The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 191

Freya’s POV

My heart hammered in my chest as we pulled up to my apartment building. The black SUV behind us parked with deliberate precision, its headlights still blazing.

"Thank you for the ride," I said quickly, grabbing my bag and opening the door. "And for delivering the package."

Jasper nodded, his expression unreadable. "Be careful, Freya. Grey has always been possessive of what he considers his territory."

I didn't bother correcting his implication that I was somehow Thorne's territory. I needed to get away from this clash of Alphas before their territorial instincts escalated further.

The cool evening air hit my face as I hurried toward my building entrance, but I'd barely made it halfway when Mark, Thorne's assistant, intercepted me.

"Ms. Riley," he said formally. "Alpha Thorne requests a moment of your time."

"No," I replied without breaking stride. "Tell your Alpha I'm not interested in whatever he has to say."

Mark kept pace with me easily. "It concerns the binding ceremony pendant designs. He wishes to discuss some modifications."

"He can email Emma White with his feedback," I said, reaching for the door handle.

"I'm afraid he insists on speaking with you personally," Mark persisted.

I was about to deliver another refusal when a new scent washed over me. My wolf stirred immediately, responding to the Alpha pheromones even as my human side tried to maintain composure.

"That will be all, Mark," Thorne's deep voice said from behind us.

I turned slowly, steeling myself. Thorne Grey stood there in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, his presence commanding even more attention than usual. His eyes flickered to the crescent moon pendant at my throat, then to Jasper's retreating car, and I could see the gold of his wolf bleeding into his irises.

"Ms. Riley," he said, his voice deceptively calm despite the tension radiating from him. "I believe we have matters to discuss."

"I have nothing to say to you," I replied, turning back toward the door.

"The pendant design requires your personal input," he insisted, moving closer. "As the client, I have specific requests that only the designer can address."

I could feel curious eyes watching from the lobby. A direct confrontation with an Alpha in public would only draw more unwanted attention.

"Fine," I conceded tightly. "Five minutes. In the lobby."

"I think your apartment would offer more privacy for this discussion," Thorne countered smoothly.

Every instinct screamed at the idea of allowing an Alpha—especially this Alpha—into my private space. "That's not appropriate."

"Neither is designing my binding ceremony jewelry while accepting gifts from Jasper Stone," he replied, his voice low enough that only I could hear the edge in it.

I felt trapped, cornered by his logic and authority. Arguing further would only create a scene. "Ten minutes," I said finally. "Not a second more."

The elevator ride to my apartment was silent and tense. Thorne's scent filled the small space, making my wolf pace anxiously. When we reached my door, my hands trembled slightly as I unlocked it, too aware of his presence behind me.

My apartment was modest but comfortable, paid for by my job at Stone Group. I watched as Thorne's gaze swept across the space, taking in every detail. His nostrils flared slightly as he scented the air, and I knew he was cataloging everything—the furniture, the books, the lingering scents of who had been here.

"Jasper Stone has been generous with his employees," Thorne observed, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp. "This is far more comfortable than I would have expected for an entry-level designer."

The implication was clear, and it stung. "I earned my position," I said stiffly, remaining near the door. "The designs I submitted for your binding ceremony are complete. Emma will be sending the final renderings to your office tomorrow."

Thorne moved further into the apartment, ignoring my pointed reminder of our time limit. "I'm aware. I received the preliminary sketches. Your talent remains... impressive."

"Then what modifications could possibly require this visit?" I asked, crossing my arms defensively.

"Several small details need adjustment," he replied vaguely, his attention seemingly caught by a framed sketch on my wall—one of my designs from the Academy.

"I can make those adjustments and send them through Emma," I insisted, my wolf growing increasingly restless with an Alpha in our territory.

Thorne turned to face me fully, his expression hardening. "Why did you send the designs to Kaelin directly?"

The question caught me off guard. "I didn't."

"She received them yesterday afternoon," he stated, watching me closely. "She was quite eager to show me how attentive you'd been to her preferences."

"That's impossible," I said, confusion mixing with alarm. "I only sent them to Emma this morning."

Something flickered in Thorne's eyes—satisfaction, perhaps. As if I'd confirmed something he suspected.

His gaze dropped to the crescent moon pendant hanging at my collarbone, and before I could react, he closed the distance between us in two swift strides. His hand shot out, fingers capturing the delicate pendant.

"This is from him?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl as his fingers brushed against my skin.

I jerked back instinctively, my wolf surging to the surface in a defensive response. "Don't touch me!"

The sudden movement dislodged his grip on the pendant, but the predatory gleam in his eyes intensified. His pupils dilated, gold bleeding into blue as his wolf responded to my defiance.

"Answer the question, Freya," he said, my name a command on his lips. "Did Jasper Stone give you this?"

I lifted my chin, refusing to be intimidated even as my heart raced. "It's from Professor Hunter. Jasper merely delivered it."

"And helped you put it on," Thorne added, his tone deceptively conversational while his scent broadcasted pure possessive fury. "In his car."

"That's none of your business," I snapped, my patience evaporating. "You gave up any right to question who I spend time with when you sentenced me to exile."

Thorne's jaw tightened, the muscle ticking visibly. "You're wearing a pendant bearing the symbol of Grey Moon Pack, designed while you were under my protection. That makes it very much my business."

"It's a crescent moon," I retorted. "A universal symbol that existed long before your pack claimed it."

We stood at an impasse, the air between us charged with tension and unspoken accusations. My apartment suddenly felt too small to contain the force of his presence and the storm of emotions his proximity stirred in me.

"Why are you really here, Thorne?" I asked finally, exhaustion seeping into my voice. "What do you want from me?"