Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

Rebecca’s POV

​Shit, I cursed inwardly, my stomach dropping into a nervous knot. Why is he awake? Why is he down here right now?

​My heart beat wildly against my ribs as Kaden slowly descended the grand staircase, his heavy, bare steps making no sound against the cold marble.

​He stopped right in front of me, towering over my smaller frame. His dark green eyes swept down my body, lingering on my thin nightgown before rising back to fix intensely on my face.

​Instinctively, I took a small step back, my heart hammering against my chest.

​”You can’t sleep,” Kaden said quietly, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence of the room.

​I blinked, genuinely stunned. I had expected him to glare at me, to demand answers, or to suspect I was sneaking around his house in the middle of the night. Instead, his tone held a strange, quiet understanding.

​”How... how did you know?” I managed to ask, keeping my voice low so it wouldn’t carry to the guards stationed in the shadows.

​”Because I haven’t slept a wink either,” he admitted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in my tense posture. A small, almost invisible frown pulled at his lips. ”So... where are you heading at two in the morning?”

​”The garden,” I whispered, holding the fabric of my dress tightly in my hands. ”I just... I needed some fresh air.”

​”Nice choice,” Kaden said softly. He shifted his posture, gesturing toward the heavy glass doors leading out to the back courtyard. ”Come on. I’ll walk you.”

​My eyes widened in panic. ”No! No, please, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want to trouble you, Alpha Kaden. I can go alone.”

​Kaden tilted his head, a dark, stubborn light flashing in his green eyes—that same relentless possessiveness that had always defined him, even when he had no memory of who I truly was to him.

​”I insist,” he said, his voice dropping low, leaving no room for argument. ”It’s late, and you’re carrying a child. You shouldn’t be wandering around alone in the dark.”

​God... even without his memories, nothing had really changed. His mind had forgotten me, but his instincts still refused to let me go.

​Realizing it was useless to fight him without making a scene, I swallowed hard and gave a tiny, reluctant nod. ”Okay.”

​”Follow me. I’ll show you the prettiest path,” Kaden said smoothly.

​He turned and began walking ahead of me toward the double doors, pushing them open to let the cool, crisp night air sweep into the foyer.

​I stepped out behind him, my eyes helplessly falling onto his back. Gods, he was magnificent. His spine was straight and powerful, the thick muscle of his broad shoulders moving smoothly with every stride he took. Tattoos stretched across his upper back and arms, intricate ink etched into his golden skin that I used to trace with my fingertips in the dark.

​My breath caught in my throat as a wave of intense longing hit me like a physical blow. Walking behind him, breathing in the familiar scent of cedarwood and mint drifting from his warm skin, felt like reopening a wound that had barely begun to heal.

​He paused at the edge of the stone patio, turning slightly to glance over his shoulder to make sure I was right behind him. His eyes caught mine, making my skin flush hot despite the cool night breeze.

​”The rose garden is just past those arches,” Kaden murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips for a second before meeting my eyes again. ”Watch your step on the cobblestones... I wouldn’t want you falling again.”

​I followed him down the winding stone path, the cool night air refreshing my warm skin. The scent of blooming roses and damp earth filled the air, blending with Kaden’s intoxicating mix of cedarwood and mint.

​We reached the center of the garden, where a large patch of soft green grass opened up under the moonlight. Without a word, Kaden dropped down onto the lawn, lying flat on his back and folding his arms behind his head to use as a pillow. He looked so relaxed, so dangerously handsome.

​I hesitated for a second before carefully sitting down on the grass next to him. I made sure to leave a good two feet of distance between us, keeping my hands pulled tightly in my lap.

​Kaden turned his head sideways, his green eyes watching me intensely.

​”I built this garden years ago,” he said softly. ”For my late wife, Helen. She loved roses.”

​I know, I thought, a sharp, familiar ache twisting in my heart. I knew every inch of this garden. Sitting here with him now, listening to him talk about the past while he had no idea who I was, felt both beautiful and heartbreaking.

​”It’s breathtaking,” I whispered, looking out over the moonlit petals. ”She must have loved it very much.”

​”She did,” Kaden murmured. He looked back up at the star-filled sky, quiet for a long moment before speaking again. ”So... tell me about you and Kane.”

​My heart skipped a beat. ”What about us?”

​”How did you two fall in love?” he asked, turning his head back toward me. His eyes narrowed slightly, filled with a strange, intense curiosity that made my skin feel warm. ”How do you see him? What kind of man is my brother to you?”

​The question hung heavy between us in the quiet night. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing even under his relentless gaze.

​”Kane is... kind,” I said softly, picking carefully at a blade of grass. ”He was there for me when I had nothing and remembered no one. He protected me when I was weak. He made me feel safe when my whole world was dark.”

​I glanced over at Kaden, only to find him staring at me with a dark, unreadable look on his face. His jaw was tightly clenched, the muscles in his neck strained as if my words were causing him actual physical pain.

​”Safe...” Kaden repeated, the word sounding rough and heavy on his tongue.

​Before I could move, Kaden shifted, rolling over onto his side and propping his head up on one hand. The distance between us suddenly shrank to almost nothing. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his bare chest, smell the sweet scent of his skin, and see the silver light reflecting in his dark green eyes.

​”Does he make your heart race, Ruby?” Kaden asked quietly, his voice dropping into a deep, magnetic whisper that sent shivers straight down my spine. ”When he touches you... does your blood burn like fire?”

​My breath hitched in my throat. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I was completely trapped under his intense gaze, my heart pounding so loudly against my ribs I was certain he could hear it.

​”Alpha Kaden...” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. ”You shouldn’t ask me things like that.”

​”I know,” he murmured, his gaze lingering on my lips before slowly returning to my eyes. His expression tightened with frustration. ”I know I shouldn’t. But I can’t seem to help myself.”