Free Web NovelChapter 95: Not Who You Think She Is
Kaden’s POV
I froze in the middle of the throne room, the seer’s words chilling me to the bone. "What did you just say?" I demanded.
The old woman didn’t flinch. She adjusted her dark shawl, her clouded eyes staring right through my hard glare. "I know you do not believe in seers, Alpha King. I know you look at us and see nothing but fake prophecies and terrible lies. But your wolf knows the truth. That is why he is screaming inside your head."
I took a predatory step toward her, my fists clenching at my sides. "Speak clearly, old woman. Don’t play mind games with me."
"The maid you just encountered... is not who you think she is." the seer spoke softly, her voice echoing off the high stone walls. "The body belongs to Stephanie, but the spirit inside it belongs to your slave. Rebecca performed a soul-swapping ritual."
A harsh, bitter laugh forced its way out of my chest. I scoffed loudly, shaking my head in pure disbelief. "A soul swap? You expect me to believe that ridiculous fairytale? Rebecca is lying in a bed attached to a breathing machine!"
"And yet, you felt a powerful, unexplainable pull when you touched the maid," the seer countered calmly, her expression entirely unbothered by my anger. "That reaction did not happen because of a servant girl, Kaden. It happened because Rebecca’s spirit is looking back at you through Stephanie’s eyes. She crossed over from the spirit realm, occupying that body temporarily to see if there is any reason left for her to return to the living world. She is watching your every move."
My breath hitched in my throat. Suddenly, the strange words of that pregnant woman flashed vividly in my mind.
A wave of shocking realization mixed with fury crashed over me. No wonder the maid had been so bold. No wonder she defended Rebecca with such fierce passion. No wonder my wolf had roared to life, desperate to get closer to a mere palace servant. It was her. It was Rebecca, hiding right under my nose, playing me for a fool.
"So this is it," I scoffed, a dark, angry smirk spreading across my face, though my heart was beating frantically against my ribs. "She thinks she can hide from me? I will go down there right now and choke the truth out of her—"
"If you let her know that you know the truth, she will flee," the seer interrupted sharply, her voice tightening with a sudden warning. "If she realizes her cover is blown, her spirit will return to the spirit world, and her true body will die permanently. She will never wake up again." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
I stopped in my tracks, the cold panic gripping my chest tighter than before. "Then what am I supposed to do?" I barked, frustrated by the trap I was in.
"Do whatever you can to give her a reason to stay," the seer advised. "Keep her close. Keep her engaged. If she finds a reason to anchor herself to this world, her spirit will eventually merge back into her own body, and she will awaken."
I scoffed again, the sheer absurdity of it making my jaw tighten. I paced a few steps, the burning heat from earlier still lingering in my chest. "Fine. But explain the pull. What is this twisted attraction I felt when I touched her? Why did my wolf react like that?"
The seer closed her eyes, a small, confused expression crossing her old face. "I do not have an answer, Alpha King. But perhaps... you are falling in love with her."
"That is a lie!" I roared, my Alpha aura blasting out so hard that the heavy curtains in the throne room shook. "I hate her! She destroyed my life! I would rather die than fall for the woman who murdered my mate!"
The seer didn’t argue. She simply bowed her head slightly, stepping backward. "I do not doubt you, Alpha King," she whispered, her voice completely calm despite my raging aura. "But play your cards wisely. If you want her back alive, you must give her reasons to come back to her own body. If you have to act it or fake it.. Then do so."
She lowered her eyes, gave one final deep bow, and turned to leave, leaving me alone in the freezing silence.
My wolf spoke up immediately inside my head, his voice heavy and certain. ’Her words are true, Kaden. Rebecca is in Stephanie’s body.’
I scoffed bitterly, my chest heaving as a terrifying wave of pure anger took over my mind. How dare she? How dare that slave try to monitor me? She thought she could sneak into another body, stand right in front of my face, and watch my every move like a ghost? She was playing games with me, trying to see how I reacted to her comatose body, pretending to be an innocent maid defending a criminal.
An angry, dangerous smirk slowly spread across my lips. She thought she was so smart. She thought she could fool the Alpha King and play me like a toy.
"I know exactly what to do," I muttered aloud, a cruel idea forming in my head.
If I needed to give her a reason to stay in the living world, then I would do exactly that. But I was going to make her play by my rules now.
Opening the mind link, I snapped into the head maid’s mind. ’Tell Stephanie to come over to my chambers immediately.’
The head maid sounded startled by the sudden command but quickly replied, ’Yes, Alpha King. She will be there right away.’
I broke the link and left the throne room. My steps were fast and loud as I marched back down the long hallways. When I arrived at my private chambers, I pushed the doors open and walked inside, closing them firmly behind me.
I paced around the room, the anger from earlier still burning inside my chest. Every part of me wanted to storm downstairs, grab her, and force the truth out of her. But I couldn’t afford to lose control.
Not now.
I took a slow breath and forced myself to calm down, hiding my anger behind the cold mask I had worn for years. If the seer was right, then one wrong move could make Rebecca leave forever.
And I wasn’t going to let that happen.
A small, dangerous smile appeared on my face.
Rebecca thought she was smart. She thought she could hide behind another woman’s face and watch me from the shadows while I knew nothing.
I scoffed bitterly.
She was wrong. She had no idea what she was walking into.
I moved toward the bed and stopped beside it, folding my arms across my chest. My gaze remained fixed on the door as I waited for my prey.
