Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

​Kaden’s POV

​I kicked open the bedroom door with enough force to shake the hinges, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

​”Ruby!” I yelled, stepping into the room with my wolf raging right beneath my skin, ready to tear apart whatever was hurting her.

​Instead, I froze dead in my tracks.

​Floating right in front of Ruby—who was pressed tightly against the bed, shaking in terror—was a huge, beautiful golden eagle. Its wings took up the space above the bed, feathers shining like sunlight. It was easily the size of a full-grown wolf. Its sharp, glowing amber eyes were locked onto her, but it wasn’t attacking. It just stayed there, scary and amazing, filling the entire room with a heavy, old warmth.

​I was shocked. I knew that bird.

​Before I could even speak, the giant eagle let out one last low cry, turned into a cloud of golden mist, and completely disappeared into thin air.

​Ruby gasped, holding her chest, her sea-blue eyes wide with shock and fear. Her breathing was fast, her skin pale as snow.

​”It’s okay,” I said quickly, keeping my hands raised as I took a slow step into the room. ”Don’t be scared. It’s gone.”

​She looked up at me, still shaking. ”W-what was that?”

​”It was an ancestral spirit,” I explained softly, forcing my Alpha power down so I wouldn’t scare her more. ”An old animal tied to our family... linked directly to my mother’s bloodline. It only appears during rare moments of life. I think... I think it just came to welcome you to the family, since you are carrying his descendant.”

​Ruby took a shaky breath, slowly nodding her head as the tightness in her small shoulders relaxed a little. ”A welcome...” she whispered to herself.

​That was when my eyes moved down, and a sharp frown pulled at my forehead.

​She was wearing a soft, thin nightgown that stopped right above her knees. Her legs were bare, and on her right thigh, a long, red scratch was bleeding down her pale skin.

​A sharp worry flared in my chest at the sight of her blood. ”You’re hurt,” I said, my voice dropping into a low growl before I could stop it. I rushed to the side of the bed. ”How did this happen?”

​”I... I fell off the bed,” she said, her cheeks turning pink as she looked away. ”When the light appeared, I panicked and moved back too fast. I scratched my leg on the sharp corner of the wooden bed.”

​”I’ll get the healer right now,” I said, turning toward the door.

​”No!” Ruby called out quickly, her hand reaching out toward me before she pulled it back. ”Please... don’t bother the healer for a small scratch. It’s really nothing. There’s a first aid box in the bathroom. I can do it myself.”

​I frowned, not liking the idea of her taking care of herself while bleeding, but I watched as she carefully moved her legs off the bed. She stood up, walking with a small limp into the bathroom.

​A minute later, she came back holding a small box, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She opened the box, her small hands shaking a little as she tried to pull out some cotton and a bottle of medicine.

​”Where is Kane?” I asked, looking around the empty, quiet room. ”Why isn’t he here?”

​”He went out for a night run,” Ruby said softly, cleaning the cut. ”He needed to clear his head.”

​My jaw went so tight my teeth hurt. A furious anger burned in my chest. He left her alone? In a strange house, while she’s weak and carrying his baby?

​”He shouldn’t have left you alone,” I said, my words sharp and angry.

​Ruby gave a small, sad smile, not looking up from her leg. ”It’s fine, Alpha Kaden. He will be back soon.”

​Her soft words still didn’t calm my annoyance. Before my brain could process what I was doing, my body moved on its own.

​”Let me do it,” I said, taking a step closer and holding out my hand.

​Ruby pulled back a little, her blue eyes looking up at mine in surprise. ”No... no, it’s really okay. You don’t have to—”

​”I said let me do it, Ruby,” I repeated. My voice was quiet, but it was so strong it made her hands freeze. ”You are my brother’s woman. You’re carrying the future of my family,” I argued calmly. ”The least I can do is make sure you’re treated properly while you’re under this roof.”

​It was a complete lie. A terrible excuse to touch her, and we both knew it.

​Without waiting for her to answer, I dropped down to one knee right in front of her.

​My breath stopped in my throat. Being this close to her was hard to handle. Her soft, sweet scent filled my nose like a heavy blanket, making my head spin and my chest feel tight.

​I reached out and took the cotton from her fingers.

​The small touch of our skin sent a quick spark of electricity straight up my arm, shooting right to my heart. Ruby let out a soft gasp, her breath catching in her throat. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look down at her leg instead of her face, trying hard to ignore the wild beating of my heart.

​”This might hurt a little,” I said, my voice low and rough.

​I poured a drop of the medicine onto the cotton and gently pressed it against the scratch on her leg.

​Ruby went stiff, her hand flying out to grab my shoulder to hold herself up. The light weight of her hand on my skin burned like fire. I held my breath, my fingers carefully wiping away the line of red blood, moving as gently as I could.

​Gods... her legs were so smooth. So soft, pale, and incredibly beautiful.

​Stop it, you fool, I yelled at myself inside my head, my jaw clenching as a dark heat grew inside me. She is your brother’s woman. Don’t look at her like that. Don’t think about her like that.

​Yet, as I placed a clean bandage over the cut, my thumb accidentally touched the soft skin of her upper leg.

​Ruby shook, her sea-blue eyes locking onto mine. The air between us turned thick, heavy, and full of a strong feeling we couldn’t hide. Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed. I was kneeling between her legs, looking up at her, completely trapped by her.

​Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed wide open.

​”Care to explain why you’re kneeling between my woman’s legs, brother?” Kane’s angry voice broke the silence.