The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 173

Freya’s POV

The three wolves exchanged nervous glances. The first one, who had been touching me moments ago, took another step back.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble with Alpha Stone," he said, holding up his hands. "But this isn't just about us. We were sent here with orders."

"Orders from who?" Emma demanded, her grip on the dagger tightening.

The wolf's lips curled into a sneer. "You think I'm stupid enough to tell you that? All I know is that this one—" he jerked his chin toward me, "—has been causing problems for Alpha Thorne. And if Alpha Stone is involved with her too, then we definitely can't let her go."

My stomach dropped at his words. So Kaelin had told these men about my encounter with Thorne. She must have been watching us on the terrace, seen the kiss...

"Since that's the case," the wolf continued, his eyes hardening, "I'm afraid I can't let either of you leave here alive."

Emma's laugh was sharp and cold. "You're outnumbered, you idiot."

"Are we?" The man's smile widened. "There are three of us and one of you. The Riley wolf can barely move."

"One more step," Emma warned, "and you won't be counting correctly anymore." She positioned herself between me and the three wolves. "You want her? You'll have to go through me first."

I tried to push myself up again, desperate to help Emma. She couldn't take on three wolves alone, not even with a moonsilver dagger. But my limbs still felt disconnected from my body, and I collapsed back against the tree trunk.

"Emma," I rasped, my voice barely audible. "You should go. Don't risk yourself for me."

"Shut up, Freya," Emma replied without taking her eyes off the men. "I'm not leaving you here."

The wolves began to spread out, clearly planning to surround us. Emma's golden wolf eyes glowed brighter as she tracked their movements. I could see her muscles tensing beneath her clothing, preparing to shift if necessary.

"You can still leave," Emma told them, her voice deceptively calm. "You can walk away right now, and I won't tell Alpha Stone or the patrol units what you tried to do here."

The leader of the group laughed. "Nice try. But we all know what happens to wolves who fail to complete their assignments."

"And what about wolves who attack a member of Alpha Stone's design team?" Emma countered. "Think carefully about what you're doing."

For a moment, uncertainty flickered across the leader's face. Then his expression hardened again.

"You're bluffing," he said. "Let's see if that dagger's as sharp as your tongue."

He lunged forward, shifting mid-leap into a snarling brown wolf. Emma moved with impressive speed, slashing the dagger through the air. The wolf yelped as the moonsilver caught him across the shoulder—not a deep wound, but enough to make him stumble and fall.

"Run, Freya!" Emma shouted, backing up toward me. "Get up and run!"

With a surge of desperate energy, I managed to push myself to my feet, swaying dangerously. Emma grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the tree. We stumbled together through the undergrowth as the other two wolves shifted forms behind us, their growls echoing through the night.

"I can't—" I gasped, my legs threatening to collapse beneath me. "Emma, you need to go. Leave me. You can shift and outrun them!"

"I'm not leaving you," Emma insisted, half-dragging me through the forest. "Just keep moving!"

But the drug in my system was too powerful. My wolf, usually so present beneath my skin, felt distant and muted. I couldn't access her strength or speed. My legs buckled, sending me crashing to the ground. Emma tried to pull me up, but I could hear the wolves getting closer, their paws thundering against the forest floor.

"Emma," I pleaded, "you can still get away. Please. I can't run anymore, and I can't shift. My wolf... the drug is suppressing her. Just go!"

Emma's face was fierce in the moonlight. "No. I am not leaving you to die." She stepped in front of me, claws extending from her fingertips as her partial shift took hold. Her eyes glowed golden, her teeth lengthening into fangs.

The wolves burst through the undergrowth, circling us slowly. The one Emma had cut was back in human form, clutching his shoulder where a silver-tinged wound glistened in the moonlight. The other two remained as wolves, their massive forms dwarfing Emma's slender figure.

"You've got nowhere to go," the injured man said, his voice tight with pain. "Just give us the Riley wolf, and maybe we'll let you live."

Emma snarled, a sound so feral it sent chills down my spine. "Come any closer, and I'll make sure that shoulder is the least of your problems."

The standoff stretched for several tense seconds. I tried again to summon my wolf, to feel that familiar surge of power and instinct, but there was nothing. Just the hollow, terrifying awareness of my own vulnerability.

Then, just as the wolves tensed to attack, a series of howls split the night air. Powerful, authoritative howls that made all three of our attackers freeze in place.

"Patrol!" one of them hissed, shifting back to human form. "Delta patrol from Silverstone!"

"We need to go," the injured one said urgently. "Now!"

Without another word, all three shifted and bolted into the darkness of the forest, disappearing just as the howls grew louder. Moments later, four large wolves emerged from the trees—all wearing the distinctive silver markings of Silverstone Pack's Delta patrol unit.

Emma lowered her claws but remained protectively in front of me. One of the patrol wolves approached cautiously, then shifted into a tall, muscular man with dark hair streaked with gray.

"Ms. White," he said with a respectful nod. "Alpha Stone sent us to find you when you didn't check in. Said you might be in trouble."

Emma's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thank the moon you came when you did. Three rogues attacked us. They were after her." She gestured to me, still slumped on the ground.

The patrol leader looked at me with concern. "Is she injured?"

"Drugged," Emma replied. "Something to suppress her shifting abilities. We need to get her to a hospital."

The man nodded and spoke quietly to one of his packmates, who shifted back to human form—a younger woman with short blonde hair. Together, they helped me to my feet. When it became clear I still couldn't walk, the patrol leader crouched down.

"I'll carry her," he said. "The car's not far."

As he lifted me, my consciousness began to fade again, the world spinning around me in a blur of moonlight and shadows. The last thing I remembered was Emma's worried face hovering above mine, and her voice saying something about Central Hospital.

---

I awoke to the steady beep of a heart monitor and the antiseptic smell of a hospital room. For a moment, panic gripped me—memories of my last hospital stay, of moonsilver restraints and cold examination rooms, flooded back. But as my vision cleared, I realized this was different. A private room, soft lighting, no restraints.

Emma sat in a chair beside the bed, her head bent over her phone. When she noticed I was awake, she set it aside immediately.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, leaning forward.

I took a mental inventory of my body. The heaviness in my limbs had lessened, though I still felt weaker than normal. My throat was dry, and my head throbbed dully.

"Better," I managed to say. "What happened?"

"The Delta patrol got us to Central Hospital. You've been out for about four hours." Emma poured a cup of water from a pitcher by the bed and helped me take a sip. "The doctor said whatever Kaelin gave you was a powerful suppressant—designed to bind to your wolf's energy centers and temporarily disable them. It should wear off completely by morning."

The mention of Kaelin brought everything rushing back—the restaurant, the drugged wine, waking up in the forest, the three wolves...

"Emma," I said, my voice stronger now, "thank you. You saved my life. But how did you find me? How did you know where I was?"

Emma settled back in her chair with a sigh. "I took the afternoon off to meet a friend. We were having dinner at Luna Noire when I saw you being escorted to a private room in the back. You looked... uncomfortable. Something didn't feel right, so I kept an eye on the situation." Her expression darkened. "About thirty minutes later, a large male wolf I didn't recognize came in through the back entrance and carried you out. You were unconscious."