Alle Kapitel von The Alpha's Vengeful Heiress : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

CHAPTER 22SERA POVI found Tricia in the small sitting room off the main hall that evening, close enough to the study that she'd clearly chosen it on purpose. Kade was at his desk through the open doorway, going over reports, and she'd arranged herself on the chair nearest to him with a cup of tea she wasn't drinking."Dr. Delacroix." She smiled without looking up right away. "I was just telling the Alpha how unusual it is, don't you think, for a man in his position to have gone so long without taking a proper mate. Even a rejected bond usually gets replaced within a year or two. It's practically expected.""Is it?" I forced a smile."Pack law doesn't require celibacy from its Alphas, whatever the circumstances of a broken bond. I'd have thought someone would have caught his eye by now." She finally looked up at me, "Though I suppose it's difficult, when the person managing his household is also the person he's contractually obligated to.""The contract has nothing to do with his per

CHAPTER 24SERA POVWe were loading the vehicle at first light when Tricia came down the front steps already dressed for travel, a single bag over her shoulder like she'd been expecting this exact morning."I'll be joining you," she said.Kade didn't stop what he was doing. "This isn't a Council matter.""Everything at Silvermoon is a Council matter for as long as I'm assigned to observe it. And a trip this significant, taken this suddenly, seems like precisely the kind of thing I was sent here to observe." She adjusted the strap on her shoulder. "Unless there's a reason you'd rather I didn't come.""There are several reasons," Rowan said, appearing at the top of the steps behind her. "None of which are going to matter to you, so I won't waste my breath.""How refreshing. Honesty this early in the morning.""You'll slow us down.""I've survived worse terrain than whatever you're driving into. I assure you, Beta, I won't be the one slowing anyone down.""This isn't a diplomatic tour,"

CHAPTER 26KADE POVRowan closed the office door behind him before he spoke."Alpha," Rowan said. "I've been through the storage logs twice. Whoever tampered with that batch had a key card that logged in at 2:14 this morning. The name on the card is Elin.""The healer who's been on nights all week.""That's what the card says. But Elin was in the eastern ward at 2:14. Six people saw her there, including two patients who are still awake enough to confirm it.""Then someone used her card without her knowing.""That's my read too. Which means whoever did this had access to staff credentials, not just the storage room itself." Rowan's jaw was tight. "This isn't a stranger getting lucky, Alpha. Someone inside this pack cloned or stole a badge, walked into that room, and knew exactly what to dilute and how much to use so it wouldn't be caught on sight.""Could Elin have lost the card. Left it somewhere it could have been copied.""I asked her that myself an hour ago. She says she's never le

CHAPTER 28KADE POV"Get here. Now." My voice rang through the speaker and in a minute, Rowan and the others came rushing in."My Alpha." Rowan bowed as soon as he was in. My back was against the door staring through the window.Kyle was pacing inside of me, breathing heavy."Alpha…" Rowan drawled, staring at the broken mobile phone laying in pieces on the ground."Track the last call from that phone." I turned towards them. "And someone tell me why the tracker is not working?"The guards stared at each other, confusion written across their faces. Of course they had no idea."The tracker is not supposed to stop working, not unless the other person disconnects it herself."I shot a glare at Rowan. "So you are telling me, Sera shut down the tracker herself?" I growled.The other guards flinched but Rowan stood straight. "We will have it checked right away.""Is something wrong?" Tricia showed up from the side of the door."Make up a search party, I want people on that mountain now. And s

CHAPTER 30KADE POVThe mouth of the cave opened onto a narrow ledge, and beyond it, a fire.Four men sat around the flames. Rough clothes, unwashed, the kind of men who slept wherever the night found them. Not one of them held a weapon raised.Sera sat on a flat rock at the center of it all, her knees crossed, a blanket someone had clearly given her draped over her shoulders."You." One of the men pointed at another across the fire. "Go check the traps again. She said the second one's probably sprung.""I already checked it twice.""Check it a third time."The man grumbled and got up, disappearing into the dark without another word of protest.I stood frozen at the cave entrance, my claws still out, a growl still caught somewhere in my throat that no longer had anywhere to go.Sera turned her head and found me there. Something crossed her face, not fear, not relief exactly. Mild surprise, like I'd interrupted something she hadn't finished yet."You took your time."The men around the