The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 103

Freya’s POV

Thirteen years of exile in the Forgotten Wilds.

The words struck me like a physical blow. My own sentence—three years—had nearly destroyed me. Thirteen was a death sentence. No one survived that long in the Wilds.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. The walls of the courtroom closed in around me as Thorne's words echoed in my head. Without thinking, I rose from my seat and pushed past the other observers, fleeing through the doors into the empty hallway.

The corridor spun around me as I gasped for air. My lungs seemed to have forgotten how to work, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. The white birthmark on my neck burned like fire, as if in sympathy with the mark Cole would soon bear.

I made it halfway down the corridor before my legs gave out. I sank to the floor, back against the wall, drawing my knees to my chest. Tears blurred my vision as memories flooded through me—the endless stretches of barren land, the constant hunger, the silver pain always burning at my neck, the nights spent hiding from stronger wolves who saw me as prey.

Thirteen years. No one survived that long. Even three years had nearly killed me.

I don't know how long I sat there, lost in the nightmare of memory, before I heard the courtroom doors open again. Voices spilled out, including one raised in anger.

"This is bullshit!" Cole Raine's voice echoed down the hallway. "You know what she did!"

I looked up to see Cole being led from the courtroom by two guards, Thorne following behind them. Cole's eyes found me huddled against the wall, and his face twisted with hatred.

"You!" he snarled, lunging against his restraints. "This is your fault, Riley! You and your family—traitors, all of you!"

The guards tightened their grip, but Cole continued, his voice rising to a howl.

"I'll find you when I get back! I swear by the moon, I'll hunt you down and finish what should have been done years ago!"

Thorne stepped forward, his presence expanding until it filled the corridor. "Enough," he said, his voice quiet but laced with such dominance that even I felt its weight. "One more word, and I'll add five years to your sentence."

Cole's mouth snapped shut, his wolf instinctively responding to the Alpha command. But his eyes remained fixed on me, burning with promise.

As the guards led him away, Thorne turned toward me. I expected anger or disgust, but instead, his expression held something closer to confusion.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, his head tilting slightly. "Cole was your enemy. You should be pleased with his sentence."

I stared up at him, incredulous. How could he not understand? But of course he couldn't—he had never experienced the horror of exile, the constant fear, the slow death of hope.

"I don't care about him," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I just want to go home. Please, let me go back—anywhere, as far from this place as possible."

I reached out, clutching the hem of his robe—a gesture of submission I'd sworn never to make again. But in that moment, I didn't care about pride. I just needed to escape.

"Please," I repeated, my wolf submitting completely, ears flat, eyes downcast.

Thorne stared down at me, something unreadable flickering across his face. Before he could respond, Terra emerged from the courtroom, her eyes widening when she saw my state.

"What happened?" she asked, hurrying to my side. "Are you okay?"

I nodded weakly, but my scent surely betrayed my lie. Terra turned to Thorne, her expression accusing despite the deference she was required to show.

"Alpha Thorne, perhaps I could take Freya back to my place? She clearly needs rest."

I felt Thorne's energy shift, a wave of possessiveness emanating from him.

"That won't be necessary," he said firmly. "Freya has accommodations at Grey Estate."

"With respect, Alpha," Terra persisted, her courage surprising for a Beta, "she seems traumatized by being here. My apartment is quiet, and she'd be comfortable there."

"It's okay, Terra," I said, my voice barely audible. "I... I have a place to stay."

The lie was obvious—I had no place besides Grey Estate—but I couldn't explain my living arrangement. It would raise too many questions.

"Mark," Thorne called, and his security chief appeared immediately. "Please see that Ms. Thompson gets safely back to the Shadow District."

Terra opened her mouth to protest, but a warning look from Thorne silenced her. She embraced me quickly, whispering, "Call me if you need anything," before allowing Mark to escort her away.

---

Once they were gone, Thorne turned back to me, his expression unreadable. He took my wrist, his grip firm but not painful.

"Come," he said. "We're not finished here."

I didn't resist as he led me down the corridor toward his office, though my pulse raced beneath his fingers. When we arrived, he closed the door behind us and gestured to a small adjoining room.

"The rest area has a couch. You can rest there until I've finished my cases for the day."

I looked at the door longingly. "Can't I just go back to the estate now?"

"No," he said firmly. "I have several more hearings today. You'll wait here."

I didn't have the energy to argue. My shoulders slumped in defeat as I nodded.

"Fine," I said tonelessly. "Whatever you want, Alpha."

I went into the rest area and closed the door behind me. The room was small but comfortable—a couch, a coffee table with magazines, a mini-fridge. In another life, I might have appreciated the luxury. Now, I just curled up on the couch, too emotionally exhausted to even cry anymore.

My neck throbbed where the moon-silver mark had been burned into my skin three years ago. The mark was permanent, a reminder of my exile and the Alpha's judgment. Seeing Cole sentenced to thirteen years had ripped open wounds I thought had scarred over.

I must have dozed off, because I startled awake when the door opened. Thorne stood there, his judge's robe gone, looking more like the Alpha I'd known before my exile.

"It's time to go," he said simply.

I rose mechanically, following him out of the office and through the now-quiet courthouse. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. We'd been here all day.

Thorne's car waited at the curb, Mark holding the door open. I slid into the backseat, Thorne following close behind. As we drove through the city toward Grey Estate, I stared out the window, trying to shut out the memories that had been unleashed today.

"You didn't eat," Thorne said abruptly.

I turned to find him watching me, his expression unreadable. "I wasn't hungry."

"You need to maintain your strength."

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Why? So I can continue to be your prisoner at Grey Estate?"

His eyes narrowed. "You are not a prisoner."

"Then what am I?" I asked, too drained to be cautious. "Not a guest. Not staff. What exactly is my position in your household, Alpha Thorne?"

He didn't answer, his jaw tightening as he looked away. We rode the rest of the way in silence.

As the car pulled through the gates of Grey Estate, I felt a wave of relief. No matter how uncomfortable my position here, at least it wasn't Moon Crescent Court. At least there were no memories of judgment and exile lurking in every corner.

The car stopped at the main entrance, and Mark opened the door. I stepped out, my legs stiff from sitting so long. As I straightened, I caught sight of a figure waiting at the top of the steps.

Kaelin Brooks stood framed in the doorway, her perfect features arranged in an expression of concern.

"Thorne, darling," she called, descending the steps gracefully. "I was so worried when you didn't call."