Rebirth of the Alpha's Slave Mate (Samantha and Kade) novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58

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Chapter 58

Elena’s POV

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I was certain Kade could hear it, even muffled by the clothes hanging in the closet.

He had to know I was here. My wolf had emerged from hiding just long enough to soothe Debbie-a moment too long. And now Kade was sniffing the air, no doubt picking up the lingering traces of her scent.

What a fool I had been! I should have focused on finding my baby, but instead I had let myself get distracted by Debbie, and now it was over before it had even begun.

If only I had found my child first, then I would happily face the consequences of my actions, but I hadn’t even gotten a chance to see her, and that made this so much worse.

I had slipped away from the safety of Nightshade on a fool’s mission, against Tyler and Samson’s warnings, nearly been killed and eaten by rogues, and for what? To be caught by Kade, cowering in a closet, before I could even look into my baby’s eyes for the first time?

Ivy.

They had said the name “Ivy” in the dining room earlier. A sweet, beautiful name-a name I would probably never get to call my little one, because the jig was up and Kade was going to lock me up again, or perhaps worse this time.

Perhaps, this time, he would kill me for good. Not just for being the woman he’d suspected me of being, but also for sneaking into his home at night and trying to kidnap his newborn daughter. His heir.

And I wasn’t so sure that the Moon Goddess would bring me back again this time; I was too much of a fool to be

worth the effort.

The seconds that Kade stood there, sniffing the air, felt like an eternity. I held my breath until I was certain I would pass out from lack of oxygen, hand clamped over my mouth to keep from making a noise.

Unfortunately, my foot slipped at one point. I fell back against one of the coats, making the hanger swing on the rack. It didn’t make a sound, but the movement must have caught Kade’s attention because he suddenly whipped his head toward me.

My heart stopped entirely as he stared at the closet.

I was going to be sick.

But… He didn’t walk over. No. He just… stood there for a moment longer, staring at the closet door with a completely indiscernible expression on his face.

Then, as if he had heard nothing more than the wind howling through the eaves of the house, he turned away from the closet and went back to Debbie’s bedside.

I watched through the cracks in the closet door as he bent down and tucked her in, then brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He cupped her cheek tenderly for a moment, studying her, before he turned and left the room.

Only once the door clicked shut behind him did I dare to let a low, quiet breath out. I leaned back against the back wall of the closet, nearly engulfed by the dresses and coats hanging there.

Did Kade really not realize I was here? Was I in the clear?

1/3

Chapter 5A

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I stayed in the closet for a long time, just to be certain. Eventually, Debbie’s breathing evened out and she fell sound asleep. The house went completely quiet after that; everyone had gone to bed.

Kade didn’t return. I didn’t hear any sounds outside Debbie’s door. No alarms going off. No voices. All I heard was the sound of a nightjar chirping in the tree outside the window.

Carefully, I crept out of the closet and over to the door, pressing my ear against the wood. Nothing. Still, I only opened the door the tiniest crack, just enough to peer out into the dark hallway.

Empty.

I poked my head out and looked around with my heart in my throat. No one was there. Kade was gone. The hall was dark and quiet. There wasn’t even so much as a guard on duty.

Odd; I’d always figured Debbie’s room was guarded at night, when everyone was asleep, in case she had an episode. Maybe I was wrong.

I looked around a little, making sure the coast was clear, and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Maybe Kade really had gone to sleep, completely oblivious.

Taking care not to make a sound and to keep my wolf tamped down so that her scent didn’t emerge again, I tiptoed through the halls in search of some kind of nursery. I was too terrified now to check the various rooms in case anyone was behind the doors, so I kept my ears pricked instead for the distinctive sounds of a baby cooing.

Strangely, I didn’t see or hear anyone. I expected to run into a guard patrolling the halls, but I found no one. Did Kade really leave his house so unprotected at night? I had seen guards outside, but not a single one patrolling the halls was uncommon. Even Tyler and Samson had guards on patrol inside the house.

Then, suddenly, I heard it-the sound of a soft lullaby playing on a music box cutting through my thoughts. The serene jingle floated through the air, coming from a door at the end of the hall that was slightly cracked open.

Still careful to be silent, I rushed over and peeked inside. My breath caught, and I had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep from gasping when I saw what was inside.

There was a crib in the middle of the room. Soft lighting in the shapes of stars and moons swirling across the walls. And a little music box playing the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.

This was the nursery. Even from here, I could see a tiny bundle laying in the crib.

If circumstances had been different, I might have leapt for joy. That was my baby! She was alive, and she was here, and no one was stopping me from seeing her! Tears of happiness instantly blurred my vision as I stepped into the room, finding it blissfully empty.

Slowly, almost too slowly, as if afraid to touch her, I walked over to her crib and pushed back the hood of my cloak. The little bundle was perfectly still, tucked into a thick blanket, turned away from me.

I reached out and touched her, turning her onto her back, and…

I stumbled back.

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