The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 207

Freya’s POV

I woke up disoriented, my head pounding and throat raw. The room was dark except for the soft glow of medical equipment around me. Hospital. I was in a hospital. Memories of Thorne carrying me filtered through my foggy mind—his arms solid around me, his voice urgent as he called for help.

I shifted, wincing as the movement sent a dull ache through my body. The sheets beneath me were silky and smooth, nothing like the standard hospital linens I remembered from my last stay. This room was spacious and private, with elegant furnishings visible even in the dim light—clearly a VIP suite.

My phone lay on the bedside table, its screen lighting up with incoming notifications. I reached for it, curious about the time and wondering if Emma had messaged about my absence from work. The brightness made me squint as I checked the time: 12:17 AM. I'd been unconscious for hours.

A notification banner caught my attention:

[Breaking: Alpha Thorne Grey rushes mysterious female to the Central Hospital.] My heart stuttered as I tapped on it, opening the Moon Net social feed.

The top post featured a photo of Thorne carrying me through the emergency entrance, my limp form cradled against his chest, his expression a mask of fierce determination. The image had thousands of reactions and comments already.

[Alpha Thorne with his Luna-to-be? Is Kaelin Brooks ill again?]

[Poor Ms. Brooks, her moon phase syndrome must be flaring up. Prayers for our future Luna!]

[Third hospital visit this month? Is she strong enough to be our Luna?]

I scrolled through the comments, my chest tightening. Some were supportive, others critical of Kaelin's health, debating whether someone with frequent health issues could fulfill Luna duties. The pack seemed divided, with many expressing concern about a "weak" Luna.

Then I saw a comment that made my blood run cold:

[Wait—that's not Brooks. Look at the woman's neck. That's the exile with the crescent birthmark. The Riley girl!]

Someone had zoomed in on the photo, highlighting the white crescent mark on my neck, visible where my hair had fallen away. My identity was exposed.

The comments that followed were increasingly hostile:

[An EXILE in our hospital? Being carried by our ALPHA?]

[What is Grey doing with a filthy exile? She should be in the Wilds where she belongs!]

[This is DISGUSTING. An Alpha shouldn't lower himself to touch a traitor's daughter.]

[The Riley girl has some nerve coming back to Moon Bay. Her whole family deserved worse than exile.]

My breathing quickened as I continued scrolling. The comments became more vicious, attacking not just me but my entire family. The thread had exploded into a debate about loyalty, blood purity, and whether I should be forcibly returned to the Forgotten Wilds.

A soft knock at the door made me jump, nearly dropping my phone. I instinctively pulled the covers higher, my wolf sensing danger.

The door opened, and Kaelin Brooks slipped inside, her silhouette outlined by the hallway light. Her eyes glinted with golden wolf-light, and I caught the scent of her mother hovering just outside the door.

"I see you're awake," Kaelin said, her voice deceptively soft as she closed the door behind her. "Saved me the trouble of waking you up."

She approached my bed with predatory grace, her gaze dropping to the phone in my hands. A cold smile curved her lips.

"Enjoying the show?" she asked. "You're quite the celebrity tonight."

I swallowed, my throat painfully dry. "What do you want, Kaelin?"

"Just checking on the patient who's stealing all my attention." She perched on the edge of my bed uninvited, making me shift away. "You know, when I posted that photo, I wasn't sure anyone would recognize you. But that little birthmark of yours..." She tapped her own neck. "Such a distinctive trait of the Riley bloodline."

My heart dropped. "You posted the photo?"

"Of course I did," she replied, leaning closer. "Did you think I'd just stand by while Thorne paraded you through the hospital like some precious treasure? While my mother and I were relegated to a different wing, forgotten?"

Her scent carried notes of medication and something sharper—the chemical imbalance of her moon phase syndrome—but there was nothing fragile about her now. Her eyes were clear and focused, her movements calculated.

"You've been playing a dangerous game, Riley," she continued, voice hardening. "Coming back to Moon Bay, working your way into Thorne's orbit again. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"I never wanted—"

"Save it," she snapped. "I've seen how he looks at you. How he drops everything when you're in trouble." Her lips curled into a snarl. "But that ends now. Look at those comments. The pack is outraged. They're questioning his judgment because of you."

I tried to sit up straighter, fighting a wave of dizziness. "If you have a problem with me, take it up with Thorne. I never asked him to bring me here."

"Oh, I don't have a problem with you anymore," Kaelin said with false sweetness. "Because you're leaving Moon Bay. Tonight. If you have any sense of self-preservation left, you'll disappear before sunrise."

She stood, smoothing her designer hospital gown. "If you don't, well... that photo was just the beginning. I have other information that would make tonight's little scandal look like nothing. How do you think the pack would react if they knew about your little... encounters with Thorne?"

My face flushed hot despite my fever. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm giving you an opportunity," she corrected. "Leave my territory and my Alpha alone, or I'll make sure you regret ever crawling back from the Wilds."

With that final threat hanging in the air, she turned and glided toward the door. "You have until morning, Riley. Choose wisely."

When the door closed behind her, I sat frozen for several moments, my heart pounding in my ears. Then I forced myself to move, ripping out the IV needle with shaking hands. Blood welled from the puncture site, but I ignored it, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.

The room spun alarmingly, and I had to grip the bedside table to steady myself. My clothes were folded on a chair nearby—someone had changed me into a hospital gown. I dressed slowly, each movement taxing my fever-weakened body.

I moved to the window, drawing back the curtain to peer outside. Despite the late hour, a small crowd had gathered at the hospital entrance. Even from three floors up, I could see their agitated movements, hear the occasional angry howl. Low-ranking wolves, mostly—the kind who felt most threatened by perceived outsiders. They were looking for me.

Panic clawed at my chest. I couldn't go through the main entrance, and I certainly couldn't wait for morning when hospital staff might recognize me. I needed to leave now.

I was weighing my options when the door opened again. I whirled around, expecting Kaelin's return, but instead found Miles Everett standing in the doorway, his expression both surprised and alert.

"Freya?" he asked softly, quickly closing the door behind him. "What are you doing?"