The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 130

Third POV

Back at the Brooks estate that evening, Kaelin stared at her tablet in growing horror. Far from blowing over, the controversy had exploded. Her statement, posted hours earlier, had seemingly backfired spectacularly.

More designers from Freya's academy days had come forward, posting their own comparisons between Kaelin's winning design and Freya's previous work. Detailed analyses of stitching patterns, fabric choices, and symbolic elements all pointed to one conclusion: the designs were not merely similar—they were identical in all but attribution.

Worse still, the Silverstone Pack had released an official statement:

[In light of recent concerns regarding the originality of designs submitted to our Moon Ceremony Competition, Silverstone Pack will host a special challenge. Both the original anonymous designer and Miss Brooks will be invited to create new works in a controlled environment, with judges present throughout the process. This will allow both parties to demonstrate their authentic design capabilities and resolve the current controversy.]

"No," Kaelin whispered, her hands beginning to shake. "No, no, no..."

The realization crashed over her like ice water. Jasper Stone hadn't been trying to help her—he'd led her into a trap. By encouraging her public denial, he'd guaranteed maximum attention when the follow-up evidence emerged. And now, with this "special challenge," he was forcing her into a position where her lack of design skills would be exposed.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her father: [The controversy is escalating. We must report to Alpha Thorne before he hears it from others.]

Kaelin threw the phone across the room with a shriek of rage. Her fingers began to elongate, nails hardening into claws that tore into the delicate fabric of her bedspread. The moon phase syndrome was taking full hold now, triggered by her emotional state.

"That Stone bastard," she snarled, her voice deepening as her wolf traits emerged. "He planned this. And Riley—she must be behind it all."

Her reflection showed her eyes now fully golden, the human blue completely subsumed by her wolf's gaze. She would make them both pay for this humiliation.

The door to her bedroom swung open, and Edward Brooks strode in, a rare smile lighting his normally stern features.

"Kaelin, I've just heard from our contacts. Silverstone Pack has arranged this new competition, which is perfect—" His words died in his throat as he took in his daughter's appearance: the extended claws, the golden eyes, and the feral expression on her face.

His smile vanished instantly. "What's happened?"

Kaelin turned to him, her breathing labored as she struggled to control her partial transformation. "Stone set me up," she managed to say. "He knew all along. He wanted me to deny everything publicly so he could humiliate me when he revealed the evidence."

Edward's expression darkened as he crossed the room, closing the door firmly behind him. "Evidence?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low. "What evidence could there possibly be if the accusations are false?"

Something in his tone made Kaelin's wolf instincts prickle with warning. She took an involuntary step back, her back pressing against her vanity.

"Father, I—"

"Did you steal those designs?" The words cut through the room like a blade, sharp and unforgiving.

Kaelin's silence spoke volumes.

Edward's face transformed with rage, his own eyes flashing with a Beta's golden glow, not as intense as an Alpha's but formidable nonetheless. "Answer me!" he thundered, the command in his voice making Kaelin flinch.

"I had to win," she whispered, her voice uneven as her wolf traits made speech difficult. "I needed to impress Thorne, to show him I was worthy of being his mate."

"By stealing?" Edward advanced on her, his disbelief palpable. "By risking our family's alliance with the most powerful Alpha in the region? Have you lost your mind?"

Kaelin's legs trembled beneath her, the emotional strain triggering a more severe phase of her condition. She gripped the edge of the vanity for support. "You don't understand," she said, her words slurring slightly as her muscles began to weaken. "Riley was back, and Thorne was spending time with her. I needed to remind him of my value."

Edward ran a hand through his hair, his anger momentarily giving way to shock. "So you took her designs," he stated flatly.

"I didn't take them directly," Kaelin said weakly, her vision beginning to blur at the edges. "Lucy found her sketchbook at Grey Estate and brought the designs to me. I just... improved them. Made them mine."

"Improved them?" Edward's voice rose again. "Do you have any idea what you've done? This could destroy everything our family has built for generations! The Brooks name, our alliance with Grey, your future position—all of it at risk because you couldn't create your own designs?"

Kaelin's knees buckled, and she slid to the floor, her back still against the vanity. The room was spinning now, her moon phase syndrome in full effect, accelerated by the intense emotional confrontation. "Father," she gasped, "my medicine... I need..."

But Edward was too consumed by his fury to notice her deteriorating condition. "Who gave you the right to risk our family's standing like this? To lie not only to the Silverstone Pack but to Alpha Thorne himself? Do you think an Alpha forgives deception from his mate?"

"Please," Kaelin whispered, her limbs growing heavier with each passing second. She tried to reach for the drawer where she kept her emergency medication, but her arms felt like lead. "Can't... move..."

Edward finally registered the severity of her condition. His anger didn't fade, but concern now mingled with it. "Kaelin?" He knelt beside her, noting the unnatural pallor of her skin and the way her golden eyes were dimming, losing focus. "Kaelin, what's happening?"

She couldn't answer. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped forward, unconscious. The stress and emotional turmoil had triggered the most severe moon phase episode she'd ever experienced.

"Kaelin!" Edward caught her before she hit the floor, panic replacing anger. He gently shook her, but there was no response. "Kaelin, wake up!"

Hearing the commotion, Olivia rushed into the room. She took one look at her unconscious daughter and gasped in horror. "Edward! What happened?"

"Her condition," Edward said tersely, lifting Kaelin's limp form into his arms. "Call Dr. Maloy immediately. Tell him we're bringing her to the hospital."

Olivia was already dialing, her hands shaking as she watched her husband carry their daughter from the room. "Will she be alright?" she asked, following them down the hallway.

Edward's face was grim, his earlier fury now replaced by the cold, efficient demeanor of a Beta wolf protecting his offspring. "She'd better be," he said. "We have more than her health to worry about now."