Chapter 6
1099 Words
Warmth.
That was the first thing Lena felt when she drifted into consciousness. Not the biting cold of the forest, not the suffocating dampness of Lucian’s dungeon—just warmth.
She stirred, her body aching in protest. The scent surrounding her was familiar—smoky pine, fresh rain, and something distinctly masculine.
Kade.
Her eyes snapped open.
Lena pushed up on her elbows, her muscles screaming in protest, but she barely registered the pain. She was in a large, wooden cabin, a roaring fire crackling in the stone hearth. The scent of leather and fresh earth clung to the space, a clear sign she was back on Bloodfang territory.
She wasn’t free.
A sharp pang of fear shot through her, but before she could move, a voice cut through the quiet.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Her heart clenched.
Kade stood in the doorway, his arms crossed, his golden eyes burning with a mix of rage and something deeper—relief.
Lena forced herself to sit up fully, swallowing against the dryness in her throat. “Where am I?”
“My cabin,” he said. His voice was cold, but his eyes flickered with something else—something he was trying to suppress. “You passed out before I could get answers. You’re lucky I found you before Lucian’s wolves did.”
Lena exhaled shakily. She had been so close to getting away.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, testing her strength. Her body was weak, but she could move. If she could just get to the door—
Kade’s sharp gaze caught the slight shift in her posture, and his jaw tightened. “Try to run, and I will chain you to that bed.”
Lena’s breath hitched. Not from fear—from frustration.
She met his gaze, defiant. “You can’t keep me here.”
Kade’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Watch me.”
Silence stretched between them, thick and charged.
Kade leaned against the doorframe, arms still crossed. His dark hair was disheveled, his shirt torn and stained with someone else’s blood.
He had fought to find her.
He had killed for her.
But that didn’t change what had happened. It didn’t erase the months of doubt, the whispers of the pack, the way he had let her believe she wasn’t enough.
Lena clenched her fists. “Why did you come for me, Kade?”
His expression darkened. “Because you’re mine.”
Her stomach twisted. The old pain, the old anger, all of it threatened to surface.
“No,” she said softly. “I was yours. And you let me walk away.”
His nostrils flared, but he didn’t deny it. Instead, he pushed off the doorframe and took one slow, deliberate step closer.
“I won’t let you walk away again.”
Lena’s pulse hammered. It was different this time.
Before, Kade had been cold, controlled—an Alpha who always put his duty before his emotions. But now…
There was desperation in him. A raw, barely restrained hunger, as if she were something he had nearly lost forever.
But it didn’t change the past.
She shook her head. “You don’t get to decide that.”
Kade’s jaw tightened. “You’re not thinking straight. You’re weak. You nearly got yourself killed.”
“I got myself free.”
His eyes flashed. “And yet, I’m the one who had to pull you out of a rogue’s jaws.”
Lena exhaled sharply. “So what now? You expect me to just… fall back into place? Pretend nothing happened?”
Kade stared at her for a long moment. Then, his voice dropped lower. Dangerous. Unyielding.
“I expect you to tell me the truth.”
Lena froze.
Kade’s gaze flickered to her abdomen—just for a second. But it was long enough.
Her blood ran cold.
He knows.
Lena’s entire body tensed. She had worked so hard to keep this secret, to protect her baby.
She had nearly died to keep it from Kade.
If he found out—if he claimed the child, if he used it as a reason to force her to stay—
She had to shut this down. Now.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said flatly.
Kade’s expression didn’t change, but the room seemed to grow smaller.
“I can smell it, Lena.” His voice was eerily calm. Too calm.
She pressed her hands against her thighs, willing her heart to slow. He couldn’t know for certain.
“You’re imagining things,” she said, voice even. “I was injured. You know that.”
Kade’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then, before she could react, he moved.
Fast.
One second, he was across the room—the next, he was in front of her, his hand gripping her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
Her breath caught.
His touch was firm, but not rough. Not meant to hurt—meant to hold. Meant to make her see him.
“Stop lying to me.” His voice was a growl, his golden eyes locked onto hers. “Are you carrying my child?”
Lena’s stomach twisted into knots.
If she told him the truth, everything would change.
Kade wouldn’t let her leave. He would bind her to the pack, to him, whether she wanted it or not.
But if she lied…
His wolf would sense it eventually.
She was trapped.
Kade exhaled, his grip on her chin loosening just slightly. His eyes searched hers, something raw flickering behind them. He wasn’t just angry—he was afraid.
“If you are,” he said quietly, “I won’t let Lucian take you again. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Lena’s chest tightened.
For a brief, dangerous second, she almost wanted to believe him.
But then she remembered the whispers in the pack. The doubt. The way he had let her suffer alone.
This baby wasn’t just hers.
It was a Bloodfang heir. And that meant it was a target.
Lena swallowed hard. Then, with a quiet, calculated voice, she said—
“No, Kade. I’m not.”
The lie tasted like ash on her tongue.
Kade’s jaw clenched. His fingers twitched against her skin.
For a moment, he didn’t speak.
Then, slowly, he released her.
Lena forced herself to breathe. She had bought herself time.
But she knew one thing for certain—
Kade didn’t believe her.
And that meant she was running out of time.
- Writer
