Alpha's STOLEN Mate Chapter 95

Elowen

I'd been pacing my office for what felt like hours, wearing a path in the wooden floorboards. Not because of pack business—the reports and requests sat ignored on my desk. No, my mind was occupied by far more complicated matters.

Kaius. The bond. That horrific night of feeling everything through our connection.

And now... Frost. His inexplicable devotion, his willingness to die for me, the way he looked at me like I hung the fucking moon.

*This is a disaster.*

The worst part? I couldn't even talk about it. Scarlett was still nursing her own wounds from Frost's abandonment. The last thing she needed to hear was that her former mate might have feelings for her best friend.

*God, what a mess.*

"Elowen, for the love of the Moon Goddess!" Evelyn burst through the door without knocking, her fox-like eyes immediately seeing through me. "You cannot keep doing this! Locking yourself in here is just letting all that emotional garbage pile up until you explode!"

I stopped pacing and glared at her. "Where exactly am I supposed to go? It's all mountains and forests out there! I've seen every tree in a fifty-mile radius. I'm sick of nature!"

"So dramatic." Evelyn leaned against my desk with that infuriating smirk. "Besides, who says you have to go alone? I could come with you."

"To stare at more trees?"

"God, no! To the human world, obviously!" Her eyes lit up with mischief. "Skyscrapers! Crowds! Beautiful people everywhere! I guarantee once we're surrounded by all that delicious chaos, you'll forget about your problems here."

I felt a spark of genuine interest. The human world *did* have its advantages—particularly in the "stimulating dopamine" department. Clubs, restaurants, the anonymity of being just another face in the crowd...

But I knew Evelyn too well.

I stepped closer, studying her face. "You're the one who's bored out of your mind, aren't you? You just want an excuse to escape."

Evelyn's smile widened, completely unrepentant. "Well, yeah! But at least you'd have company. Win-win!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Fine! Let me tell Scarlett we're leaving."

Evelyn's expression shifted subtly—a knowing look that made my stomach drop. "Really? You're going to have a few drinks with her and casually mention how fond her ex-mate is of you?"

*Fuck.* Nothing escaped this witch.

I grimaced. "Point taken."

I opened a mindlink to Scarlett instead, trying to sound casual. *Hey, I'm taking Evelyn out for a bit. You're in charge of pack security while we're gone.*

*Out where?* Scarlett's curiosity came through clearly.

*Just... helping Evelyn adjust to human society!* I cringed at how unconvincing that sounded even in my own mind.

*Adjust? To what?*

*Well, we can't stay in these mountains forever, right?* I scrambled for a plausible excuse. *Eventually we might want to establish territory in human cities—buy property, blend in better. So I'm taking Evelyn to... scout locations. Get her acclimated.*

There was a long pause. *Okay... if you say so.*

*Thanks! You're the best!*

I cut the connection before she could ask more questions.

Evelyn was already grinning. "Smooth. Very believable."

"Shut up and get changed. We're leaving before I change my mind."

---

Twenty minutes later, we were both dressed in our best human-world clothes—tight jeans, fashionable tops that showed just enough skin to fit in without standing out. I fired up my motorcycle, the engine roaring to life with a satisfying rumble.

Evelyn climbed on behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Let's go find some trouble!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," I muttered, but I was smiling as we tore down the road toward the city.

The transition from wilderness to civilization always felt jarring. Trees and mountains gradually gave way to gas stations, then suburbs, then finally the towering glass and steel of the urban center. The noise, the lights, the sheer *energy* of thousands of humans living their complex lives—it hit like a drug.

We parked the bike and dove into the crowded streets, letting ourselves be swallowed by the sea of humanity.

Evelyn was practically vibrating with excitement, her head swiveling to take in every attractive man we passed. And there were a *lot* of them—the city seemed to specialize in producing gorgeous specimens of masculinity.

"Seriously," Evelyn said, linking her arm through mine as we window-shopped. "How did you work here for months without finding at least one guy to hook up with? I'm not saying boyfriend material—just a nice, uncomplicated fuck buddy!"

I rolled my eyes. "God, if I let you handle my love life, I'd be broke and heartbroken within a week. You'd fall for every sweet-talking con artist in the city."

"I'm being practical!" She protested. "Look—" She pointed ahead to a man who looked like he'd stepped out of a fitness magazine. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair styled perfectly and an athletic build evident even through his clothes. "Check him out. Look at those shoulders! And his waist—so narrow compared to his chest! And that *ass*!" She sighed dreamily. "Imagine having him wrap those arms around you, calling you 'baby' in that deep voice..." She shot me a sly look. "You really think you'd still be mooning over Kaius?"

Against my will, I found myself actually evaluating the guy. And Evelyn wasn't wrong—he was objectively stunning. Perfect proportions, confident stride, the kind of face that belonged on billboards.

As if sensing our attention, the man turned and looked directly at us.

*Oh fuck.*

Our eyes met, and I swear electricity crackled in the air. He smiled—not a polite acknowledgment, but a slow, devastating smile that promised all sorts of interesting things. His eyes literally sparkled with interest as he held my gaze.

I panicked and grabbed Evelyn's arm, practically dragging her away. My cheeks were burning.

"Did you see that?!" Evelyn squealed once we'd put some distance between us. "He was totally into you!"

"He was just being friendly," I mumbled, but my heart was racing.

*Why did he remind me of...?*

And then it hit me. The man had been a perfect blend—Frost's gentle, warm eyes and refined features combined with Kaius's commanding presence and powerful build. Like someone had taken my two biggest sources of confusion and merged them into one devastatingly attractive package.

*Fuck my life.*

Evelyn noticed my expression. "What's wrong? You looked like you saw a ghost."

"Nothing. I just—" I shook my head. "Never mind."

"You know what your problem is?" Evelyn started to say, but then she froze mid-sentence, staring at something ahead of us.

I followed her gaze and felt my jaw drop.

The storefront was impossible to miss. **"Adonis After Dark"** proclaimed the glowing neon sign, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling posters of impossibly beautiful men in various states of undress. Some wore tuxedos open to reveal sculpted abs. Others posed in strategically placed towels. One was literally oiled up and flexing.

And the doormen—because of course there were doormen—looked like they'd been selected from the same gene pool. All tall, all muscular, all wearing tight black shirts that left nothing to the imagination.

"Well, well, well!" Evelyn's voice was pure delight. "Looks like we found our entertainment for tonight!"

"What?!" My face went nuclear. "This is your idea of 'decompression'?"

"Not mine—*yours*!" She was already pulling me toward the entrance. "You need this way more than I do right now!"

"I am NOT going into a male strip club!"

"Why not? When's the last time you did something fun? Something that didn't involve life-or-death situations or heartbreak?" She stopped pulling and turned to face me seriously. "Elowen, you've been through hell lately. Your mate betrayed you. Your heart is torn between two impossible men. You deserve one night of mindless, shameless objectification of attractive males who are literally paid to make you feel good."

When she put it like that...

"I hate that you make sense sometimes," I grumbled.

Evelyn's grin returned full force. "That's the spirit! Come on, let's see what Adonis has to offer after dark."