Chapter 362: After the War

Rebecca’s POV

​If you’ve been keeping up with my messy life, you’d know that falling back into old habits with your ex-mate, who also happens to be your supreme commander, is a slippery slope. And I was currently sliding down it at full speed.

​Soft, warm pressure brushed against my cheek once, then twice, making me stir from a deep, dreamless sleep. I frowned as the gentle kisses moved from my cheek down to my jawline. Inside me, Laura yawned lazily, stretching her paws as if she had just woken up from the best sleep of her life. I slowly blinked my eyes open, my vision blurry until it settled on Kaden’s face hovering just inches above mine. Morning sunlight poured through the high windows of his bedroom, bathing him in a warm, golden glow.

​He smiled down at me softly. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," Kaden murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. "I’m sorry for disturbing your peaceful sleep, but the witches and healers will be here in an hour."

​Before he could even finish his sentence, I practically jumped out of bed. The blanket fell away as I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding against my chest as every memory of last night came rushing back at once. The argument. The kiss. Everything that happened afterward. And, Goddess, I had actually spent the rest of the night sleeping peacefully on Kaden’s chest.

​Kaden sat up slowly, leaning back against the wooden headboard while watching me with amused eyes. "Calm down," he said softly. "Why are you acting like you don’t want to be caught doing something bad?"

​"Of course I don’t!" I snapped, keeping my voice low as I nervously glanced toward the bedroom door. "That is exactly it. If Melvin or Rola comes in here and finds us like this..."

​The relaxed expression on Kaden’s face disappeared instantly. His brows pulled together, and his jaw tightened at the mention of their names. I immediately looked away, unable to hold his gaze. I didn’t want to know what that expression meant because that would probably lead us straight back to the conversation I had refused to have last night.

​That was when my eyes landed on a neat stack of fresh clothes resting on the armchair near the wardrobe. My training gear and a clean top were folded together. Kaden must have sent a palace maid to my room earlier to fetch my things while I was still sleeping. Without saying another word, I grabbed the clothes and rushed straight into his private bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind me.

​I turned on the taps and let hot water fill the massive stone tub before lowering myself into it. Resting my arms along the edge, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head, but that was almost impossible when every quiet second gave me another chance to remember last night.

​So? What happens next, Rebecca? Laura finally asked, her voice quiet and serious inside my head.

​Please, Laura. Let’s not talk about anything right now, I pleaded as I let out a long breath and stared at the steam rising from the water.

​Laura remained silent for a moment before finally answering. Okay.

​I was grateful she didn’t push because I genuinely didn’t know what to tell her. What happened next? Was last night a mistake? Was it something we both wanted but should never repeat? And what exactly was I supposed to do about Rola? I had no answers, and sitting there trying to find them was only making my head hurt more.

​After washing up, I pulled on my fresh pants and top inside the bathroom. I grabbed a small towel and began drying my damp hair as I pushed the door open and stepped back into the bedroom, but my steps immediately slowed when I saw Kaden.

​He was standing near the foot of the bed, wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips. The morning light caught the muscles of his bare tattooed chest, his broad shoulders, and the faint scars across his skin. Fuck. Looking at him right now made my stomach tighten, and the sudden urge to touch him again came so quickly that it almost annoyed me. Hadn’t I gotten enough of this man last night? Apparently not.

​I quickly looked away and focused very hard on drying my hair. If I stared at him any longer, I was going to create another problem before breakfast, and I already had enough of those.

​A firm knock suddenly sounded at the bedroom door, and I froze. Kaden glanced at me, immediately noticing the panic on my face.

​"Calm down, Rebecca," he said evenly. "It’s just the seers and healers."

​He raised his hand slightly, using his Alpha command to unlock the door from across the room. The lock clicked open, and two female witches, along with the head palace healer, walked into the chamber. I quickly walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress, pulling the towel over my shoulders as the visitors bowed respectfully toward Kaden.

​"Alpha," the lead healer greeted him politely before turning her attention toward me.

​"Check her," Kaden instructed, his voice returning to the deep, commanding tone he used whenever he was giving orders.

​The two witches stepped forward and raised their hands above me. A soft, pale glow spread from their palms and moved over my skin as they examined my aura and magical channels. I remained completely still, watching their expressions for any sign that something was wrong. After a few silent moments, the head witch lowered her hands and turned toward Kaden.

​"Her aura is completely stable now, Alpha," the witch reported. "The dark connection the tiger shifters used has been broken."

​Kaden crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Will the tigers be able to do it again?" he asked.

​"Not for now," the healer answered firmly. "The witches strengthened the protection around her aura and closed the connection they created. They shouldn’t be able to pull her through the same spell again."

​Kaden gave a sharp nod. "Good. You may go."

​They bowed once more before quietly leaving the room and closing the door behind them. I stood immediately and hung the damp towel over the back of a chair.

​"I have to join the morning training session," I said, keeping my voice as normal as possible as I walked toward the door.

​I had already reached for the door handle when Kaden’s voice stopped me. "Rebecca," he called.

​I paused and looked back at him over my shoulder. "Yes?" I asked.

​"After the war," Kaden said, his eyes holding mine, "we have to talk."

​There was no anger in his voice and no pressure. He wasn’t asking me to talk now because I had already told him I wasn’t ready, but from the look in his eyes, I knew he wasn’t going to let us pretend last night never happened forever. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave him a short nod.

​"Of course," I replied quietly before opening the door and walking away.

​I didn’t bother going back to my room. I headed straight down the long stone hallways and out into the main palace courtyard, where morning training was already in full swing. The sound of clashing swords and heavy boots filled the yard as warriors sparred in different groups. When the others noticed me walking onto the field, a few of them called out greetings, clearly happy to see me back on my feet.

​Rola was standing near the weapon racks, and the moment her eyes landed on me, a genuine, relieved smile spread across her face. Seeing that smile made the guilt return immediately. She was happy I was okay, and she had probably spent yesterday worrying about me. Meanwhile, I had spent the night in her boyfriend’s bed.

​Rola came over to check that I was all right, and I assured her that the witches had cleared me for training. Someone from her assigned group called her name shortly afterward, and she gave me another warm smile before jogging across the field to join them. I watched her leave, the guilt still sitting heavily in my stomach, before forcing myself to focus on training.

​I reached for the zipper of my leather training jacket and started pulling it down, intending to take it off so I could stretch properly. Before I could remove it, Alpha Kane moved across the dirt yard and stopped directly in front of me.

​I raised an eyebrow at him. "Alpha Kane, you finally decided to act like you know me now?" I asked.

​Kane let out a small laugh. "It was Kaden’s command to keep my distance from you," he explained with a shrug.

​I rolled my eyes at the mention of Kaden’s name before stepping closer to grab a pair of wooden practice daggers from the table beside him. Kane’s eyes suddenly dropped toward my neck, and he leaned closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear him.

​"If I were you, I would put that jacket back on," Kane advised.

​I stopped and frowned at him. "What?" I asked.

​"Your neck is covered in hickeys," Kane replied, a teasing smile appearing on his face.

​My eyes widened in complete horror, and my hand immediately flew to my neck. I could feel the sensitive spots where Kaden’s lips had been last night, and somehow, until this exact moment, I had completely forgotten that those marks existed.

​Oh, Goddess.

​I hurriedly pulled the zipper of my leather jacket all the way back up to my chin, hiding every single hickey beneath the thick collar. My face burned so badly that I didn’t even want to imagine what Kane was thinking.

​Before I could recover from the embarrassment, I heard quick footsteps approaching from the other side of the courtyard.

​"Rebecca!" Melvin called.

​I turned just in time to see him rushing toward me. Before I could say anything, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.

​"Goddess, I was so worried," Melvin breathed into my hair, holding me firmly against his chest.

​For a moment, I was too surprised to react. Then I slowly lifted my arms and returned the hug. That was when my eyes moved over his shoulder and landed directly on Kaden.

​He had just walked out onto the training balcony overlooking the courtyard. His broad frame stood out immediately, but it was his expression that held my attention. His eyes were fixed on Melvin and me, his jaw tight as he watched another man hold me.

​Our eyes met, and for one long second, neither of us looked away.