Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Elena’s POV

My wolf growled low, hackles rising in preparation for the worst. Without Kade here, I expected a fight. I expected Serena to attack me with another poison-tipped knife, just as she had seven years ago, in an attempt to silence me once and for all.

At the very least, I expected Serena to say something cruel. Her child, the replacement she had with Kade, was calling me “Mommy”, after all. She was doubtlessly angry.

But to my surprise, that hateful look was the only indication of my twin sister’s ire. She didn’t attack me. She didn’t throw any cruel jabs my way. She just snatched up Ivy’s hand and pulled her away, leaving nothing behind but confusion and two discarded dolls on the floor.

“Where are we going?” I heard Ivy ask as they marched down the hall together.

“To your grandparents’ house. We’re staying there for the weekend.”

“Oh. Can I bring my stuffie this time?”

“Bring whatever you want,” Serena replied.

I watched them go, honestly relieved to hear that they would both be out of the house for the weekend. I didn’t want to interact with either of them more than I needed to, which was very little, if at all.

But as I watched Serena pull Ivy away, I couldn’t help but notice something-it was the way that Ivy yanked her hand away from her mother. The way she did it was as if Serena’s touch had burned her. Like she didn’t want to be holding her hand at all.

It was strange, I thought, for a little girl of that age to already be distancing herself from her own mother like that. Usually kids stop wanting to hold their mommy’s hand around ten years old, when they start thinking they’re too “cool” for such things.

But then again, I highly doubted that Serena was the pinnacle of good mothering. She’d probably only ever had the child just to keep Kade locked down and foisted off most of her duties to a nanny. Their relationship was probably quite distant.

Still, the image stuck in my mind as I made my way up the stairs and down the hall to Debbie’s room.

When I approached the familiar floral door, I spotted a note taped to it with my name on it. I took it down and opened it to read the contents.

“Elena- I’ll probably be out on business when you arrive. Make yourself at home, and feel free to use whatever materials you might need. -Kade”

I almost laughed at that. What a far cry from the way things had been seven years ago, when I was a prisoner forced to be followed by a guard at all times. Kade really was desperate to help his sister if he was willing to let his nemesis wander the house unsupervised.

Then again, I supposed that was probably why Ivy was being sent away for the weekend. Couldn’t have me ruining his replacement heir when the first had already been a dud.

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Chapter 202

+25 Bonus

Debbie was resting when I entered her room, which was a relief. It seemed that Kade had taken my advice to heart; the straitjacket was nowhere to be found, although one of her wrists was tied loosely to the bedframe, probably so she couldn’t try to jump out the window or run off.

“Debbie?” I softly called out her name as I approached. She didn’t seem to notice me, and at first I thought she was fully asleep. But upon getting closer, I realized that she was whispering words under her breath that I couldn’t quite make out, her eyes scrunched shut as if trying to block out the world.

Curious, I leaned down and hovered my ear close to her lips so I could hear what she was saying. Most of it was gibberish, but I recognized a few words.

“Help… Too many… Make it… Stop.”

My heart clenched painfully when I heard those words. Kade had hinted to this before, but now I knew for certain that Debbie was reliving her trauma from all those years ago; was that what her mind was like? A constant loop of the worst day of her life?

I sat up and gently pressed my hand to her feverish forehead. My energy soothed her within moments, and she let out a breath that seemed like she’d been holding for some time. To my surprise, her eyes fluttered open, although her eyeballs were rheumy and unfocused.

But it was the word she said next that made my entire body go rigid.

“Samantha.”

My heart came screeching to a halt. “Did you just…?”

“Samantha…”

I was certain of it now; she was saying my name. My name. My old name, the one I hadn’t used in seven years. And despite her cloudy vision, I swore she was looking right at me.

Her moment of clarity seemed to be brief, but it was definitely there. Debbie had recognized me, even if only for a moment. Then, her eyes fluttered shut once more and she drifted off.

I probably should have been worried. Hell, the version of me who existed seven years ago might have left then and there, terrified that Debbie might accidentally out me to Kade.

And yet, as she said my name, I could only feel excitement.

Debbie was still in there, somewhere, even if it was only a small piece of her.

More selfishly, another thought came to mind, too: what if I healed Debbie and she remembered everything from that night all those years ago? What if she could tell Kade what really happened? What if she could finally convince him, after all this time, that it wasn’t me who lured her out into the woods, but rather Serena?

What if she could finally exonerate me?

It felt absurd to even consider, but I couldn’t help it. Despite everything, I didn’t want to live in hiding forever. I didn’t want to have to tiptoe around, always looking over my shoulder, always fearing my true identity getting

out.

I would never be Samantha again, of course. I had left her behind too many years ago to use that name again. But

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Chapter 202

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