Free Web NovelChapter 20: The Dream
KADEN’S POV
I turned to the guards and ordered them coldly, "Carry her to the medical wing. Now."
It was better that they do it. Anyone was better than Kane doing it.
Kane gave me that annoying, knowing look. It was a look that told me he knew exactly why I was doing this—that it wasn’t about the guards, but about keeping his hands off her. He knew my wolf was reacting to her, even if I was trying to deny it. But I ignored his look and watched as the guards lifted Rebecca’s limp, cold body up from the stone floor and quickly carried her away down the hall.
After they left, the corridor fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. I turned around, intending to walk back to my chambers and leave this mess behind, but Kane spoke before I could take a step.
"Did you really check into the accusations against this girl, Kaden?"
I froze, my back still turned to him.
"I am an Alpha too," Kane continued, his voice tight and serious. "I have seen criminals. I have seen the worst of them, even the ones who pretend to be innocent. But her? The girl crying in fear just moments ago? A girl that claustrophobic? I don’t think she killed Helen."
A dark fury snapped inside me. I turned around angrily, stepping forward until I grabbed him violently by the collar of his shirt. I bunched the fabric in my fists and glared into his brown eyes.
"Shut up, Kane! Just shut up!" I hissed, my voice dropping into a growl. "You think I didn’t investigate? You think I just took a wild guess? The iron bar used in smashing my wife’s skull had her fingerprints all over it! She was found right there. The evidence is enough."
Kane didn’t even try to pull away from my grip. He just stared back at me, his eyes calm and steady. "What if it is a manipulation, Kaden? You know things like that happen. People get framed. Just look into her eyes next time, and you will see what I am saying."
I scoffed loudly, a bitter laugh tearing from my throat. "Really? You just met her less than one hour ago, and now you think you know the truth?"
I violently shoved him away from me. Kane stumbled back a step but kept his balance, his expression full of a quiet sadness that made me want to roar. I didn’t give him a chance to say another word. I turned on my heel and walked straight back to my room, slamming the heavy wooden doors shut behind me.
My chest rose and fell heavily as my thoughts spiraled into complete chaos. I marched over to the small table, picked up a bottle of dry gin, and uncorked it with my teeth. I lifted the bottle to my lips and poured a large quantity of the burning liquid straight down my throat. freёwebnovel.com
I refused to accept that she was innocent. She is not innocent.
I refused to believe she was innocent. She couldn’t be innocent. If she was, then everything I had done to her would be unforgivable. What kind of monster did that make me?
"No," I muttered to myself, shaking my head violently to clear the thoughts.
I couldn’t let my mind go down that dark path. I sat down heavily on the edge of the unmade bed, the sheets still smelling faintly of her sweet scent. I kept drinking, taking large gulp after large gulp, desperate to drown out the sound of her screaming in that dark lift. I drank until the burning in my throat turned numb, and then I finally fell back onto the mattress, my body crashing down.
I didn’t know when I closed my eyes, but as the heavy alcohol finally took over, I drifted down into a short, restless sleep.
And then, the darkness of my sleep shifted.
I was standing in a vast, empty space, and the air felt cold. A few feet away from me, a woman was standing. It was Helen. She was dressed in a long white gown that was so bright, so brilliantly shining, that I had to swiftly cover my eyes for a second to protect them from the harsh light.
My heart raced. "Helen," I breathed, taking a step toward her. "Helen, is it you?"
"Yes, Kaden. It is me," her voice echoed, but she didn’t turn around. Her back remained completely turned away from me.
I frowned, a deep ache spreading through my chest. "Why are you turning your back to me? Look at me, please."
"Because I cannot bear to look at the monster you have become," she said softly, but her words carried a weight that crushed me.
My brow furrowed, and I shook my head. "Darling, what do you mean? Everything I am doing... I am doing it for you. I am seeking justice. I am giving hell to the one who killed you and took our baby away."
Helen scoffed in pure anger. "So I should be applauding you, Kaden? Is this the man I fell in love with? No. The man I fell in love with is not stupid and blind. But you, Kaden... you are so stupid and blind."
I winced slightly. That was one thing about Helen—she was always blunt. She never hid the truth, even when it hurt.
"If showing hell to the person who brutally murdered my wife and child makes me stupid, then I will gladly be a fool," I growled back, my voice cracking with a mixture of grief and frustration.
Helen slowly shook her head, her white gown shimmering in the strange light. "You will regret this, Kaden. You will regret it so deeply."
Then she began to walk away.
"Helen, wait!" I screamed, reaching out for her.
But before my fingers could touch her fabric, she vanished.
I woke up with a violent gasp, my chest heaving and sweat dripping down my forehead. I sat up quickly on the bed, panting heavily as my eyes scanned the empty, quiet room. The dream felt so real, her words still ringing like a death sentence inside my ears.
You are stupid and blind. You will regret this.
I frowned, rubbing my temples as a sharp headache began to form. What did that dream mean? Why would Helen defend the girl who killed her? Was it just my own guilty conscience playing tricks on me because of what Kane said?
The restlessness inside me grew until it became completely unbearable. I couldn’t sit still anymore. I stood up from the bed, my mind locked onto one single thought.
I needed to go to the medical wing. I needed to check on her.
I immediately tried to lie to myself. I told myself I wasn’t going there because I cared about her. I was only going because she was my property, and I needed to ensure my breeder was healthy enough to carry my future pups. If she was sick or broken, she would be useless to me.
But as I walked toward the door, a heavy weight settled in my stomach. Why did that excuse feel like a total lie? Why was my heart pounding at the mere thought of seeing her again?
I pushed the heavy doors open and stepped into the corridor, refusing to acknowledge the terrifying truth knocking at the back of my mind.
