Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 72

Elowen

I stormed toward Frost's guest room, fury propelling every step. But when I threw open the door, the room was empty. Bed made, belongings gone—he'd vanished like smoke.

"That fucking coward!" I snarled at the empty space.

"Elowen."

I whirled to find Kaius approaching, looking awkward and uncomfortable as he held up an envelope. "Frost left. He left this letter in my room."

"How the hell did he get through the barrier?" I demanded.

Kaius scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well... Frost has his charms. I'm sure finding a few lovesick she-wolves to tell him how to open it wasn't difficult."

I crossed my arms tightly. "So he uses all that charm on escaping instead of properly facing my beta. Typical."

Kaius held up the letter. "Maybe we should see what he has to say?"

I grabbed it from him and we read together:

*Kaius—*

*We've been away from the pack too long. I'm worried about leaving our territory without proper leadership. I'm returning immediately to handle affairs there and investigate the Elder Matthias situation. You stay with Elowen and continue tracking the rogue wolf threat.*

*Don't worry about me.*

There was a large blank space, then at the bottom, in what looked like hastily added lines:

*I know Elowen will come to my room looking for me. Please convey my sincere apologies to my queen. I cannot face her right now. When the time is right, I will give her a proper explanation.*

I stared at the words, completely baffled. "Fuck! He should be apologizing to his mate, not me! Why am I involved in this?"

The longer I looked at it, the angrier I got. "And this entire letter—not one word about Scarlett! Not one!" I could feel my face flushing with rage. "If my beta sees this, she'll be even more devastated. What the hell is wrong with his brain?"

Kaius was trying not to smile. "I share your frustration. I'd love to drag him back here and demand answers. Find out exactly who he's in love with that's worth risking his life over."

"Even if he loves someone else, he owes Scarlett a proper explanation!" I said hotly. "Running away like this is completely irresponsible!"

"Unless," Kaius said thoughtfully, "he's in love with someone he absolutely shouldn't be."

I looked at him, confused by the implication.

Kaius held up his hands quickly. "I don't mean you. Maybe he fell for your beta's good friend—that witch of yours?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Then he's an idiot throwing away a diamond for a rock. My beta is a hundred times more reliable than Evelyn!"

Kaius chuckled. "Fair point. But I have to say, the way he wrote about you..." He gestured to the letter. "I've never seen him show that kind of deference to anyone. You hold a place in his heart that even I don't occupy. And I'm his Alpha King."

The observation caught me off-guard. I waved it away dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous. He just wants me to be your queen, that's all."

"Well," Kaius said with a small smile, "none of that matters now. We have more important things to deal with."

"The cave," I said immediately.

He nodded. "Tonight, we investigate again."

I frowned. "Technically, you should be leaving today too. I'm not thrilled about continuing to fight alongside you."

Kaius moved closer, his voice dropping to something more intimate. "Can't do that. We're allies now." Before I could react, his arm slid around my waist, pulling me against him. "As long as the enemy threatening you draws breath, I can't leave your side for even a moment."

The ridiculous declaration made me want to push him away, but when I tried, he simply tightened his grip. My body pressed against his solid chest, his strength overwhelming my resistance effortlessly. I found my cheek resting against his shoulder despite myself.

When I stopped struggling, he spoke softly near my ear. "If I help you eliminate the mastermind behind all this... if I help you recover your missing pack members... how will you reward me?"

I didn't answer, but my heart was racing. Unbidden memories of our last encounter flooded back—the heat, the intensity, the way my body had responded to his.

Kaius lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His voice dropped lower, rougher. "Let me have you again. Your body, your pleasure... all of it."

"Fuck off," I managed, but there was no real force behind it. I could feel heat spreading through me, that traitorous bond making my resistance crumble.

His hand moved lower, sliding over my hip to cup my ass. The intimate touch sent electricity through my nervous system.

He kissed me before I could protest, cutting off any objection. It wasn't a kiss of persuasion; it was an invasion, a brutal statement of ownership that stole the air from my lungs. His tongue plunged into my mouth, tasting, claiming, demanding a response I was powerless to deny. That traitorous bond between us ignited, sending waves of liquid fire through my veins.

My resistance crumbled into a single, desperate gasp against his lips. His hand wasn't just cupping my ass anymore; it was squeezing, kneading, lifting me so that my center was pressed hard against the undeniable ridge of his erection. A raw, needy sound was torn from my throat.

"I'm warning you," I said breathlessly, the words a pathetic lie even to my own ears. "Don't you dare—"

His other hand slid down my stomach, a tantalizingly slow journey that ended with his fingers dipping beneath the waistband of my jeans. The intimate touch sent a violent shiver through my entire nervous system. He didn't break the kiss as his knuckles pressed against the thin fabric of my underwear, directly over my most sensitive flesh. I arched into his hand, a choked sob of pleasure escaping me.

He knew. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing.

His fingers began to move, a slow, deliberate pressure that was both a torment and a promise. I could feel the heat, the moisture instantly soaking the flimsy barrier of my panties as my body betrayed every principle I claimed to hold. Coherent thought shattered, replaced by a singular, desperate need. I was melting, unraveling completely under his skilled, merciless touch.

Just as my legs began to tremble, just as I was on the absolute edge of surrendering to a climax right there against his hand, Kaius pulled back.

He released me with obvious reluctance, his breathing slightly uneven, though his eyes held a glint of dark victory.

"Such a shame," he said with a roguish smile, his gaze dropping for a moment to the wet patch his fingers had left on my jeans. "We need to conserve our energy for tonight. But after we return victorious..." His hand trailed away from my body, leaving my skin burning and my core aching with unfulfilled need. "We can celebrate properly."

The sudden withdrawal felt like mockery. My body was still trembling with unfinished need, every nerve ending screaming for release he'd deliberately denied me. The satisfied smirk on his face made it crystal clear—this was intentional. He'd brought me to the edge just to prove he could, just to watch me fall apart in his hands.

Fury ignited through the haze of frustrated desire. He'd used my own body against me, turned my weakness into his weapon.

"Get out!" I snapped, storming past him out of the room.