Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

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The Luna pursed her lips, clearly not buying it, but didn’t press the matter further.

“Well. By the time you come out of this bathroom, you’d better be sober and on your best behavior,” she commanded. “I don’t want either of you drinking another drop of alcohol tonight. And if anything else happens- anything-” Her gaze slid over to me again. “I will know who to blame.”

Her implication was clear: she knew that the trouble was really caused by me, even if indirectly. Kade was here because of me. Kade and Tyler had caused a scene because of me. And everything that happened tonight, from the broken plate to the drinking contest, would likely be the talk of the pack come morning. 1

Well, it was almost midnight, anyway. I intended to leave right away, anyway, and lock myself in my room where no one could bother me. So there would certainly be no more drama surrounding me tonight.

“Am I clear?” Natasha whipped her head toward her son again.

Tyler nodded ruefully. “Yes, Mother.”

Satisfied, or at least somewhat, Natasha hmphed and turned on her heel. Her shoes clicked against the marble tiles as she stormed out of the bathroom and let the door slam behind her loud enough to make me jump.

Once we were alone, Tyler drew in a deep breath and turned to me. “I’m sorry. That was my fault.”

I shook my head. “No, it was mine. I shouldn’t have come tonight at all; I knew Kade would find a way to show up anyway, but I was naive. This is why it’s better for me to stay hidden.”

Tyler looked like he wanted to say more, but he sighed and stared at his feet!

“We’ll find a way for you to live peacefully here,” he said quietly. “One way or another. I promise.”

His unwavering kindness never ceased to soften me. I smiled and walked over, dampening my own handkerchief

in the sink and gently dabbing at the stain on his collar. It wouldn’t come out completely, but after a few minutes

of work, it faded to a point where it was unnoticeable unless I was standing very close.

“Just… Don’t cause a scandal at the Alpha Ball for my sake,” I said, poking him in the center of his chest. ” Please?”

Tyler nodded. “I’ll try not to.” He held out his arm. “Are you ready to head back out?”

At that moment, I heard the clock begin to strike in the other room. The crowd began to cheer and applaud as the bells climbed steadily to twelve. It was midnight, which meant I had to leave; I wasn’t going to turn into a pumpkin, but I could already feel my wolf surging, fighting against my efforts to keep her at bay.

I shook my head and smiled wistfully. “I think it’s best if I go back to my room for the rest of the night.”

Tyler furrowed his brow for a moment, confused, then understanding began to dawn on his face. “Right.” He nodded. “Well, you’ll be safe there. I’ll come check on you later and sneak you some wine and snacks.”

“That would be nice,” I said, smiling. With that, we slipped out of the bathroom. Tyler returned to the party, where the wolves had already begun to rush around in search of their mates, and I slipped out through the side exit unnoticed and made my way to my room.

By the time I returned to my room, the howls had begun. Each one echoing through the mansion was like a knife in my chest-a bitter reminder that although my mate may be down there, I could never be with him.

And although my wolf surged desperately, full of anguish that we couldn’t go to Kade, I knew it was for the best. So I carefully slid the deadbolt into place and leaned against the door, shutting out the sounds of a revelry that I

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Chapter 36

Kade’s POV

The clock chimed twelve times. With each toll of the bell, the howls grew in number, the ballroom turning into a cacophony of laughter and shouts and hurried footsteps.

Everyone was finding their mate- or at least, almost everyone.

There were some, of course, whose mates weren’t here tonight. Some who didn’t have a mate at all, by some twist of fate or another. Some who weren’t even looking.

And then there was Kade.

Kade felt the pull of the mate bond stronger than he had in months. It was like an invisible string tied to one of his ribs, tugging him in the direction of the woman he was bound to.

He knew who was on the other end-who shouldn’t have been, but somehow was, and none of it made sense.

It was the young woman who looked too much like Samantha, only a healthier version of her, like Samantha had risen from the grave like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The strange, wide-eyed rogue girl held none of the signs of starvation or abuse that Kade hadn’t noticed for so long. She was supple and healthy, with bright eyes and glowing skin and silky, long hair.

She had easily been the most beautiful woman in attendance tonight, even if her dress had gotten stained, and yet she was also the most infuriating.

It wasn’t just that the girl shouldn’t have been his mate. His mate was dead, buried deep beneath the ground; or so it seemed.

The thing was, Kade had watched them lower her casket himself, had seen her family throw dirt on the wood. But Natasha had said she was alive, here in Nightshade.

Kade couldn’t seem to find any answers.

If Natasha was mistaken, then why did this girl look so much like Samantha? Why was she running from him, if she was supposedly so innocent? Why did she seem to have such a strong connection to the Alpha family of Nightshade if she really was just a rogue who had wandered here?

And most of all, why the hell was she Kade’s mate?

Kade had felt the bond with Samantha before she died. She’d hidden it from him, but he eventually found out the truth. Samantha was his mate, and she was dead. Kade had come to terms with that when he’d seen this girl at the restaurant and saw her healthy body-she wasn’t Samantha.

And yet, somehow, the girl who looked like her spitting image, just with a few minor changes in her features, held the same soul bond in her palms that Kade felt with Samantha.

These thoughts swirled like a storm at sea around Kade’s mind. As he leaned against the bar, watching the crowd surge and couples join together on the dance floor, his fingers tightened around his glass of wine.

Someone was lying to Kade. They’d said this girl was wolfless, and yet-he could feel the bond now, tugging at him from somewhere in this house. She wasn’t wolfless, which meant that she was either deliberately hiding her wolf or something else was going on, and Kade was determined to find out.

“Alpha.” Ajax came to stand beside Kade, holding his own drink. “Is everything alright?”

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