The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 166

Freya's POV

The Beta wolf's sudden retreat left me with the thundering sound of my own heartbeat in my ears. That, and the unmistakable presence of Thorne Grey standing mere feet away, his power filling the garden terrace like an invisible storm.

I watched as Thorne's grip tightened around the Beta's wrist, his knuckles whitening with barely contained fury. The drunk Beta's expression morphed from surprise to pain to terror in quick succession as Thorne's Alpha strength threatened to crush the bones beneath his skin.

"Alpha Thorne," the Beta whimpered, his earlier bravado evaporating. "I didn't—"

"Silence." The single word carried the weight of mountains. Thorne's eyes had shifted—golden wolf irises replacing human ones, glowing with predatory intent in the moonlight.

"Enough, Thorne," I said, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded despite the alcohol and adrenaline coursing through my system. "Your Alpha strength will break his bones if you keep squeezing like that."

Thorne's gaze flickered to me, then back to the cowering Beta. For a terrifying moment, I thought he might ignore me completely, but then his fingers uncurled, releasing the man's wrist.

The Beta immediately dropped his head, exposing the vulnerable line of his neck in a gesture of complete submission. Without a word, he backed away, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to escape. Within seconds, he had disappeared back into the building, leaving me alone with Thorne.

Alone with the Alpha who had once condemned me to exile. Alone with the wolf whose scent still haunted my dreams.

I straightened my spine and turned to leave. "Thank you for your assistance," I said formally, hoping to escape before any real conversation could begin.

I managed exactly three steps before Thorne moved with Alpha speed to block my path. His tall frame loomed before me, shoulders set in a rigid line, golden eyes boring into mine.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded, his voice deceptively soft.

"Back to the party," I replied, attempting to step around him.

He shifted again, blocking me. "Why did you run away from Grey Estate without permission?"

I felt a flash of indignation rise through me, burning away some of the whiskey's fog. "Permission? I wasn't aware I needed your permission to leave a place where I was being treated like a servant rather than a person."

"You were under my protection," he growled, taking a step closer. The scent of him—mint and metal and something uniquely THORNE—wrapped around me, making my wolf stir restlessly. "And now I find you here, playing designer for Stone."

I backed up instinctively, my calves hitting the stone balustrade. "Is Alpha Thorne treating me like that Beta just now? Questioning me as if I've done something wrong?" I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his gaze despite the fear coursing through me. "Or is it that everyone beneath your rank looks the same to you—just pieces to be moved around on your territory board?"

His jaw tightened. "Don't pretend we're strangers, Freya. Don't act like you don't know exactly what you're doing."

"And what am I doing?" I challenged, even as my inner wolf urged caution.

"How far has your relationship with Alpha Stone progressed?" Thorne asked, his voice dropping dangerously. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you? Why else would he bring you to his territory? Why else would he give you a position in his company?"

The accusation hit me like a physical blow. "That's what you think of me? That I'd—"

"What else am I supposed to think?" he interrupted, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "How did you seduce him, Freya? The same way you tried with me three years ago?"

My hand rose to slap him before I could think better of it, but he caught my wrist midair. The touch sent an electric current racing up my arm.

"You have no right," I hissed, trying to pull free. "No right to question who I am with or what I do."

Without warning, Thorne closed the remaining distance between us. His free hand gripped my waist, and before I could process what was happening, his mouth was on mine. The kiss wasn't gentle—it was possession, anger, and something deeper I couldn't name. The whiskey I'd consumed slowed my reactions, and to my horror, my wolf responded to his Alpha dominance, wanting to yield, to submit.

For one shameful moment, I melted against him, my body remembering things my mind wanted desperately to forget.

Then reality crashed back. With every ounce of strength I possessed, I shoved against his chest and wrenched my mouth away from his. The separation left me gasping for air, but I didn't hesitate. My palm connected with his cheek in a resounding slap that seemed to echo across the garden.

Thorne's head barely moved from the impact. Instead, his lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile that made my stomach twist with equal parts fear and something far more complicated.

"You haven't changed at all," he said, rubbing his jaw where my hand had left a reddening mark. "Still thinking you can challenge an Alpha."

My wolf surged forward, responding to the challenge in his voice. A growl—low and distinctly inhuman—rumbled from my throat. It was foolish, suicidal even, but the combination of alcohol, adrenaline, and three years of suppressed anger overwhelmed my better judgment.

Thorne's eyes widened fractionally before his Alpha energy slammed into me like a physical force, driving me back against the balustrade. The pressure wasn't painful, but it was inescapable—a reminder of the power differential between us that no amount of defiance could overcome.

"Go ahead," he said, voice silky. "Try it. See what happens when a Beta challenges an Alpha."

I struggled against the invisible weight of his dominance, but it was futile. My wolf, sensing the futility of resistance, began to whine, urging submission to the stronger predator.

"Mia Potter," Thorne said, pronouncing my alias with mocking precision. "You can change your name a thousand times, but I'll always find you." He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Come back to Grey territory with me. I won't punish you for running."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I managed to say, though the words came out breathless.

"You will," he replied with absolute certainty. "It's just a matter of time."