Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 140

Kaius

The moment I saw Frost and Evelyn standing before me, frustration crashed through my mind like a tidal wave.

*Fuck.*

Morgath's words from earlier echoed mockingly: *"She'll have companions coming to 'visit' her."*

She'd known. Of course she'd known. That witch anticipated everything, planned for every contingency. This was probably another test—maybe even the final one.

I looked at Frost—his eyes blazing with righteous fury, his body already shifting into his gray wolf form. Then at Evelyn, her expression hardened with determination and calculation.

*You have to leave,* I thought desperately. *You have to get out of here before this goes too far.*

But I couldn't say the words. Couldn't give any sign of what I really wanted.

So instead, I attacked.

I lunged forward with Lycan speed, claws extended. Frost threw himself in front of Evelyn, meeting my assault head-on. Our bodies collided with bone-jarring force, and we began a deadly dance—my claws against his fangs, raw power against desperate courage.

I didn't hold back. Couldn't afford to.

My claws raked across Frost's shoulder, drawing blood. He snarled and bit at my arm, tearing through fur and muscle. I kicked him away, then dove back in, leaving three deep gashes across his flank.

But Frost wasn't backing down. If anything, the pain only made him more reckless, more determined. He fought like a wolf possessed, throwing himself at me again and again with no regard for his own safety. Trading injury for injury. Willing to die if it meant landing one fatal blow.

Blood dripped from his wounds onto my claws. The scent filled my nostrils—familiar, pack, *friend*—and something in my chest twisted painfully.

*This has to stop. I'm going to kill him at this rate.*

I broke away suddenly, putting distance between us. "You're too weak!" I shouted, injecting as much contempt into my voice as I could manage.

Then I launched myself into the air, leaping high above the battlefield. My body coiled, preparing for a devastating downward strike that would—from any observer's perspective—crush Frost completely.

But I was giving them time. Creating an opening. A chance to run.

*Take the hint. Please, just take the fucking hint and run.*

Frost didn't run. Instead, he stood his ground, tilting his head back to snarl at me, his body tensed and ready to meet my attack.

*You stubborn idiot.*

I had no choice. I dove.

At the last possible second, I adjusted my trajectory—just slightly, just enough. My body slammed into the crystalline floor inches away from where Frost stood. The impact shattered the crystal beneath me, sending shards exploding outward in a deadly spray.

But Frost was untouched.

I emerged from the crater, forcing a cold laugh. "Close. So close, Frost." I circled him slowly, predator-like. "But your luck won't hold much longer."

His eyes still held no fear. No hesitation. Just that same burning determination, that same refusal to yield.

*Fuck. My good Beta, can't you sense what I'm actually trying to do here?*

I turned my attention to Evelyn, hoping—praying—that she might be more perceptive than Frost.

Her eyes had a sharp, calculating gleam that made me wonder...

*Well, Evelyn. You're smart. You've figured something out, haven't you? But how do I communicate with you? How do I—*

The crystalline floor suddenly erupted around me.

Shards of crystal shot up from the ground, forming a cage, a dome, a barrier that enclosed me completely. Even the ceiling above was blocked, cutting off my view of everything beyond.

I was trapped in a prison of refracted light.

I tensed, preparing to smash through it—this kind of construct wouldn't hold a Lycan for long—but then I heard footsteps behind me.

Soft. Deliberate. Confident.

I spun around to find Evelyn standing there, having somehow materialized inside the barrier with me. Her expression was knowing, almost amused, and she wore a smile that suggested she'd just solved a very complicated puzzle.

"Kaius," she said softly, her voice carrying a note of triumph. "You've broken free of that crazy bitch's magical control, haven't you? You're trying to save Elowen right now. But you can't let anyone know, so you have to keep playing this stupid puppet role." Her smile widened. "That's why you haven't given Frost a killing blow even once."

Relief flooded through me so intensely I actually staggered.

"Evelyn," I breathed. "Am I really...?"

"This is my illusion barrier," she explained, gesturing at the crystalline walls around us. "Only you and I exist inside it. Time moves so slowly here that in the real world, barely a second will have passed." She stepped closer, her expression serious now. "So you can tell me your plan. I can help you."

A laugh escaped me—part relief, part genuine admiration. "God, Evelyn! You really are a genius!"

"I know," she said simply. "Now talk. Fast."

I gathered my thoughts, speaking rapidly. "I've earned Morgath's trust, but we need to find the power source—the gemstone that sustains this entire realm. Destroying it will collapse everything and free all the corrupted wolves." My voice grew urgent. "But I don't have much time. I need to move quickly before she suspects anything!"

Evelyn's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you can do this alone?"

I nodded firmly. "I have to. If you and the others force your way in now, you'll expose me. All my careful positioning, all the trust I've built—it'll be for nothing." I met her eyes. "And if we can't destroy the gemstone, Morgath's retaliation will be even worse. This is our best chance—maybe our only chance—to end this completely."

She took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. "Alright. I'm betting everything on you, then."

"Thank you."

"But about that gemstone..." Her lips curved into a slight smile. "I'll find a way to tell you where it is."

Before I could respond, the barrier dissolved.

The crystalline walls simply vanished, as if they'd never existed. I was back in my original position—mid-leap, frozen in the exact moment before I'd entered Evelyn's illusion. No time had passed at all.

*Fuck. She's actually that powerful?*

Newfound respect for Evelyn bloomed in my chest. I'd always known she was talented, but this level of skill and precision...

"Frost!" Evelyn's voice rang out, sharp with urgency. "We need to leave! Now! My instincts are screaming that if we stay any longer, we're in serious danger!"

I forced myself back into character, allowing a cruel laugh to rumble from my chest. "Leave? You think I'll let you walk away that easily?"

Right on cue, corrupted wolves began emerging from the shadows—dozens of them, red eyes glowing, waiting for my command.

I gave it. A single gesture, and they surged forward.

Frost seemed to finally understand the gravity of the situation. He grabbed Evelyn, hoisting her onto his back, and began running. I pursued, my pack of corrupted wolves following close behind.

Then Scarlett appeared—materializing from seemingly nowhere to intercept me. Her movements were practiced, defensive, creating space for Frost and Evelyn to escape.

Behind them, a portal was forming. Evelyn's magic, opening their escape route.

I clashed with Scarlett, our battle fierce but brief. She was skilled, but I was a Lycan, and I had a role to maintain.

*I'm sorry for this.*

I hardened my resolve, channeling power into my claws until they became as dense and sharp as iron. In one fluid motion, I raked them across Scarlett's back—not deep enough to be fatal, but more than enough to cause serious injury.

Then I kicked her, sending her flying toward the portal.

She hit the ground hard but recovered quickly, stumbling through the gateway even as blood poured from the wounds on her back.

Frost was still halfway through, his body half-disappeared into the shimmering barrier. I launched myself forward as if trying to stop him, playing my part perfectly.

But he vanished before I could reach him.

The portal sealed shut.

"Fuck!" I roared, letting genuine frustration color my voice. My face was splattered with blood from the fight—a convincing detail that would sell the performance.

Several of Morgath's witches arrived then, their eyes wide as they took in the scene. The blood. The carnage. My feral appearance.

"Beasts will be beasts," one of them muttered, her voice a mixture of fear and disgust. "So violent. So savage. This is exactly why Morgath needs to keep you controlled."

Another witch laughed nervously. "Well, at least they won't dare come back after this! Ha!"

They dispersed gradually, the corrupted wolves following them back to their posts. I waited until everyone had left before allowing myself to relax slightly.

As I turned to leave, something caught my eye—a small, unassuming bracelet lying on the ground near my feet.

*Is this...?*

I bent down, picking it up carefully. *This is Evelyn's clue about finding the gemstone.*

The moment my fingers closed around it, the bracelet reacted. It grew warm, then impossibly hot, then simply... dissolved. Vanished into my skin like water into sand.

I stared at my wrist in confusion—but then I saw it. Runes. Glowing softly just beneath the surface of my fur, forming a perfect circle around my arm. They flared bright for just a second, then faded to invisibility.

But I could still feel them. Pulsing. Waiting.

A smile spread across my Lycan features.

*You brilliant witch.*

I touched my wrist gently, where the invisible runes now resided.

*Now I have a way to find that damned gemstone.*