Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 113

Kaius

Fortunately—mercifully—we'd reached the dining hall. The moment Evelyn saw the spread of food laid out on the massive table, her attention shifted completely.

"Oh my God, *finally!*" She abandoned us without a backward glance, practically diving toward the nearest platter.

I exhaled in relief. Crisis temporarily averted.

"Wait," I called out as Evelyn reached for a plate. "We're still missing someone."

Right on cue, the door on the opposite side of the hall opened. Faelan entered, dressed in full scholarly robes—the kind with elaborate sleeves and a formal cap that made him look like he'd stepped out of an ancient university. His face was slightly flushed, freckles standing out against his fair skin, and he was adjusting his glasses with an apologetic expression.

"I'm so sorry for being late!" he said, his voice carrying that earnest quality that made it impossible to be angry with him. "I was reading and completely lost track of time. It happens more often than I'd like to admit."

I smiled despite myself. "No worries, Faelan. Let me introduce you—you've met Elowen already, of course. And this is Evelyn, her close friend. She's a witch."

Faelan gave a shy smile and a small bow. "Pleasure to meet you both."

Evelyn's eyes lit up with interest. "So what were you reading that was so absorbing, Faelan? Must've been pretty good to make you forget about food."

Faelan moved to take a seat, his expression turning sheepish. "Well... you'll probably think it's silly. It was a fantasy romance novel. One of those witch romance series, actually." He cleared his throat. "*The Hundredth Time the Witch Didn't Use Magic: A Journey to Capture Love.*"

There was a beat of silence.

Then Evelyn shot to her feet so fast her chair nearly tipped over.

"WHAT?!" She practically shrieked. "You read Celestina Darkweave's work?! Oh my God! Oh my *God!*" She was bouncing now, hands clasped together. "I've been trying to get Scarlett to read that series for *years* and she refuses! She says it's 'too dramatic' and 'unrealistic'!"

Faelan's face transformed. His shy smile became something brighter, more animated. "Well, to be fair to your friend, if you haven't read the five prequels, the main series is nearly incomprehensible. The world-building is too dense without that foundation. You need to understand why the protagonist lost her ability to cast spells whenever her heart rate exceeds 120 beats per minute—"

"EXACTLY!" Evelyn slammed her hands on the table. "You can't just jump into book six! The curse originated from her accidentally binding her magic to her anxiety levels!"

"And honestly," Faelan continued, leaning forward, "book two drags when she's learning meditation, but it explains why books three through five work—when she starts meeting suitors in stressful situations."

Evelyn looked like she might cry with joy. "Book two explains everything! Like how getting nervous around someone attractive literally shuts down her powers—remember attempt thirty-seven? The dragon shifter?"

"The one where his barrel roll made her magic explode and set his tail on fire mid-air?" Faelan was grinning. "They crash-landed in a lake!"

"My favorite is attempt sixty-three—the shadow mage in complete darkness," Evelyn cackled. "She stayed calm because she couldn't see him, conjured a perfect starlight display—"

"Wait," Faelan's expression suddenly became vulnerable. "You... you don't think it's stupid that I read these? Most people say only witches enjoy this genre."

Evelyn waved her hand dismissively. "Well! That's not a problem at all! Honestly, I prefer these books *not* being too mainstream. You know what happens when things get popular? Authors start pandering to the masses and ruin everything."

Faelan's eyes widened. "Wow! Exactly! You really have insight into this!"

Evelyn leaned forward conspiratorially. "So... have you read any of the witch *erotic* novels?"

Faelan's face turned red, but after a moment, he cleared his throat. "I... okay, I won't lie. I love *Barbara's Diary*. God, I know it's embarrassing to admit, but the sex scenes are incredibly well-written!"

"WOW!" Evelyn's eyes lit up with delight. "I thought you'd never admit it! Do you have any idea how many Alphas that omega Barbara slept with in that series? The count is *astronomical*!"

Faelan laughed, relaxing now. "Twenty-seven by book three! And each one more creative than the last!"

"The threesome scene with the twin Alphas!" Evelyn was grinning wickedly now.

"The one in the library!" Faelan covered his face. "I can't believe we're discussing this!"

I turned to Elowen slowly, my eyes wide.

"God," I whispered. "What is happening right now?"

Elowen was staring at the two of them, her expression somewhere between amazed and concerned. She leaned closer to me, her voice equally quiet. "I have *never* seen Evelyn light up like this. She's usually so sarcastic about everything."

"I never thought anyone could have an actual conversation with Faelan," I murmured back. "He's brilliant but he usually just rambles at people until they make excuses to leave."

Elowen's lips twitched. "They're like... finding their soulmates. But for terrible romance novels."

"Should we be worried?"

"I don't know," Elowen said slowly, watching as Evelyn pulled out what appeared to be a dog-eared copy of another book from her bag—*where had she been keeping that?*—and Faelan gasped with recognition. "Whatever's happening right now..."

She paused, then shrugged.

"Let's just... let it happen."