Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201

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I had been at it for hours, my neck aching from hunching over the book. So far, I had found nothing of note. I was just about to close the book and call it a night when I flipped to the next chapter and read the title.

“A Case Study in Neurodegeneration.”

Stifling my yawn, I studied the image on the page-a black and white photograph of a woman laying in a hospital bed, hair strewn across the pillow, arms locked down to the bedframe by leather straps. Two doctors were standing over her, one of whom was holding the diodes for an electroshock therapy machine.

“Amy Mueller was just sixteen when her symptoms began,” the blurb underneath the photograph read. “What started as mild convulsions originally linked to epilepsy eventually morphed into something far worse. Miss Mueller began having hallucinations, aura migraines, severe epileptic fits, and even bouts of speaking in tongues. See fig. 1: Miss Mueller is about to undergo her first round of electroshock therapy.”

I grimaced at the thought. The doctors thought that they were doing the right thing. But now we knew that shock therapy often did more harm than good.

“The doctors tried everything,” the book went on. “A priest was even called once to perform an exorcism. Unfortunately, nothing showed results. Miss Mueller eventually passed away from acute head trauma caused during one of her convulsive episodes-she hit her temple on the side of a table and bled out before the nurses found her. It was only during the autopsy that the true source of her pain was discovered: neural damage caused by the rare neurotoxin known as Luna’s Bane.”

“Luna’s bane,” I muttered. I’d heard that name before. Rushing over to my desk, I rifled through the stack of books until I found my dictionary of plants. I flipped to the “L” section, then scanned the page down to the entry on Luna’s Bane.

“Luna’s Bane (Lupis arcanaeus): a rare and dangerous Class-I poisonous plant known for its distinctive tri-leaf structure and purple berries. Generally safe to touch, but if berries are ingested, neural damage may occur. There are currently no known cures for Luna’s Bane poisoning. Luna’s Bane is an invasive species, and experienced herbalists are encouraged to uproot the plant and scorch the local soil in order to prevent further spread.”

“Huh,” I said, dog-earing the page. Luna’s Bane was uncommon in this region, especially near Crescent Hollow, where the soil was colder and rockier. I doubted it was involved with Debbie’s illness, but I wouldn’t completely

rule it out.

That following weekend, Tyler and I returned to Crescent Hollow. To my relief, Kade was away on business when we arrived. Tyler waited in the car while I headed inside to check on Debbie.

I had only made it up the first two steps when Ivy suddenly came running out of the other room with her arms

stretched out wide.

“Mommy!” she exclaimed. As she came closer, I realized that she was holding two dolls. “Will you play with me? Please?”

My jaw clenched. “I’m busy,” I said, gripping the railing a little tighter. “Find someone else to play with you.

Ivy’s face fell, as well as her arms. The dolls now dangled from her suddenly half-limp fingers, and her lower lip began to quiver.

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Chapter 201

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