The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 136

Freya’s POV

The afternoon light slanted through my window as I finished packing. I'd waited for the household to settle into the post-lunch lull, when many of the staff took breaks or focused on quiet tasks. The moment had finally come.

I reached for my phone to call Martha. If anyone deserved a goodbye, it was her.

She answered on the second ring. "Freya? Is everything alright?"

"Martha," I said, my voice catching. "I just... I wanted to talk to you."

"What's wrong, dear? You sound upset."

"Have you seen the pack statement? About Kaelin and the designs?"

A heavy sigh came through the phone. "I have. That girl stole your work, and now they're protecting her. It's not right."

Tears stung my eyes at her immediate belief in me. "I can't do this anymore, Martha. I can't stay here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm leaving. Today. Now." I glanced at my packed bag. "I'm so tired, Martha. I just want to go home."

"Home? But where...?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe I'll try to find out what happened to my family. Where they went after... after everything fell apart. I just know I can't stay at Grey Estate another day."

Martha was quiet for a moment. "It's dangerous out there for a marked wolf, Freya. Especially one with your history."

"I know. But staying here is killing me slowly. Every day I have to watch him with her, knowing he believes her lies..."

"Oh, child." Martha's voice broke with emotion. "I wish I could help you more."

"You've helped me more than anyone," I said, smiling through tears. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Promise me you'll be careful. And that you'll call when you can."

"I promise."

After ending the call, I took one last look around the tiny attic room that had been my prison and refuge these past weeks. Then I shouldered my backpack and quietly made my way downstairs.

The main floor was relatively quiet, as I'd hoped. I slipped through the kitchen, avoiding the few staff members still cleaning up after lunch. The service entrance at the back of the house would be my best exit—less visible than the main doors, and not as heavily monitored.

I had just reached the door, my hand on the knob, when a powerful wave of Alpha pheromones hit me like a physical blow. The air thickened with that unmistakable scent—pine and midnight and something primal that made my wolf cower.

"Going somewhere?"

I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs. Slowly, I turned.

Thorne stood in the hallway, his tall frame blocking the path back to the main house. His eyes glowed with Alpha gold, his face set in cold lines that betrayed no emotion except authority.

"Alpha," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I asked you a question, Freya." Each word was precisely articulated, dangerously soft.

"I was just—"

"Don't lie to me." The command in his voice made my knees weaken. "The backpack makes your intentions quite clear."

I squared my shoulders, fighting against the instinctive submission his presence demanded. "I can't stay here anymore."

"That's not your decision to make." He stepped closer, and I pressed my back against the door. "You're coming with me. Now."

"Where?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

"Kaelin's condition has worsened. She's begun self-harming. The doctors can't control her."

I stared at him in disbelief. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Everything." His jaw tightened. "You're coming to the hospital with me and apologize to her."

"No." The word escaped before I could stop it—a direct refusal to an Alpha command.

Thorne's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. "That wasn't a request."

"I don't care. I won't go." I lifted my chin, even as my wolf whimpered in fear. "I won't apologize to her for something I didn't do. I won't pretend her lies are truth just to make her feel better."

"Even if it could save her life?" His voice was deadly quiet.

"Her life isn't in danger because of me," I retorted. "It's in danger because of her own choices. Because she stole someone's designs, then lied about it, and now can't handle the consequences."

Thorne closed the distance between us in one fluid motion, his hand catching my arm in an iron grip. "Come with me. Now."

I tried to pull away, but his strength was overwhelming. "Let go of me!"

"You think I'm giving you a choice?" He leaned closer, his scent enveloping me. "You think you can just walk away?"

"Why not? You've made it clear where your loyalty lies. Your pack has officially declared Kaelin innocent and me a liar. Why would you want me to stay?"

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "You're not innocent in this, Freya. I have proof."

"Proof of what? That my designs were stolen?"

"Proof that you've been working with Jasper Stone against me and my pack."

I stared at him, genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

He released my arm only to pull out his phone. With a few quick taps, he turned the screen toward me. It showed a photograph of Jasper and me at the coffee shop, sitting together, talking.

"Conspiring with my rival," Thorne said coldly. "Planning this whole design controversy to undermine my authority and humiliate my future mate."

I looked from the photo to his face, anger building in my chest. "That's ridiculous. We were just talking."

"About what?"

"About the competition! I want to go to that competition that you don't allow me to participate in!"

"So you admitted that you took part in the competition. Stone invited you to enter a competition he knows Kaelin will participate in, then used your work to create a scandal."

"He didn't use me," I insisted, though Jasper's earlier admission rang in my ears. "And even if he did try to use the situation to his advantage, that doesn't change the fact that Kaelin stole my designs."

Thorne's expression hardened. "You're coming with me to the hospital. You're going to tell Kaelin that you forgive her, that you understand it was all a misunderstanding. You're going to help calm her before she does permanent damage to herself."

"No." I shook my head vehemently. "I won't do it."

"You will." His voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "You have no choice."

My wolf howled in despair, knowing we were trapped.

"You're a monster," I whispered, tears burning behind my eyes.

Something flickered in his expression—perhaps pain, quickly masked by determination. "If that's what I need to be to protect my pack and my mate, then yes. I am."

I swallowed hard, defeat bitter on my tongue. "Fine. I'll go."