The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 148

Freya's POV

I jolted awake, my entire body seized with a sudden chill. The digital clock on the nightstand read 3:17 AM, but it wasn't the hour that had wrenched me from sleep. It was something else—a sensation that had slithered into my dreams and yanked me into consciousness.

My eyes flashed open, and for just a moment, I felt them burn with a hint of golden wolf-light. My breath caught in my throat as a sensation washed over me—intense and undeniable. Somewhere out there, in the darkness of Moon Bay, Thorne was restless. Searching. I could feel it as clearly as if he were standing beside the bed, his frustrated energy reaching across whatever distance separated us.

I sat up, pulling the blankets tighter around me despite the comfortable temperature in Jasper's safe house. Was Thorne looking for me? Really looking? The wolf part of me—that primal creature that lived beneath my skin—preened at the thought, desperate for her mate's attention after so long being ignored.

"No," I told myself firmly, shaking my head. "He's not your mate. He never was."

Thorne had made his choice clear, time and again. Every time he'd stood beside Kaelin. Every time he'd dismissed my concerns. Every time he'd looked at me with those cold eyes that once held such promise.

And yet...

I reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, flooding the unfamiliar room with soft light. Sleep wasn't coming back tonight. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to still the trembling that had nothing to do with the temperature.

What would Thorne do if he found me? Drag me back to Grey Estate to face more humiliation? Force me to publicly apologize to Kaelin for the designs she stole from me? The thought made my wolf bristle, a low growl building in my chest before I suppressed it.

Or was it possible...just possible...that he was looking for me because he was worried? Because some small part of him actually cared what happened to me?

I laughed bitterly into the empty room. "You're pathetic, Freya," I whispered to myself. "After everything, you still want him to care."

I climbed out of bed and padded to the window, pulling back the curtain to look at the unfamiliar landscape around Eagle's Perch. In the distance, the lights of Moon Bay glittered like fallen stars. Somewhere in that glittering expanse was Thorne, perhaps awake like me, perhaps thinking of me.

I turned away from the window, disgusted with myself. I'd spend hours this way, watching the stars fade and the sky lighten to the pale gray of dawn before exhaustion finally pulled me under.

---

"Miss Riley? Miss Riley, are you awake?"

I groaned, rolling over to face the door where a gentle knocking persisted. The bedside clock read 9:08 AM. Less than four hours of sleep.

"Yes," I called, my voice raspy. "I'm awake."

The door opened slightly, and Karen—the Beta woman who managed this house for Jasper—peeked in. Her gray-streaked brown hair was pulled back in a practical bun, her expression kind but reserved.

"I've left breakfast for you on the kitchen table," she said. "I'll be out today running errands in the village, but you have my number if you need anything."

I nodded, pushing myself up. "Thank you, Karen. That's very kind."

She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. I couldn't blame her for her caution. I was a stranger, a Riley—a name associated with betrayal—and I bore the mark of exile on my neck. Plus, I was a complication between two rival Alphas. Not exactly the kind of houseguest that inspired warm feelings.

"The house will be empty," she added. "You have full run of the place, though I'd appreciate if you stayed indoors."

"Of course," I assured her. "I'm not looking to cause any trouble."

Karen nodded and closed the door. I listened to her footsteps retreating down the hallway, then the more distant sound of the front door opening and closing. Then silence—complete silence of a kind I hadn't experienced in years. No bustling staff at Eagle's Perch. No guards. No Thorne with his commanding presence. Just me.

I showered quickly, the hot water soothing my tired muscles. As I dried my hair, I caught my reflection in the mirror—the silver mark on my neck a stark reminder of everything I'd lost. I traced it with my fingertips, wondering if it would ever fade, or if I would carry Thorne's judgment with me forever.

In the kitchen, I found a simple but hearty breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast, and fresh fruit. A note from Karen indicated that coffee was in the carafe and I should help myself. I sat at the table, scrolling through my phone as I ate.

The official statement from the Silverstone Pack competition committee appeared at the top of my feed: [Due to extenuating circumstances, both finalist Kaelin Brooks and the anonymous entry have withdrawn from the final round of the design competition.]

I snorted. "Withdrawn". As if either of us had a choice. This was clearly Thorne's doing—throwing his Alpha weight around to force Jasper's pack to make this announcement. Protecting Kaelin, as always.

Against my better judgment, I scrolled to the comments. They were exactly what I'd expected—a flood of support for Kaelin.

[Poor Kaelin! Can't believe someone would try to smear her reputation this way.]

[Heard she's sick because of all this stress. Alpha Thorne must be furious.]

[Anyone know when they're announcing the binding ceremony? My cousin works at Grand Lunar and says they've reserved the main hall for next month!]

My stomach twisted as I continued reading. The cruelty wasn't even directed at me specifically—most commenters didn't know the anonymous designer was me—but it stung nonetheless.

[Whoever filed that plagiarism claim should be ashamed. Kaelin's designs might share some elements with that Riley girl who got exiled, but hers are obviously more sophisticated and polished. There's a difference between inspiration and copying.]

I nearly choked on my coffee. More sophisticated? Polished? They were "my" designs, just with a few details changed!

[Heard that Riley exile is actually working at Grey Estate now. Wonder if she had something to do with this...]

[If she did, she'll regret it. Nobody messes with an Alpha's mate and gets away with it.]

The comments continued, each one twisting the knife deeper. My wolf whimpered inside me, the rejection from the pack cutting deep into that part of me that longed for acceptance.

I should have stopped reading, but some masochistic part of me kept scrolling, forcing myself to absorb every word, every casual cruelty, every misconception. My vision blurred with unshed tears, but I blinked them away angrily.

"Stop torturing yourself," I muttered, finally putting the phone down. "What did you expect?"