Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 54

Elowen

The town square was nearly empty at this early hour, morning mist still clinging to the old fountain as I waited for Evelyn. When she finally appeared, shuffling toward me with obvious reluctance, I could tell this was going to be an uphill battle.

"I can't believe you're dragging me out here," she grumbled, pulling her jacket tighter. "Do you have any idea how busy I am? I've got three different scrying bowls that need cleaning, my crystal collection is completely out of alignment, and don't even get me started on the herb garden—the wolfsbane is trying to strangle the nightshade again."

I bit back a laugh at her ridiculous complaints. "Come on, don't be lazy. Scarlett needs to guard the pack, and I can't do this alone. I need backup, and your magic might be useful."

"But I hate walking," she whined dramatically. "My feet weren't made for hiking through forests and climbing over rocks—"

I pulled out the bag of premium chocolates and imported pastries I'd picked up specifically for this moment. "I brought snacks."

Evelyn's protests died mid-sentence, her eyes fixing on the treats with obvious interest.

"Still," she said, though less conviction, "my poor delicate feet really can't handle—"

"Wait here," I said with a grin, jogging toward the alley where I'd hidden my surprise.

The crimson motorcycle roared to life as I kicked it into gear, its engine purring with barely restrained power. I'd been saving this beauty for a special occasion, and rescuing our missing pack members definitely qualified.

Evelyn's jaw dropped as I pulled up beside her. "Holy shit! Is that yours?"

"Want to find out how fast it goes?" I asked, tossing her a helmet.

"I've been dying to try one of these!" she exclaimed, all her earlier complaints forgotten as she swung her leg over the seat behind me.

We tore out of town like a shot, the motorcycle eating up miles of rough terrain with ease. Rocky hills and scattered boulders flashed past as we headed toward the forest boundary, wind whipping our hair despite the helmets.

At the border of our territory, Evelyn dismounted and placed her palms against the invisible barrier. Ancient words flowed from her lips, and suddenly the protective barrier dissolved. The illusory forest gradually revealed itself, showing a stretch of wild woodland beyond with a clear path leading toward the mysterious cave.

"This bike is incredible!" Evelyn shouted over the engine noise as we plunged deeper into the woods. "I'm so glad you convinced me to come, even if I'm getting really bad vibes about this whole mission!"

My hands tightened on the handlebars. "Don't you dare jinx us! You know your bad feelings aren't like normal people's bad feelings—yours actually come true!"

"Hey, I can't help having prophetic anxiety!" she protested. "You think I enjoy knowing when disaster is coming?"

We were maybe halfway to the cave when a familiar scent hit me like a physical blow. My heart rate spiked as I recognized the sandalwood and pine mixture that meant only one thing.

"Shit! He's coming this way!"

"The rogue wolves?" Evelyn tensed behind me.

"No, Kaius. He's heading straight for us." My voice tightened with urgency. "We need to get back to the pack before he finds us!"

"Oh, wonderful," Evelyn laughed behind me, completely unfazed. "Your mate shows up at the perfect time. You know I didn't really want to investigate some mysterious cave today anyway!"

*Fuck! That bastard!* My mind raced with frustration. *Always ruining my plans! How the hell did he track me from human society all the way into werewolf territory?* I gritted my teeth. *No way. I have to lose him!*

"Hold on tight!" I called, gunning the engine.

"What? Why are we—OH FUCK!"

The motorcycle leaped forward like a bullet, eating up distance as I tried to outrun the massive black wolf I could sense gaining on us through the underbrush. Part of me was impressed by his speed, but mostly I was annoyed by his persistence.

*Want to race? Let's race.*

I opened the throttle completely, the bike's engine screaming as we tore through the forest. Trees became a green blur, rocks and roots threatening to send us flying, but somehow we stayed upright.

Just as I thought we might actually reach pack territory safely, another scent hit me—stronger and more wrong than anything I'd ever encountered.

*Fuck. They're everywhere.*

The artificial wolves had multiplied again, and this time they were different. Stronger, more sophisticated, their magical signatures practically burning the air. Worse, they were arranged in a search pattern around our territory, systematically hunting for something.

*Or someone.*

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, yanking the handlebars to send us down a barely visible deer path.

"What's wrong?" Evelyn shouted.

"The enhanced wolves are surrounding our territory. If they spot us—"

"My bad feelings are getting worse!" she interrupted. "Someone's going to die today, Elowen! I can feel it!"

*Great.* Prophetic doom on top of supernatural hunters and a psychotic Alpha King chasing us through the woods. Just another normal day in my life.

I managed to find a route that avoided the search parties, but it meant taking us deeper into dense forest where the motorcycle could barely navigate the terrain. Branches whipped at our helmets and legs as we crashed through undergrowth, the engine's roar definitely announcing our presence to anything within miles.

Just as Evelyn was preparing to open our territorial barrier, Kaius's massive wolf form came crashing through the treeline and landed directly in front of our bike.

I slammed on the brakes, barely avoiding a collision as he shifted back to human form with that casual arrogance I'd come to hate.

"Elowen! I knew it was you!" he called, his eyes lighting up with recognition, somehow with his clothing perfectly intact. "I was just coming to try my luck, but I actually found you! God, do you know I spent all last night thinking about what you said? Actually, I need to tell you—"

"God, not now!" I interrupted desperately as the sound of approaching footsteps and breaking branches announced that our pursuers were closing in fast behind us.

"The illusory forest won't hold for long!" Evelyn warned urgently. "They've seen through the illusion now—they'll find our location very quickly. We need to get inside the pack territory NOW!"

I stared at Kaius in complete disbelief. Here we were, about to be overrun by magically enhanced killing machines, and he was acting like this was some casual encounter in a park.

"I hate saying this," I snarled through gritted teeth, "but FUCK! Just follow me!"

His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn't argue as Evelyn's magic opened a shimmering doorway in the air.

All three of us dove through the barrier just as inhuman howls erupted from the forest behind us. The magical doorway snapped shut with an almost audible sigh of relief, leaving us safe within our territorial boundaries.

*For now.*