, trying to get away from her scent, from her eyes, from everything that was messing with my head. ”Get out of my sight, and stay away from me!”