Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

​Kaden’s POV

​I frowned. What was she doing here? And why did she keep staring at my chest?

​My attention dropped to the locket resting against my skin. Right. She had been strangely interested in it this morning too.

​Before I could think much about it, the warrior came at me again. I dodged his fist, but the pendant bounced hard against my chest. Then again.

​I grunted in irritation. It was getting in the damn way.

​”Hold on.” I stepped away from the warrior and reached behind my neck. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ruby straighten.

​I unclasped the chain and pulled it from my neck. Ruby’s hand immediately went to her choker.

​My movements slowed. What the hell?

​She quickly dropped her hand. I stared at her for a second. ”Something wrong?”

​”No.”

​She responded too quickly.

​I narrowed my eyes. Ruby gave me an innocent look.

​I almost questioned her, but the warriors were waiting. I walked over to the stone bench at the edge of the courtyard and placed the locket carefully on top of my folded shirt.

​”Don’t touch that,” I told one of the younger guards nearby.

​”Yes, Alpha.”

​I returned to the ring, but something felt off. Ruby was still watching the bench. Not me. The bench.

​I pretended not to notice. ”Come on,” I told the warrior.

​He attacked. I blocked him. Another warrior joined, then another. Within seconds, I was occupied with three of them. But every now and then, my eyes moved toward Ruby. She hadn’t moved.

​Then one of the warriors tackled me. I shoved him off, caught another around the waist, and threw him onto the training mat. When I looked toward Ruby again, she was walking—straight toward my things.

​My eyebrows pulled together. What the hell is she doing?

​She moved slowly, almost casually. Too casually. She glanced at me, so I immediately turned my attention back to the warrior in front of me, pretending I hadn’t noticed. Something wasn’t right. I wanted to know what she was doing.

​”Again,” I barked.

​The warrior charged. I blocked him easily, but my attention remained on Ruby.

​She reached the bench. Stopped. Looked at the locket, then looked at me.

​I almost laughed. She was absolutely terrible at sneaking.

​Ruby reached down, her fingers closing around my locket.

​What the fuck?

​I moved immediately. She had barely lifted it from my shirt when I reached her, my hand closing around her wrist.

​Ruby jumped and spun toward me, her eyes going huge.

​”What are you doing?”

​”Nothing.”

​I looked down. My locket was literally in her hand. I slowly raised an eyebrow. ”Nothing?”

​Her face flushed. ”I was just looking at it.”

​”Really?”

​”Yes.”

​”Then why did you wait until I wasn’t looking?”

​”I didn’t.”

​”You did.”

​”Kaden, let go.” She tried pulling her hand away, but I didn’t release her.

​”You were trying to take this.”

​”I wasn’t trying to take anything.”

​”Ruby.”

​”Let go.”

​”Give me the locket.”

​She tightened her fingers around it instead. My suspicion deepened. What the hell was going on?

​”Why are you so interested in this thing?”

​”I’m not.”

​”You’ve stared at it twice today, and now I’ve caught you trying to steal it.”

​”I wasn’t stealing it!”

​”Then give it back.”

​She hesitated. That tiny hesitation was enough.

​”Ruby.” I reached for the locket, but she suddenly pulled it against her chest.

​”No.”

​I went still. No? My gaze sharpened.

​”Give it to me.”

​”Kaden—”

​”Now.”

​Instead of obeying, she tried to twist her wrist out of my grip. And then I noticed it—her choker. The silver metal around her neck was vibrating. Hard.

​I frowned. ”What the hell?”

​Ruby froze, her eyes immediately shooting to mine. I looked at the choker, then at the locket clenched in her hand, then back at her.

​”Why is your choker doing that?”

​”It isn’t.”

​I stared at her. She couldn’t possibly be serious. ”Ruby, I can see it moving.”

​Her face went pale. ”It’s nothing.”

​”Clearly it isn’t.” I reached toward her neck.

​She jerked backward. ”Don’t touch it!”

​Her voice came out sharper than I expected, and I stopped. Ruby’s chest was rising quickly now. Fear. Real fear.

​”What is going on?”

​”Nothing.”

​”Stop saying nothing.”

​”I just need you to let me go.”

​”Not until you explain why you were trying to take my locket.”

​”I wasn’t—”

​”You were.”

​Her eyes flashed. ”Fine! I wanted to look at it. Happy?”

​”No.” I stepped closer. She immediately stepped back, and I followed. ”Why?”

​”I already told you.”

​”You’re lying.”

​”I’m not.”

​”You are a terrible liar, Ruby.”

​Her back hit the stone pillar behind her, and she sucked in a breath. I stopped directly in front of her, my hand still around her wrist, her fist still wrapped around Helen’s locket. And her strange silver choker was vibrating so hard I could actually hear the faint hum coming from it.

​My wolf suddenly became restless. Something is wrong. I knew, but I didn’t know what.

​”Open your hand,” I said.

​Ruby shook her head.

​”Open it.”

​”No.”

​”Why?”

​Her eyes lifted to mine, and for one strange second, everything around me went completely silent. The warriors. The courtyard. The wind. Everything.

​All I could smell was her. Honey. Nutmeg. Something strangely familiar.

​My grip shifted slightly around her wrist. Her skin beneath my fingers—

​I froze. A strange pressure hit the back of my skull. My eyebrows pulled together. What the...

​Ruby’s expression changed. ”Kaden?”

​A sharp pain ripped through my head. I staggered, and suddenly—darkness. A woman crying.

​Ruby.

​No. The same face, but she looked different. Terrified. Black metal around her throat. Tears on her face.

​Then my own voice ripped through my head: ”Rebecca.”

​The courtyard slammed back into focus. I sucked in a breath. ”What the fuck?”

​My hand loosened around her wrist.

​”Kaden?”

​Another flash hit. Water. Freezing fucking water. Someone was in my arms—her. I was dragging her against my chest. Her clothes were soaked, her lips were pale, and my heart was pounding with fear.

​Rebecca.

​Then—her hand flew across my face. SLAP. I actually felt it. My head snapped sideways even though no one had touched me.

​”What the fuck is happening?” I stumbled backward and grabbed my temple.

​A strong wave of my power suddenly leaked out because I was so confused, rushing across the yard like a huge gust of wind. Every fighter in the ring jumped, quickly turning to look at us in surprise. Feeling the wild, dangerous change in my energy, they instantly stepped back and walked toward the edge of the yard to give me space.

​”Kaden!” Ruby reached for me.

​The second her fingers touched my arm, another memory tore through me. Her face twisted with hatred, tears in her eyes, her voice shaking: ”I would rather die than belong to you.”

​Pain exploded through my skull. ”Fuck!”

​I ripped myself away from her, my breathing turning ragged. I could hear Ruby saying my name, but everything sounded far away. Images kept coming—her crying, the black choker, my hands around her, water, her angry eyes.

​And that name. Again. Again. Again.

​Rebecca.

​Then it stopped. Just like that.

​I stood there breathing heavily, one hand pressed against my head. The courtyard slowly came back into focus.

​Ruby was standing in front of me, pale—completely fucking pale. The locket was still clenched in her hand, but she wasn’t looking at it anymore. She was staring at me like she’d just watched someone rise from the dead.

​I slowly straightened. ”Why did I just see you?”

​Her lips parted. ”What?”

​”In my head.”

​”I... I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

​Bullshit. I stepped toward her, and she backed away, my pulse hammering harder.

​”You were there.”

​”Kaden—”

​”You were crying. You were wearing that choker, except it was black.”

​Her fingers flew instinctively to her neck. I stared at the movement as another faint whisper brushed through my mind.

​Rebecca.

​My stomach dropped. ”I called you Rebecca.”

​Every drop of color disappeared from her face.

​I took another slow step toward her. ”Why the fuck did I call you Rebecca?”