Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 107

Elowen

The past few days had been a blur of strategy sessions and grim revelations. Kaius had practically locked himself away with that new Chief Elder—the bookish one who seemed to know every dark corner of witchcraft history. I'd catch glimpses of them through the study windows, heads bent over ancient texts, mapping out weaknesses, tracing bloodlines of enemy covens. It was clear what Kaius was planning: a direct confrontation. No more playing defense.

But the news kept getting worse.

Every day brought fresh reports of missing wolves. And not just any wolves—these weren't the weak or careless. Strong warriors were vanishing. Seasoned fighters. Even Alphas, leaders who should have been nearly impossible to take down, were disappearing without a trace.

I pushed open the door to Kaius's office, catching the tail end of the Elder's departure. The old man nodded at me, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and worry, before shuffling out. Kaius looked up from his desk, and for just a moment, his expression softened.

"Elowen, I was wondering when you'd—"

A sharp knock interrupted him. Another messenger. God, how many was that this week? Ten? Fifteen?

The young wolf entered, practically vibrating with anxiety. He gave Kaius the formal salute, fist to chest, but his hand trembled. "Alpha King, I bring urgent news from the Shadowpine Pack."

Kaius's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath his stubbled cheek. "Go on."

"Our Alpha... and our Beta... they've both gone missing, sir. Vanished three nights ago."

I watched Kaius's fingers curl into fists on the desktop, his knuckles going white. A low growl built in his chest. "God!" He slammed his palm down, making the messenger jump. "Are you all in on this together? What is it with you pack messengers flooding in here these past two days with nothing but catastrophic news? Can't I get a single moment of peace? I'm *trying* to find a solution here!"

"That's because all these catastrophes are happening simultaneously," I cut in, unable to stay silent. My voice came out sharper than intended. "But what I want to know is how the hell they're managing to capture so many powerful wolves so quickly. What's their method?"

The messenger scratched his head nervously, clearly uncomfortable being caught between an irritated Alpha King and his equally frustrated mate. "That's... that's what we're all trying to figure out, queen. But according to witnesses, our Alpha and Beta were investigating something in the northern mountains. There were reports of a golden wolf—massive, incredibly powerful. They went to track it and..." He swallowed hard. "They never came back."

*Fuck.* My stomach dropped. A golden wolf. Kaius's father.

I couldn't stop myself. "Jesus Christ, this is all because of—"

But I caught myself before saying too much in front of the messenger. Kaius's expression had transformed in a heartbeat—shock flickering across his features before his face went dangerously dark, like storm clouds rolling in.

"So it's not just my war anymore," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "Packs large and small are being systematically targeted. At this rate, our entire society will collapse into chaos within weeks." He fixed the messenger with a hard stare. "Go wait in the guest quarters. There are about a dozen other messengers already there. When I've made my decision, I'll address all of you at once."

The young wolf bowed quickly and fled, clearly relieved to escape the suffocating tension in the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, I crossed to Kaius, placing my hand on his rigid shoulder. "Don't blame yourself for this. The old Alpha King—he's being controlled. He's not choosing to do these things. Once you find a way to counter the witch, once we figure out how to break her hold on him, we can—"

"Stop." Kaius's voice cut through my words like ice. "The situation is deteriorating too rapidly. I'm starting to question whether saving him is even the right move anymore. Maybe... maybe there's another way to stop him."

The implication hung in the air between us, sharp and horrible. He was considering killing his own father.

But beneath that cold pragmatism, I could hear the crack in his voice, see the pain lurking behind those steel-gray eyes. He wanted to save his father. God, he wanted it so badly it was eating him alive.

Kaius exhaled heavily, dragging a hand through his dark hair. "I need to consolidate our forces. Make everyone understand exactly what we're facing. I'm calling an Alpha Assembly."

I nodded slowly. "At least then everyone will know what's really happening. What we're up against."

"Exactly." He moved to the door, calling for one of his lieutenants. When the man appeared, Kaius's orders were crisp and clear. "Send word to all the messengers. Three days from now, every pack sends their Alpha to the Royal Grounds for emergency assembly. If they don't have an Alpha, their highest-ranking Beta attends. No exceptions."

That was good. At least we'd have some kind of united front. But as the lieutenant hurried off to relay the message, something else tugged at my conscience. I hadn't been back to my own pack in days. Sure, no one had reached out through the mindlink with emergencies, but that didn't mean everything was fine. And I was still their Alpha, regardless of whatever was developing between Kaius and me.

"Kaius," I started carefully, watching his profile as he stared out the window. "I know you need support right now, but I think I need to go back. To my pack. I need to make sure they're—"

"Of course you do." He turned to face me, and his expression had softened again, understanding replacing the earlier fury. "You should go, Elowen. Your pack needs their Alpha, especially now. If anything happens, anything at all, you mindlink me immediately." His gaze held mine, intense and sincere. "Those wolves—your pack members—they mean everything to you. And I need you to believe me when I say they've come to mean a great deal to me as well."

Something warm bloomed in my chest at his words. It was rare to see Kaius so openly vulnerable, so honest about his feelings. No possessive demands, no orders to stay. Just genuine care.

A mischievous impulse seized me—probably the stress making me reckless. I gave him a small smile, deliberately casual. "Well, then. I guess this is goodbye for now. Thanks for, you know, everything these past few days." I turned toward the door, adding with false lightness, "Who knows when we'll see each other again. Could be a while, so—"

I didn't get two steps before his hands were on me, one arm wrapping around my waist and spinning me back against his chest. His other hand cupped my jaw, tilting my face up to meet his blazing stare.

"Don't you *dare*." His voice was low, almost a growl, but I could hear the genuine worry underneath. "Don't even joke about really leaving me. Promise me, Elowen. Three days—you'll be back here, by my side, for the Assembly."

My breath caught. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off him, could see the flecks of silver in his gray eyes. "For the Assembly? Of course I'll be there. I'll attend as the Alpha of my pack, representing my—"

"No." His grip tightened, not painfully but possessively, and a dangerous smile curved his lips. "You'll attend as my Queen."