Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 211

Chapter 211

Elena’s POV

I frowned as I ran my fingers over the charred fabric. The gown that Alpha Mason had purchased for me was ruined. The Alpha Ball was tomorrow night, and there was no time to fix it.

“A candle?” I muttered to myself. “I didn’t burn a candle in my room…” I was always extremely careful of candles. My room was filled with books and loose papers from my studies. I had learned years ago not to leave candles unattended after I accidentally lit a rather important textbook on fire when I fell asleep at my desk one night while studying.

Jayne still hadn’t let me live that one down.

Tyler placed his hand on my shoulder. “Accidents happen.”

I nodded, taking the dress and heading upstairs to survey the damage. When I stepped into my room, though, I was surprised to find that all of my paperwork and books were fine. The curtains behind my desk were singed toward the bottom like Lana had said and the air had that awful smell from the synthetic materials in the fabric catching on fire, but everything else was untouched.

I looked down at the ruined dress in my arms. It was completely blackened, like someone had taken a torch to it in the night.

This didn’t make any sense. If my dress, which had been hanging on the closet door right next to my desk, had caught on fire to this degree, then everything on my desk surely would be ash by now.

Curious, I moved over to the desk and picked up the scented candle that was sitting there. If it had been the source of the fire, then that meant I had to have left it lit for two days.

But the wax was hardly burnt down at all. A couple of papers were singed around it, but that was it. The jar wasn’t blackened. The wick wasn’t charred.

“The fire wasn’t started by this candle,” I said, turning toward Lana and Tyler, who were standing in the doorway. “Are you sure this wasn’t intentional?”

Lana lifted her brows. “Are you saying…”

“You’re home!” My father appeared in the doorway. His face fell when he saw the gown in my arms, and he scratched his head. “Ah, about that… I just heard. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. We can get you another gown.”

I shook my head and set the dress on my bed. “It’s fine.” I held the candle out to him. “But I don’t think this was an accident. Why would the dress be the only thing that catches?”

My father glanced at the candle, then gestured toward the window, which was open slightly. “Perhaps a draft blew the flame toward your dress. It was quite windy last night.”

“Was it?” I wracked my brain. Suddenly, I thought about Natasha’s reaction when Mason had purchased the gown for me. Not to mention the fact that she was utterly furious about my very existence. “Are you sure this wasn’t intentional?” I blurted out. “Maybe Natasha-”

“Natasha?” My father cut me off. “Darling, I know you and your stepmother have your differences, but you must be reasonable about this. Natasha was gone all weekend, visiting her family. She’s still gone as we speak.

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Chapter 211

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