Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

​Kaden’s POV

​Kane walked through the front doors looking completely exhausted, his shoulders slumped and his coat damp from the night air.

​As I stepped down from the last stair, closing the distance between us, a sudden scent hit my nose. It was subtle, almost buried under the smell of rain and engine exhaust, but my Alpha senses picked it up instantly.

​It smelled feline. Distinctly a female scent.

​I clamped my jaw shut, keeping my face entirely blank. I didn’t want Kane to know I was growing suspicious just yet.

​”Where are you coming from?” I asked, my voice low but authoritative.

​Kane let out a sharp, tired breath and threw his keys onto the side table. ”I am an Alpha, Kaden. What sort of question is that?”

​”Do you realize you have a pregnant woman waiting for you upstairs?” I countered, stepping closer.

​Kane pulled back his sleeve to check his watch, shaking his head. ”It’s barely ten o’clock, Kaden. Besides, this is her easy pregnancy. She isn’t even a month along yet.”

​My brow furrowed into a tight frown. I moved half a step closer, inhaling quietly through my nose. The scent was definitely there—feline, sweet, and entirely foreign to this house.

​Was Ruby right? The thought burned through my mind. Is Kane really seeing someone else?

​Before I could press him any further, Kane brushed past me with a cold sigh. ”Goodnight, Kaden.”

​I stood alone in the hallway, watching his retreat until he was out of sight.

​Slowly, I made my way back to my own room, the heavy quiet of the packhouse settling over me once more. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor as my mind raced. If this was true—if Kane was actually sneaking around with another woman—it would completely destroy Ruby. She was already so fragile, carrying his pup, terrified of losing her footing here.

​What else could Kane possibly need in another woman? I thought, my chest tightening with anger. Ruby is everything.

​I shook my head, running a hand over my face. No. I couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet. It might not be what I thought. I needed to do a proper check before making any accusations. My first instinct was to call Logan and have him track Kane’s movements, but I quickly changed my mind. No. Logan was already acting strangely lately, and this was family business. I would look into it myself.

​The next morning, I woke up with a heavy head. Part of me wanted to skip breakfast entirely, to avoid the awkward tension in the dining room, but another part of me craved just a single glance at Ruby. Breakfast was the only natural excuse I had to see her without raising suspicion.

​After taking a quick shower and dressing in a clean dark shirt, I headed downstairs.

​When I entered the dining room, Ruby was sitting alone at the long wooden table, quietly picking at her plate. The morning light caught the soft lines of her face, and for a second, my heart did a strange, familiar flip.

​”Good morning,” I said softly, pulling out a chair across from her.

​She looked up, giving me a small, reserved smile. ”Good morning, Alpha Kaden.”

​”Where is Kane?” I asked, keeping my tone casual as a maid poured me a cup of black coffee.

​”He left early for his packhouse,” Ruby answered, her voice quiet. ”He said something urgent came up that needed his attention.”

​I nodded slowly, taking a sip of the hot coffee. ”Did he tell you why he was so late coming back last night?”

​Ruby shook her head, looking down at her lap. ”No.”

​”I told you I would look into it, Ruby, and I will,” I reminded her gently, searching her face.

​She paused, biting her lower lip before meeting my gaze. ”I... I don’t think you should, Kaden. Honestly. I don’t want to think about it anymore. It’s probably nothing, and I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

​I gave her a small nod, pretending to agree. ”If that’s what you want.”

​But inside my head, the answer was a clear, unyielding no. I was going to find out the truth, whether she wanted me to or not.

​I finished my coffee quickly and stood up from the table. The urge to reach out and touch her, to pull her close like I had last night, was getting too strong. I needed to put some distance between us before I lost my composure.

​”Enjoy your breakfast,” I murmured, turning around and walking straight to my study.

​My private study was quiet, sunlight streaming through the tall windows onto the dark wood desk. I sat down and forced myself to focus on pack business. There was a mountain of paperwork waiting for me—budget proposals, trade requests, and territory agreements from neighboring packs that needed my final approval.

​I spent two hours going through the documents, my pen scratching against the heavy paper. The proposals that were ridiculous or unfair to our pack, I rejected without hesitation, tossing them into the discard pile.

​By mid-morning, my mind drifted right back to Kane.

​He had told Ruby he was at his packhouse handling an urgent matter. It was time to see if he was telling the truth.

​I picked up the landline phone on my desk and dialed the direct security desk at Kane’s packhouse. It rang three times before a guard answered.

​”Alpha Kane’s packhouse, Guard Patrol,” a firm voice spoke through the receiver.

​”It’s Alpha Kaden,” I said, my tone cold and authoritative. ”Is my brother there?”

​”Alpha Kaden, good morning,” the guard replied, his voice instantly softening with respect. ”No, sir. Alpha Kane hasn’t arrived here today.”

​My jaw tightened. ”Are you sure?”

​”Yes, Alpha. His car hasn’t entered the gates, and he hasn’t logged in with central security.”

​”Alright,” I said, keeping my voice completely even. ”I’ll just mind-link him directly. Thank you.”

​”Have a good day, Alpha.”

​I hung up the phone, the receiver clicking heavily against the base.

​Kane wasn’t at his packhouse. He had lied to Ruby, using his duties as an excuse to leave.

​Where the hell are you, Kane? I thought, staring out the window at the dense forest surrounding the territory. And what are you up to?