Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 37

Elowen

True to his word, fresh food arrived within minutes of Kaius's departure. I glared at the tray like it had personally offended me, my anger still burning hot from our confrontation. The ceramic shards from my earlier projectile glittered on the floor, mixed with splattered remnants of the meal I'd hurled at his arrogant head.

*Bastard thinks he can threaten me into submission.*

But as much as I hated to admit it, my body desperately needed fuel. I grabbed the new bowl with violent determination, shoveling food into my mouth with aggressive efficiency. Each bite was an act of rebellion against his control—I wasn't eating because he'd ordered me to, I was eating to regain strength for my inevitable escape.

*Eat to fight. Eat to run. Eat to get the hell away from this psychotic mate.*

The taste barely registered as I wolfed down bread, soup, even the fruit that had been carefully arranged on the side. My body craved nutrition after the ordeal of wolfsbane poisoning and Alpha aura assault.

But with each bite, I could feel my traitorous lips tingling with the memory of his kiss. The way he'd claimed my mouth with such possessive hunger, the way my body had responded despite every rational thought screaming in protest.

*Fucking mate bond,* I thought furiously, touching my lips before jerking my hand away. *Making me react like some lovesick teenager.*

As I finished the last of the meal, I was amazed to discover how rapidly my strength was returning. The crushing fatigue that had weighed me down was lifting, replaced by familiar vitality coursing through my veins.

"Holy shit!" Nyx's voice suddenly exploded through our mental connection, vibrant and energetic. "I'm back! And feeling fantastic! Kaius really went easy on us this time—that dose of wolfsbane was nowhere near enough to actually hurt me. I'm practically bouncing off the walls in here!"

My jaw dropped. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I hissed under my breath. "He's the enemy! He wants to lock us in this godforsaken castle forever! And you're grateful?"

"Hey, I'm just saying he could have pumped us full of enough poison to keep me dormant for weeks," Nyx replied with obvious amusement. "Instead, I'm already at maybe seventy percent capacity. That's pretty considerate for a supposed tyrant."

"Considerate?" I wanted to scream. "The only reason he's keeping us functional is so he can use us! And if you weren't constantly reacting to his wolf like some horny teenager, maybe our bond wouldn't keep getting stronger every time he touches us!"

Nyx's mental laughter was absolutely infuriating. "Oh, so now it's my fault? You're the one who practically melted when he kissed you! I felt that tongue action, sweetheart. That was all you, not me."

Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered exactly how I'd responded to his assault on my mouth. "That was—that was just biology! Mate bond bullshit!"

"Sure it was," Nyx said with obvious skepticism. "Keep telling yourself that."

Before I could continue our argument, footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. I immediately bristled, crossing my arms defensively.

"Go away!" I shouted toward the door. "I ate your fucking food! Leave me alone!"

But instead of entering, voices began arguing just outside my room.

"I'm sorry, Beta," came a deep, apologetic voice I recognized as Cross, the gamma Kaius had assigned to imprison me. "But I'm afraid without direct orders from the Alpha, I can't allow anyone to see her."

My head snapped up with interest. *Frost!* The one wolf in this entire pack who'd shown any trace of human decency was finally making an appearance.

*Thank God. At least there's one reasonable person in this place.*

But something was different about his scent. It was fainter than before, somehow muted in a way I couldn't quite identify. Before I could analyze it further, Frost's cultured voice drifted through the door.

"Gamma, surely you can see I'm carrying medical supplies? I'm simply here to help our queen recover properly."

"Queen?" Cross sounded uncertain. "But the Alpha King hasn't officially announced her status..."

I could practically hear Frost's patient sigh through the wood. "Gamma, when has the Alpha King ever personally ordered you to guard a woman? When has he ever cared this much about whether someone ate their dinner? Use your brain."

Cross went silent, apparently unable to argue with that logic.

"Good man," Frost continued smoothly. "Now run along. I'll take responsibility for this visit."

I quickly threw myself back into the chair, arranging my posture to look weak and exhausted. No point letting him know how much I'd recovered.

The door opened with a soft click, and Frost stepped inside with that characteristic grace I remembered. His blue eyes swept over me with obvious amusement.

"You can drop the act," he said with a gentle smile, settling a small bag of medical supplies on the table. "I know you're feeling much better."

I straightened slightly, curiosity overriding caution. "Then why did you bring medicine?"

"I wanted an excuse to see you," he replied with disarming honesty. "To have a conversation without Kaius breathing down our necks."

The simple sincerity in his voice caught me off guard.

"And to check on your recovery properly," he continued, settling into the chair across from me with the practiced ease of someone conducting a medical assessment. "Based on what I know about white wolf physiology, neither that level of wolfsbane nor Alpha aura should have caused you lasting harm. By my calculations, you should be operating at about fifty percent capacity by now."

I couldn't help smiling at his assessment. "You know fifty percent capacity for a white wolf is still considerable power. Aren't you worried I'll escape?"

Frost leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed despite the implied threat. "I believe Kaius's methods are too direct, too forceful. You can't cage someone who doesn't want to be caged. Only wolves who choose to stay will remain here permanently."

His insight impressed me more than I cared to admit. Here was someone who actually understood the fundamental flaw in his Alpha's approach.

"You're perceptive," I said, studying his face with new interest. "But understanding the problem doesn't change the facts. I will never willingly join this pack."

Frost met my gaze steadily, his blue eyes holding depths of knowledge and something that looked like genuine sadness.

"But you are exactly the queen we need most," he said quietly. "Not just for our pack, but for this entire kingdom. The territories are fracturing, wars are escalating, and wolves are suffering everywhere. A leader like you could change everything."

Despite my determination to resist his words, something in his tone made me pause. He wasn't trying to manipulate me—he was sharing a truth he genuinely believed.

"Well," I said finally, "that's very moving and noble of you to say. But unfortunately, I can't be what you need me to be."

As I spoke, something about his mannerisms was nagging at me. The way he held himself, the particular quality of his voice, the subtle elegance in his movements... But most importantly, those same distinctive pupils.

*Even the strongest transformation drugs can't change a person's pupils,* I thought, remembering something the witch had once mentioned.

*Wait.*

Recognition hit me like lightning. I shot to my feet, staring at him with dawning realization.

Frost stood as well, a pleased smile spreading across his features. "Guilty as charged. I'm the one who helped you land that lucrative contract. I'm the one who made sure your pack could afford medical supplies, food, everything you needed."

The admission left me reeling.

"And the kidnapping?" I demanded.

Frost's expression grew more serious. "That was entirely Kaius's... creative solution. I disagreed with his methods, but his ultimate goal aligns with mine." His voice gained intensity. "Our pack needs you, Elowen. This kingdom needs you. More desperately than you realize."

I could hear the sincerity in his words, see the genuine belief in his eyes. But it only made me angrier.

*So now that I'm a white wolf, suddenly I'm indispensable? Where was this desperation when I couldn't shift?*

I crossed my arms defensively. "That's your problem, Frost. You helped me tremendously, and you can absolutely be a friend to my pack. But staying here? Becoming your queen? Absolutely not. I have my own wolves to protect."

Disappointment flickered across his features, but before he could respond, he suddenly cocked his head as if listening to something I couldn't hear. A rueful smile crossed his face.

"Our Alpha King is mind-linking me," he said with obvious amusement. "Ordering me to stop interfering. He says he has his own methods for handling you." Frost shook his head. "Stubborn man."

He moved toward the door, pausing to look back at me one final time. "I hope you'll reconsider, Elowen. For all our sakes."