Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 193

Chapter 193

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Kade’s shoulders slumped slightly in defeat, but he nodded. “Whatever it takes,” he muttered.

Behind him, Serena scoffed from where she’d been leaning against the door with her arms so tightly folded across her chest that it looked like her breasts were on the verge of popping.

“I told you, Kade, she’s a total conwoman. She has no ‘healing abilities’. She’s playing you, drawing this scheme of hers out as long as possible until she gets what she wants.”

“And what do I want, Serena?” I asked. I clenched my fists in my lap and resisted the urge to bring up the child. The replacement.

Serena didn’t seem to have an answer for that, judging from the way her lips twisted together.

Satisfied, I stood, smoothing down my shirt and reaching for my bag. “I’ll return to Nightshade immediately. I want to get started on my research as soon as possible.”

“Didn’t you see the forecast?” Kade gestured to the window. “A snowstorm is coming.”

I followed his finger to see that, indeed, frost had already begun to spiderweb across the windowpanes. Outside, the sky had gone even darker than before, and a chill wind was whipping through the tops of the pine trees and howling through the eaves of the house.

“Oh.” I bit my lip. “I guess I was so caught up that I didn’t notice.”

“You’re welcome to stay here for the night,” Kade said, much to Serena’s chagrin, who looked like her head was about to pop right along with her breasts. “I can have the guest room prepared-”

“No.” I already had no desire to sleep in the same house as the woman who had tried to murder me seven years ago and the man who had killed my infant daughter, but now that I knew that Ivy’s literal replacement was here, I had even less of a desire to do so. “Tyler and I will get a room at the inn.”

“I see.” Kade’s jaw feathered faintly. “One room, I take it?”

“Pardon?”

“Nevermind.” He turned on his heel. “Well, enjoy your stay.”

A little while later, Tyler and I found ourselves standing at the counter of the local tavern-a place that was more nostalgic than I wanted to admit. The space was just as cozy and warm as I remembered, with a fire crackling merrily in the hearth and dim lighting. It was mostly empty right now, what with the storm and all, although there were a few patrons scattered about.

Tyler rented a room for us for the night with two beds. While the innkeeper had the room readied for us, we found a seat at a table in the corner and ordered some dinner-hearty stew and fresh-baked bread for both of us. I ordered a pint of beer, too, needing something to take the edge off after earlier.

“Being back here is bothering you,” Tyler pointed out after several minutes of silence that was punctuated only by my slurping my stew and slamming my mug around. “I can tell.”

I set my mug down with a little more care this time and wiped my mouth with my napkin. “It’s not exactly my favorite place to be these days.”

7/2

Chapter 193

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My brother snorted. “You can say that again.” He dunked his spoon into his bowl and shot me a sidelong glance. “What happened earlier, while you were inside? Anything interesting? Anything I should be… concerned about?”

I hesitated. Technically, everything had gone just swimmingly. No major incidents to note.

But then I thought about that child, and I knew I couldn’t keep it from Tyler. Not from my brother. I had to tell

someone.

“They had a child,” I said.

“I thought we already knew that.”

“We did. But they named her Ivy.”

Tyler’s fingers tightened around his spoon. “What?”

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