Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 19

Elowen

The clock in the pack house foyer showed well past midnight when I finally made it home, my nerves still frayed from the evening's disaster. All I wanted was to collapse into my bed and pretend the last few hours hadn't happened—that I hadn't thrown myself at Cassius like some lovesick fool in front of the entire financial district, and that the mate bond wasn't currently giving my psychotic ex-mate a front-row seat to my romantic adventures.

But as I passed Evelyn's room on the way to my own, the sound of animated conversation stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm telling you, it's definitely going to be Cassius," Scarlett's voice carried through the wooden door, full of conviction. "He's perfect for her—gorgeous, successful, and he actually treats her like a human being instead of a possession."

"Oh please," came Evelyn's amused response. "You're thinking with your romantic little heart instead of your brain. The Alpha King has that whole dark, dangerous, 'I'll burn the world down for you' energy. That's irresistible."

*What the hell?*

I pressed my ear closer to the door, hardly believing what I was hearing.

"Besides," Evelyn continued with obvious glee, "you know what they say about wolves with warrior blood. All that aggression and dominance? It translates to incredible performance in bed. The man's probably a absolute beast between the sheets."

"How would you even know that?" Scarlett shot back, and I could practically hear her blushing. "You've never slept with him!"

"Honey, I don't need to test-drive a Ferrari to know it's going to be a wild ride," Evelyn said with a laugh. "Trust me, Alpha Kings don't get their reputation for being gentle lovers."

The sound of coins clinking made my eye twitch. They were actually betting on my love life.

*I cannot believe these two.*

I shoved the door open without knocking, stepping into the cozy room to find my beta and my witch seated around Evelyn's small table, surrounded by snacks and what looked suspiciously like a pile of betting money.

"It's past midnight," I announced, crossing my arms. "What exactly are you two doing instead of sleeping like responsible adults?"

Scarlett shot to her feet so fast she nearly knocked over her chair, her cheeks flaming red. "Elowen! We were just... Evelyn said she couldn't sleep and invited me over to keep her company—"

"Oh, cut the innocent act," Evelyn interrupted, still lounging in her chair with a fox-like grin. "She heard everything anyway. No point pretending we weren't discussing her tragic love triangle."

"Tragic love triangle?" I stared at them in disbelief. "Do you two have any idea how dangerous our situation is right now?"

Scarlett's expression shifted to confusion. "Dangerous? Are we running low on funds again? Because we could always organize more hunting parties to sell meat to the human settlements—"

"It's not about money!" I ran my hands through my hair, trying to figure out how to explain without sounding completely insane.

But Evelyn's grin had turned absolutely wicked, her young face taking on an expression far too knowing for someone barely twenty-five. The effect was deeply unsettling.

"Well well," she purred, patting the chair beside her. "So it finally happened, didn't it?"

Scarlett looked between us like she was watching a tennis match. "What finally happened?"

*I swear this woman is a mind reader.*

*How does she always know everything?* I thought irritably as I reluctantly sat down. *It's like having a parasite that feeds on my private business.*

Evelyn popped a handful of nuts into her mouth, clearly enjoying herself. "If my suspicions are correct, then yes, our situation just became very dangerous indeed. Your dear Alpha King felt everything tonight, didn't he? Through the mate bond?"

"Felt what?" Scarlett was still lost.

"Our beloved Alpha here couldn't resist Cassius's charms," Evelyn explained with wicked delight, clearly enjoying herself as she speculated. "A little kissing, maybe some groping... or did you two skip straight to fucking? Either way, the kind of intimate contact that would hit her mate like a sledgehammer to the chest, especially after that blood exchange strengthened their connection."

"Oh God! You're gross! We just kissed!" I protested, heat flooding my cheeks. "It's not like I threw myself at him on the dance floor!"

"I knew it!" Scarlett clapped her hands together, then immediately looked guilty. "I mean... that's terrible! For the dangerous situation! But also I totally called it with the Cassius bet—"

"Focus, Scarlett," I cut her off sharply. "This isn't a romance novel. If Kaius felt what happened tonight, he knows I'm alive. And if he knows I'm alive..."

"He'll move heaven and earth to find you," Evelyn finished cheerfully. "Destiny is so wonderfully predictable, isn't it?"

I stood up abruptly, my patience finally snapping. "Since you both have so much energy for gossiping at one in the morning, you can put it to better use. Scarlett, get down to the training grounds and run drills with the new recruits."

Scarlett's mouth fell open. "It's one AM!"

"Well, you didn't seem to think it was too late for placing bets on my love life," I said sweetly, crossing my arms. "Besides, moonlight training builds character. If we're about to have an angry Alpha King breathing down our necks, our fighters better be ready."

"But—"

"That's an order from your Alpha," I said, my voice taking on the authority that usually made pack members snap to attention.

Scarlett sighed dramatically but pushed back from the table. "Fine. But if anyone complains about being woken up for midnight combat drills, I'm throwing you under the bus." She shot a pointed look at Evelyn. "This is what I get for listening to your theories about cosmic destiny."

After Scarlett left, muttering about crazy alphas and their unreasonable demands, I turned to face Evelyn. The witch was still sitting at her table, looking far too pleased with herself.

"And you," I said, pointing an accusing finger, "are going to start strengthening our protective barriers tomorrow. If Kaius is going to come looking, I want every magical defense we have operating at maximum capacity."

"Of course, Alpha," Evelyn said with mock solemnity, though her eyes were still dancing with mischief. "Though you know he'll find you eventually, right?"

"Why?" The word came out sharper than I intended.

Evelyn's grin turned mysterious, and she leaned back in her chair with the satisfied air of someone holding the best card in the deck. "I've been doing divination readings about your future for months now. The patterns are quite clear, actually. You're going to be—"

"I don't want to hear it," I interrupted, holding up my hand. "I don't believe in fate or destiny or whatever mystical nonsense you're peddling. My life is my own choice."

"How delightfully naive," Evelyn said with obvious affection. "But the visions don't lie, sweetheart. What's meant to happen will happen, whether you want to hear about it or not."

I glared at her, fighting the urge to demand she finish that sentence. The last thing I needed was some cryptic prophecy messing with my head when I was already dealing with enough supernatural drama.

"Get some sleep, you manipulative fox," I said instead, heading for the door. "And if I catch you gossiping about my personal life again, I'm sending you into the human city to do fortune telling for tourists. See how you like having your mystical abilities turned into a day job."

Evelyn's knowing smile vanished instantly, her amused expression faltering as she realized I wasn't joking.

Satisfied that my threat had finally wiped that smug look off her face, I left her sitting in stunned silence and headed down the hallway toward my room.