The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 128

Freya’s POV

Lucy took a step back, her eyes darting to the door. "That's ridiculous. Everyone knows Miss Brooks is talented. You're just jealous because—"

"Because what? Because I spent years studying design before my family was disgraced? Because I used to sketch ceremonial robes while sitting in Thorne's office?" I moved closer still, my wolf lending me courage I wouldn't normally have around a higher-ranking Beta. "Or because you went through my things and found my designs?"

Lucy's face paled, her scent spiking with alarm. I had hit the mark.

"You have no proof of anything," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

"Don't I?" I pressed, seizing the advantage. "Why are you so concerned about this post, Lucy? Why come directly to me, instead of reporting it to Alpha Thorne? Is it because you're afraid of what might come out if he investigates too closely?"

Lucy's composure cracked further. "You're making dangerous accusations, Riley. Remember your place."

"My place?" I laughed without humor. "I'm already at the bottom, Lucy. I've survived the Wilds with a silver mark burning into my skin. What more can you or anyone else do to me?"

In that moment, I felt a strange power—not the power of rank or status, but the power that comes from having nothing left to lose. Lucy sensed it too, her Beta instincts responding to the shift in our dynamic.

"This conversation is over," she said stiffly, moving toward the door. "Delete that post, Riley. For your own sake."

I blocked her path, my wolf fully alert now. "Answer me one question, Lucy. Did you take pictures of my designs and give them to Kaelin?"

The silence stretched between us, tense and heavy with unspoken truths. Finally, Lucy lifted her chin defiantly.

"So what if I did?" she spat. "Do you think Alpha Thorne doesn't know? Kaelin used your design with his blessing. You're nothing but a flow-away, Riley. A criminal. Kaelin is going to be his mate, the female Alpha of our pack. Her using your pathetic little sketches is an honor you don't deserve."

The confirmation hit me like a physical blow, but something about Lucy's claim didn't sit right. Thorne approved this? Despite everything that had happened between us, the Thorne I knew valued integrity and fairness above all else. Even as the Alpha who'd sentenced me to exile, he'd always followed proper procedure, never bending rules without justification.

Maybe Thorne really hated me to this extent, but without conclusive evidence, I wouldn't believe Lucy.

I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to reveal my suspicion. "An honor? To have my work stolen and claimed by someone else?"

"It's not stealing when no one cares about the original creator," Lucy sneered. "You want to participate in a competition? Dream on. You're a flow-away with a silver mark. You should be grateful you're even allowed to stay at Grey Estate, let alone hope for recognition."

I studied her face carefully. If Thorne truly knew and approved, Lucy would have been more confident, less defensive. She was bluffing, using Thorne's name to shield Kaelin's actions. It was a calculated risk—she knew I wouldn't dare approach Thorne directly to verify her claim.

"Get out," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the rage building inside me.

Lucy's smile was cruel. "What's wrong, Riley? Truth hurts? No one will believe your claims over Kaelin's. That post will be dismissed as jealousy from a rival designer. You have no proof, and even if you did, who would stand up for a disgraced Riley against the future female Alpha of Grey Moon Pack?"

I felt my wolf eyes begin to emerge, a dangerous slip of control. The silver mark on my neck burned as I fought back the change. I couldn't afford to lose control now, not with so much at stake. The memory of what happened three years ago—of being accused of attacking Kaelin, of the silver chains and the exile—was enough to dampen my wolf's fury.

"You don't even dare change," Lucy observed with satisfaction. "You remember what happened last time, don't you? When you 'attacked' Kaelin? One shift, one growl, and you'll be back in silver chains faster than you can howl."

She pushed past me, heading for the door, but paused with her hand on the knob. "Delete that post, Riley. No one will believe you anyway. Alpha Thorne certainly won't take your side against Kaelin's. He never has."

The door closed behind her with a decisive click, leaving me alone with the bitter truth of her words. I sank onto the edge of my bed, my hands trembling with suppressed emotion. Lucy's lie about Thorne still echoed in my mind, but it didn't change the reality of my situation. Whether he knew or not, the outcome would likely be the same—Thorne would never believe me over Kaelin. He never had.

I reached for my tablet, a masochistic curiosity driving me to see how the design theft controversy was unfolding. The anonymous post might have been removed, but it had already sparked a wildfire across pack social networks. #DesignTheft and #MoonCeremonyControversy were trending in Moon Bay, with hundreds of wolves weighing in.

My stomach twisted as I scrolled through the comments:

[This is just jealousy from a no-name designer. Kaelin Brooks is from an elite bloodline—she doesn't need to steal designs.]

[Did you see the comparison images though? The similarities are too precise to be coincidental.]

[Wait, doesn't this style look like those student showcase pieces from Lunar Design Academy? The ones by that Riley girl before her family was disgraced?]

My heart stopped at that comment. Someone had recognized my work, my style. For a brief moment, hope flickered—until I saw the responses:

[You mean the same Riley who attacked Kaelin Brooks three years ago? Seems like she's still obsessed with taking Kaelin down.]

[Probably bitter that Alpha Thorne chose Kaelin over her. Pathetic.]

[I heard that Riley girl is back at Grey Estate, working as a servant. How desperate do you have to be to accuse your Alpha's mate of theft?]

The comments continued, each one twisting the knife deeper. A few voices tried to defend the anonymous designer, pointing out the technical impossibility of two people creating identical patterns independently, but they were quickly drowned out by Kaelin's supporters.

My wolf growled deep within me, rage building with each cruel comment. I threw the tablet aside, pacing the small confines of my room. The silver mark on my neck burned with my suppressed shift, my claws threatening to emerge as I clenched my fists.

"They've taken everything," I whispered, my voice breaking with fury and grief. "The Riley family name, my home, my future." I stopped at the window, staring out at Grey Estate—this beautiful prison where I now lived as little more than a ghost. "Now my designs, my work... it's like every trace of Freya Riley's existence is being swallowed by the Forgotten Wilds."