Alpha Kaden | ✔️ (Published)

Chapter Ten

Word Count: 1698

~Mara

My eyes flutter open, a sudden surge of fear being what awakens me. The position I am in is familiar. On a chair. Tied up.

I roll my head around, hearing my neck click in protest. How long have I been out? It takes me a moment to get my bearings, but when I do, I notice someone sitting in front of me.

Kaden.

He sits on a chair only inches away from me. His hands are clasped together, as he stares at me pointedly. I can never tell what he is feeling, I realise. He has a switch, where he can just turn off his emotions whenever he wants.

His hair is still wet from being splashed by my water. It sticks to his forehead-some strands even hanging down over his eyes. His jaw is clenched tightly.

"Do you have any idea how mad I am at you right now?"

I swallow. No. But I'm sure he's mad to an extent that's going to mean some form of punishment.

"I don't know what you expect from me," I mutter. He sighs deeply, and runs a hand down his face. Suddenly I can see the angst on his face. It's etched between the faint lines around his eyes.

"I need to tell you the real reason why you're needed," he said deeply. A tremor of fear ran up my body. There are many things that can be considered worse than having to marry Kaden's brother. And I don't think I want to find these things out...

"Here?"

"No, somewhere else."

This makes me frown. What would he need me to do somewhere else?

"Marrying Kace is just a ploy to get your family off our backs. To stop them from finding out why you're really here," Kaden murmured. His voice seemed almost reluctant, like he wished he wasn't saying what he had to. His words though, create a restricting lump in my throat that I can't explain.

"What do I have to do?"

"Someone, not so long ago betrayed my brother," he told me solemnly. He looked into my eyes, daring me to question it.

"And..."

"Her name is Althea."

My heart sinks to my feet again. Coen's mate? Does he want me to kill Coen's mate?

"I can't hurt her...She's Coen's mate," I say instantly. Kaden runs a hand down his face.

"She will not die," he tells me.

The look on his face tells me he is completely serious. But I can't help but wonder how this Althea girl dug herself a hole so deep. She rejected Coen, but he took it pretty well. At least I think he has. And she tried to kill Kace...

"Then what do you want me to do?" I ask, although a little apprehensively. Kaden rubs his hands together, but not in a way that evil villains do in the movies. In fact, he looks drained and even reluctant.

"Althea is having Landon's child."

My eyes narrow. "And?"

"I think you can guess..." He drags off. A lump forms in my throat, so big, I almost choke. He can't seriously mean what I think he means.

"You want me to kill it?" I growl through clenched teeth. It suddenly feels as if my heart is numb. The thought of killing a child makes me want to throw up, or to cry, but I can't. I won't.

Kaden sighs deeply. "It's the only-"

"This is Kace's idea isn't it? And you don't care, because that's what Vengeance Pack members are like," I say, getting to my feet. Kaden cringes, standing also.