Chapter 357: In His Room

Rebecca’s POV

​"You’re not going anywhere," he said, his voice instantly shifting back to that authoritative Alpha tone.

​I glared at his hand until he released me. "Kaden, I just want to wash up in my own room and sleep in my own bed. I’m fine now. The pulling stopped."

​"The witches placed a temporary ward around this room because it’s the most secure chamber in the palace," Kaden explained calmly. "They had to anchor it quickly while they were breaking the spell. Until they examine your aura again tomorrow morning and confirm the connection is completely gone, you’re staying inside the ward."

​I opened my mouth to argue, but Kaden raised a hand before I could get a single word out.

​"And you’re not teleporting anywhere tonight either," he added.

​"I wasn’t planning to," I replied with a frown.

​"Good, because the tiger spell was connected directly to your Fae magic. The witches don’t want you using teleportation until they’re certain activating it won’t give whoever performed that spell another way to reach you."

​Well, there went every argument I had been preparing. As much as I hated admitting it, he had a point. The tiger shifters had already managed to reach me inside one of the most heavily protected palaces in the werewolf kingdom. Going off alone to an unwarded room just because I wanted my own bed suddenly sounded less independent and more stupid.

​"Fine," I conceded with an annoyed groan. "Then I’ll use your bathroom. But I need fresh clothes. I am not putting this dirty training gear back on after a bath."

​"You can wear one of my shirts for tonight," Kaden replied casually. "I’ll have a maid bring your clothes in the morning. But tonight, you’re sleeping here."

​I stared at him. "Sleeping here? In your bed?"

​"Yes," he answered as though there was absolutely nothing strange about that.

​"Kaden, don’t you think that’s a little... uncomfortable?" I asked carefully. "Rola is here."

​His expression remained calm. "Rola knows."

​"She knows I’m sleeping in your bedroom?"

​"She knows the witches don’t want you moved tonight," Kaden corrected. "She was standing right here when they explained it."

​I pressed my lips together. "And she’s okay with that?"

​Kaden gave me a strange look. "Rebecca, Rola isn’t insecure. She understands that you were nearly taken by the enemy a few hours ago. This isn’t exactly a romantic sleepover."

​Heat immediately climbed into my face. "I didn’t say it was."

​"You were thinking it," he replied.

​"I was not," I shot back.

​Kaden simply raised an eyebrow, and I immediately looked away. I hated when he did that. He didn’t even have to argue. One stupid eyebrow and suddenly I was the one who looked guilty.

​"Whatever," I muttered. "It’s still weird. Having your ex-mate sleep in your bed while your girlfriend is staying in the same palace is weird."

​"Rebecca, I can’t leave you alone tonight," he said, his expression becoming serious again. "The healer specifically said someone has to monitor you until morning. If the pulling starts again, if your temperature rises, or if your magic becomes unstable, I need to get the witches immediately."

​I frowned. "So you have to stay here too?"

​"Yes," Kaden replied simply. "I have to stay here."

​Well, that made the situation even better.

​Spending the night in my ex-mate’s bedroom was already uncomfortable enough. Spending it with him actually in the room was another problem entirely.

​Kaden must have seen the hesitation on my face because he added, "If being alone in here with me makes you uncomfortable, I can ask Rola to stay here too."

​My eyes widened immediately.

​"No."

​His eyebrow rose. "No?"

​"No," I repeated quickly. "That’s even worse."

​Kaden stared at me for a second. "How is that worse?"

​I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Did he seriously need me to explain why spending the entire night trapped in one bedroom with my ex-mate and his current girlfriend sounded like a special kind of torture?

​"It just is," I muttered.

​Kaden’s mouth twitched slightly, but thankfully, he didn’t push me for an explanation.

​"Then it’s settled," he said. "Rola stays in her room. You stay here, and I’ll stay here to monitor you."

​I narrowed my eyes at him. Somehow, every conversation with this man ended with him deciding he’d won.

​Kaden stood and walked toward the large wardrobe on the other side of the room. He opened one of the doors, pulled out a white shirt, and tossed it onto the mattress beside me. "The bathroom is through there. Hot water should already be prepared."

​"I remember where your bathroom is," I replied without thinking.

​The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and Kaden’s eyes met mine for a brief second. Neither of us said anything.

​Of course I remembered. There were far too many things about this bedroom that I remembered.

​I quickly grabbed the shirt and stood before my mind could wander somewhere it had absolutely no business going. The shirt smelled faintly of cedarwood, leather, and Kaden’s familiar scent, which immediately sent an unwanted shiver down my spine.

​Fantastic. Apparently, even his clothes were determined to make tonight difficult.

​I pushed the feeling away and walked toward his private bathroom, shutting the heavy door firmly behind me. The bathroom looked almost exactly as I remembered it, although I refused to think too deeply about why I remembered Kaden’s bathroom so well. A large stone tub occupied the center of the room, already filled with steaming water.

​I stripped out of my filthy training clothes and lowered myself into the bath with a long sigh. The heat immediately eased the ache in my muscles, and for the first time since the training field, I finally began to relax. I washed my hair and scrubbed away the sweat and dirt from my skin, and by the time I climbed out, I felt almost human again.

​Then I reached for a towel.

​My hand grabbed nothing.

​I frowned and reached again before looking properly at the rack. It was empty.

​"You have got to be kidding me," I whispered.

​I checked the hooks and then the small cabinet beside the tub, but there was nothing there either. My eyes moved toward Kaden’s white shirt sitting neatly on the vanity. Putting it on while I was dripping wet wasn’t an option unless I wanted to walk out looking as though someone had glued his shirt directly to my body.

​Which, considering the current state of my life, would probably create another problem I didn’t need.

​I carefully walked toward the bathroom door and opened it only a few inches. "Kaden?"

​Footsteps approached almost immediately, and his voice came from the other side. "What’s wrong?"

​"Nothing happened," I replied quickly.

​"What do you need?" he asked calmly.

​I closed my eyes briefly, already regretting this entire situation. "There are no towels."

​There was a short silence from the other side of the door before I heard him exhale.

​"I’ll get you a towel, Rebecca."

​A moment later, he returned and knocked lightly against the door. I stayed safely behind the wooden privacy screen and reached one arm through the small opening.

​"Give it," I said.

​Kaden handed the large grey towel through the gap, but as I pulled it toward myself, one corner caught on a decorative piece along the wooden frame.

​"Wait," I muttered as I tugged at the towel. "It’s stuck."

​"Stop pulling," Kaden warned from the other side of the door.

​"I’ve got it," I insisted, tugging again.

​"Rebecca," he called, his voice carrying a clear warning.

​"I said I’ve got it," I replied stubbornly.

​"You’re going to tear it," Kaden warned again.

​"I am not going to tear a towel, Kaden," I argued, tightening my grip on the fabric.

​I gave it one final impatient tug.

​The fabric suddenly came free.

​Unfortunately, so did my balance.

​My wet foot slipped across the smooth tile, and a startled gasp escaped me as I stumbled backward. The bathroom door swung wider when I instinctively reached for it, but before I could hit the floor, Kaden moved. His arm wrapped firmly around my waist, catching me before I went down.

​Everything stopped.

​For one horrible second, my brain refused to understand exactly what had happened. Then I realized I was pressed against Kaden.

​Completely naked.

​My eyes widened, and when I looked up, his had widened too. The towel lay forgotten on the floor beside us.

​"Kaden," I breathed.

​His arm was still around my waist, holding me upright. His entire body had gone still, and for the first time that evening, Kaden seemed to have absolutely nothing to say. His gaze dropped for the briefest moment before his jaw tightened and his eyes immediately returned to my face.

​Heat exploded across my cheeks, and my hands flew up to cover myself. "Let go of me!"

​"You’ll fall," Kaden replied, keeping his eyes firmly on mine.

​"I would rather fall!" I shot back, my face burning with embarrassment.

​"Stop being ridiculous," he said firmly, refusing to release his hold on me. Then he turned his gaze toward the ceiling. "Can you stand?"

​"Yes," I answered quickly.

​Kaden slowly loosened his hold, but the moment I tried putting my full weight on my legs, my knee weakened beneath me. I barely had time to gasp before his arm tightened around me again.

​I closed my eyes in complete embarrassment.

​Of course my legs had chosen this exact moment to stop cooperating. They had carried me through brutal training, uncontrolled teleportation, and an attack from dark magic, but apparently standing naked in front of my ex-mate was where they finally decided their workday was over.

​"Don’t say anything," I warned him.

​"I wasn’t going to," Kaden replied.

​"You were thinking something."

​There was a brief pause before he answered, "Rebecca, I’m currently trying very hard not to think about anything."

​That shut me up.

​For a few seconds, neither of us moved. I became painfully aware of his hand against my waist and the warmth of his body so close to mine. There was no mate bond anymore. No supernatural force connecting us. Nothing that could explain why my heart was suddenly beating so hard.

​Girl... Laura’s voice suddenly whispered inside my head.

​Don’t say it, I warned her immediately.

​Your nipples are so hard, she pointed out.

​My eyes flew open. Laura!

​I’m only saying what we’re both noticing, she replied innocently.

​Go away, I snapped.

​Laura let out an amused laugh inside my head before finally retreating to the back of my mind.

​"Kaden," I whispered after a moment. "The towel."

​His gaze remained firmly above my shoulders as he carefully made sure I was steady before releasing me. He bent down, picked up the towel, and held it toward me without looking anywhere he shouldn’t.

​I grabbed it immediately and wrapped it tightly around myself, finally covering my body. Only then did Kaden look at me properly again.

​I held the towel against my chest, still burning with embarrassment. "Stop looking at me."

​A faint crease appeared between his brows. "You do remember I’ve seen you naked before."

​"That was three years ago!" I shot back.

​"And?" he asked.

​"And things are different now."

​His expression changed slightly at that, and whatever small amount of humor had been in his eyes disappeared.

​"Yes," Kaden said quietly. "They are."

​The simple answer hit much harder than it should have.

​For a moment, neither of us spoke. Kaden’s eyes remained on mine before he finally turned away.

​"Get dressed," he said quietly. "I’ll be outside."

​He walked through the doorway and shut the bathroom door behind him.

​I remained exactly where I was, clutching the towel around myself and staring at the closed door.

​Well, Laura began.

​"Not one word," I muttered aloud.

​She laughed inside my head.

​I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall.

​Tonight was going to be a very long night.