The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 118

Freya’s POV

My throat went dry. The lie I'd told Mark wouldn't work on Thorne. His Alpha senses were far too acute, and his eyes saw too much. I lowered my gaze to the desk, to the polished surface that reflected the morning light. "Yes."

A beat of silence followed my admission. I could feel his eyes on me, studying, assessing.

"Nothing to ask?" His voice was dangerously soft now, like velvet wrapped around steel.

I raised my eyes to meet his, a small act of defiance that my wolf immediately regretted. "After you and Kaelin complete the binding ritual, when she moves into Grey Estate..." I paused, gathering my courage. "What happens to me?"

Thorne leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "What do you think happens to you?"

"That's not an answer." The words slipped out before I could stop them, sharper than I intended.

His eyes narrowed fractionally. "Mind your tone, Riley."

I swallowed but pressed on. "You know Miss Brooks deeply dislikes me. She's made it very clear. I've already followed your instructions multiple times to avoid her, to stay out of her sight..." I took a deep breath. "What's the point of keeping me here forcibly? Is it so Kaelin can torture me herself?"

Thorne's eyes flashed fully gold now, his wolf rising closer to the surface. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the hardwood floor. "Is that the kind of person you think I am?"

"Isn't it?" I countered, my own anger surprising me. "You repeatedly choose to blindly believe Kaelin, to think I've hurt her, when even a moment's thought would tell you I couldn't possibly do anything to harm her!"

His jaw tightened, muscles rippling beneath the skin. "Watch yourself."

But something had broken loose inside me—some dam of frustration and hurt that could no longer be contained. "From our engagement to her recent fall, not one thing was my doing, but you just... you refuse to believe me!"

Thorne slammed his hands on the desk, the impact sending papers flying. "You dare bring up what happened three years ago?" The desk trembled beneath his hands, his Alpha strength barely contained.

I stood up too, no longer willing to remain seated while he towered over me. "Why shouldn't I? I didn't do what I was accused of doing. I've already been punished for it, so what more do you want from me?"

His eyes were pure wolf now, golden and fierce. "You've been punished? Is that what you think?"

"Yes!" I took a step forward, challenging him in a way my rational mind screamed against. "You and Kaelin just despise me, and so you won't let me leave. You're planning to let Kaelin torment me once you're bound."

Thorne rounded the desk, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His Alpha scent surrounded me, mint and metal and anger. "Since you've put it that way, perhaps I'd be remiss not to live up to your expectations."

Before I could react, he moved with Alpha speed, bending and sweeping me up and over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. I gasped, the air knocked from my lungs as his shoulder dug into my stomach.

"What are you doing? Put me down!" I demanded, my voice strangled by shock and the awkward position.

Thorne didn't respond, his long strides carrying us out of the office and down the hallway. My hair hung down, blood rushing to my head as I tried to struggle against his iron grip. It was useless—his arm was like a steel band around my thighs.

"Thorne! This is ridiculous!" I hissed. I could only imagine how this looked—the Alpha carrying the disgraced Riley girl over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

He turned a corner, and I recognized the hallway leading to the master bedroom. Panic fluttered in my chest. "What are you doing? Let me go!" My struggles intensified, but they were as effective as a butterfly battling a hurricane.

Thorne kicked open the bedroom door and strode inside, slamming it shut behind us with his foot. Without ceremony, he tossed me onto the massive bed, the soft mattress barely cushioning the impact. I scrambled to sit up, my hair a wild tangle around my face, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He stood at the foot of the bed, a towering figure of barely contained rage and something else—something hungry and primal that made my wolf whimper. His golden eyes tracked my every movement as I backed up against the headboard.

"I can let you leave Grey Estate," he said, his voice a low growl that seemed to vibrate through the air. "But you'll have to pay a price. How about it, Riley? Are you willing?"

I froze, his words taking a moment to penetrate my fear. "You... you're serious?"

Something in my expression must have infuriated him further. His eyes flashed brighter, and a rumbling growl escaped his throat. He was on the bed in an instant, capturing my wrists and pinning them above my head with one hand, his body looming over mine.

"You always put on this innocent act," he snarled, his face inches from mine. "Why, Riley?"

Before I could answer, his mouth crashed down on mine, swallowing any response I might have made. The kiss was nothing like I'd imagined in my foolish daydreams years ago. It was angry, punishing, a clash of teeth and tongues that spoke of possession rather than affection.

And yet—God help me—my body responded instantly, arching up into his, my wolf howling in delight at finally being claimed by an Alpha. His free hand tangled in my hair, tugging my head back to deepen the kiss, and I moaned despite myself.

He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his breath hot against my lips. "You destroyed our engagement ceremony," he accused, his voice rough with anger and desire.

"I didn't—" I began, but he silenced me with another bruising kiss, his hand sliding down my body to grip my hip, fingers digging into the flesh.

"Three years later, you show up again," he continued when he finally released my mouth, "looking so damned pitiful, like you'll die if you leave my sight." His hand slid lower, fingers tracing the curve of my thigh through my dress. "What game are you playing?"

My breath came in short gasps, my body betraying me with every touch. "No game," I managed to say. "I've never played games with you."

His laugh was harsh, disbelieving. "No?" His hand slipped under my skirt, palm hot against my bare thigh. "Then why does your body respond to me like this?" His fingers traced higher, and I bit my lip to stifle a moan.

"That's... that's just biology," I gasped, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity even as my body trembled beneath his touch. "Wolves respond to Alphas."

"Is that all it is?" he murmured, his mouth moving to my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin near my collarbone. "Just biology?"

I couldn't answer, not when his hand had reached the edge of my underwear, his fingers teasing along the elastic. My hips bucked involuntarily, seeking more contact, and I heard him chuckle darkly against my skin.

"I could let you leave," he repeated, his voice a silken threat. "But this is the price."