Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 68

Kaius

As we walked toward the dining hall, Elowen and I naturally fell into step together, leaving a conspicuous space between us for Frost and Scarlett. Evelyn was especially dedicated to this matchmaking scheme, physically herding Scarlett back whenever she tried to drift away from Frost's side.

I watched Frost's expression gradually shift from mortification to composure. He even managed a few brief exchanges with Scarlett—casual observations about the weather, neutral comments about pack security. My heart lifted with cautious optimism.

*That's it, Frost. I know your wolf wants her. Stop fighting what's natural.*

But even as relief washed over me, I caught the subtle wrongness beneath Frost's carefully maintained facade. His smile was too relaxed, too practiced. He kept a deliberate physical distance from Scarlett, as if afraid any accidental touch might trigger something he couldn't control. The avoidance was so calculated it made my chest ache.

*What are you so afraid of?*

We arrived at what I'd assumed would be a private dining room befitting an alpha's hospitality, but instead found ourselves in a massive communal hall filled with pack members eating together. No separate accommodations, no special treatment—just wolves of all ranks sharing space and conversation.

Even more shocking, we had to serve ourselves from a buffet-style setup.

I grabbed a tray with barely concealed disbelief, loading it with what appeared to be simple fare: vegetable stew, roasted chicken that looked suspiciously lean, some kind of grain pilaf, and two pieces of dense brown bread that had clearly seen better days.

Settling across from Elowen, I couldn't resist a jab. "I thought your pack's food situation would be better than this. My omega wolves eat more luxuriously."

Elowen glared at me while aggressively tearing into her bread. "Maybe if you hadn't disrupted my life repeatedly, and if those damn rogue wolves weren't constantly threatening my territory, I'd have better resources! It's not enough—I can barely feed myself properly, let alone the entire pack! We've been rationing supplies for weeks because I can't safely go to human society to earn money!"

I smiled and pushed one of my bread pieces toward her. "Not enough? Here, have mine."

She snatched it without hesitation. "I won't be polite about this—it's my bread now. No point feeding outsiders for free."

Her sharp tongue didn't bother me in the slightest. I was enjoying this too much—the casual banter, the domesticity of sharing food. "About your supply shortage, I can arrange shipments from my territory. We have plenty—premium cuts of venison, smoked salmon, aged cheeses, fresh produce from our southern farms, honey from our apiaries, grain stores that could feed an army..." I let the list flow, painting an increasingly extravagant picture.

But I felt Frost's skeptical gaze boring into the side of my head. My confidence wavered. Our pack's food situation was... adequate. Calling it abundant was generous at best.

Elowen's expression softened into something almost friendly. "If you're actually serious about that, maybe I'll let you stay for dinner too."

I was about to eagerly accept when Frost's boot connected sharply with my shin under the table. The message was clear: *We need to leave as soon as possible.*

I shot him a warning look before turning back to Elowen with renewed enthusiasm. "Of course I'm staying. In fact, I was thinking we should investigate that mysterious cave together. Two alphas are better than one when dealing with unknown magical threats."

Elowen seemed to consider this, her expression thoughtful.

I pressed my advantage with deliberate mischief. "Besides, we still have certain... emotional matters to resolve between our respective parties."

"What emotional matters?" Elowen bristled immediately. "We agreed this is strictly business! We're temporary allies at best!"

I quickly redirected, letting my gaze drift meaningfully toward Frost and Scarlett. Elowen caught my meaning and her irritation transformed into a conspiratorial smile.

"Well," she said slowly, "I suppose you'll need to stay a while then."

Frost had been watching Scarlett's increasingly flustered expression with growing rigidity. Something in his face hardened with determination as he turned to Elowen.

"Actually, I need to—"

"Frost." Elowen's voice dropped into pure alpha command, her presence filling the space with undeniable authority. "Where exactly do you think you're going? Is there something more important than dealing with these enhanced wolves?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I believe you owe Scarlett a conversation. A real one."

The transformation in Frost's expression was painful to witness—determination crumbling into confusion, then freezing into cold detachment. He nodded once, mechanically, and began eating in silence.

Scarlett's face had progressed from embarrassed pink to worried pale. She kept stealing glances at Frost, clearly distressed by his sudden withdrawal.

The table descended into suffocating awkwardness. Everyone focused intently on their food, the scrape of utensils against plates unnaturally loud in the tense silence.

Suddenly Evelyn emerged from whatever mental space she'd been occupying, her face twisted in genuine distress. "God! This vegetable stew tastes like someone used swamp water as a base! And is this chicken or leather? I can't tell anymore!" She prodded at her plate with obvious dismay. "What happened to our usual cook? Did we hire someone's incompetent cousin as a favor?"

I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing, the absurd complaint breaking through the oppressive atmosphere.

"Just eat your food quietly!" Elowen snapped, though I caught the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Stop being so dramatic!"

"Dramatic? I'm being accurate!" Evelyn declared with wounded dignity. "I'm definitely having words with whoever murdered this innocent produce. This is a culinary crime scene!"

"Oh my god," Elowen muttered, but the tension had fractured enough that breathing felt easier.

After we finished the mediocre meal, Elowen started organizing the evening's plans. "Kaius, Frost—go rest and conserve your energy. We'll investigate the cave tonight when it's most visible. The magical energy creates this eerie luminescence after dark that makes the entrance much easier to locate."

I nodded, already looking forward to fighting alongside her. *Finally, a chance to prove my worth. To show her we're stronger together.*

Frost immediately jumped on the opportunity to escape. "I'll help with the investigation. I have experience with magical anomalies."

But Elowen's smile turned sly. "Actually, Frost, dealing with those creatures only requires two alphas. What I need is for you and Scarlett to protect my pack while we're gone. Someone has to maintain security here, and I trust you two to handle any threats."

Frost opened his mouth to protest, but his eyes landed on Scarlett's carefully controlled expression—the way she was trying so hard to look strong despite obvious emotional turmoil.

"You two be careful out there," he finally said quietly.

I couldn't suppress my self-satisfied thoughts. *Perfect! She wants alone time with me! This is brilliant—Frost gets to face his destiny with Scarlett, and I get quality bonding time with my mate. God, how long has it been since Elowen and I were truly alone together? This could be a turning point in our—*

"Don't blame me for being a harbinger of doom," Evelyn interrupted my fantasizing, her voice suddenly serious, "but I'm getting a bad feeling about tonight. Something's going to go wrong. I can't pinpoint who or what exactly, but the premonition is strong."

Elowen's good mood evaporated. "I've already made my decision! Nothing's going to go wrong!"

Evelyn nodded slowly. "You're probably right. With how powerful you've become, I honestly can't imagine any wolf capable of seriously harming you."

"And no wolf can harm me either," I added with supreme confidence. "We'll return victorious with valuable intelligence. Maybe even capture one of those constructs for interrogation."

But even as I spoke, Evelyn's worried expression didn't change. The witch stared into the middle distance, clearly troubled by whatever visions or instincts were bothering her.

*She's just being paranoid,* I told myself firmly. *Two powerful alphas against some magical puppets? We'll be fine.*