The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 208

Freya’s POV

"Miles?" I gasped in surprise. "How are you here?"

"I've been following you," he admitted, approaching me. "I've been worried about your safety ever since you left Silverstone territory. When I saw Thorne carrying you into the hospital tonight, I waited outside, wanting to make sure you were alright."

He frowned, taking in my dressed state and the blood drying on my hand where I'd removed the IV. "You shouldn't be out of bed. Your condition—"

"I need to leave," I interrupted. "Now. Please, Miles."

"There are wolves gathering outside," he warned, glancing toward the window. "They seem to know who you are, and the mood is tense."

Understanding dawned in his eyes as he looked back at me. "The staff entrance," he said finally. "I can get you out that way. But Freya, you need medication. Your pneumonia—"

"I'll manage," I insisted, though my lungs burned with each breath. "Please, Miles. Help me."

He hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. "Wait here. I'll get some antibiotics and find a way out."

While he was gone, I checked my phone again. The comments had multiplied, the outrage spreading to other social platforms. My identity was fully exposed now, with people digging up old news about my family's disgrace. Someone had even posted the transcript of my exile hearing. The pack's anger was a living thing, growing with each passing minute.

Miles returned with a small bag of medications and a lab coat. "Put this on," he said, helping me into it. "Keep your head down. We'll take the service elevator."

He supported me as we made our way into the corridor, his arm around my waist steadying me. The hallway was mercifully empty except for a nurse who barely glanced our way, assuming Miles was simply escorting a patient.

We were halfway to the service elevator when my knees buckled. Miles caught me before I hit the floor, cursing under his breath.

"You're burning up," he muttered, pressing a hand to my forehead. "This is madness, Freya. You need to be in bed."

"Can't," I gasped, struggling to right myself. "Please..."

With a resigned sigh, Miles shifted, partially transforming into his Beta form—stronger, more muscular, with a dusting of fur along his forearms. In one fluid motion, he lifted me into his arms.

"Hold on," he whispered, and then we were moving faster, the corridor blurring around us.

---

Thorne's POV

I sat in my office at the Moon Crescent Court, staring unseeingly at the case file before me. Something felt wrong. A primal unease had settled between my shoulder blades, making the hair at the nape of my neck stand on end. My wolf was restless, pacing the confines of my consciousness, sensing a threat I couldn't yet identify.

The feeling had persisted since I'd left the hospital, having arranged for Edith to care for Kaelin while I returned to work. Freya's condition had been stable when I left, the doctors confident that with rest and antibiotics, she would recover. So why couldn't I shake this sense of foreboding?

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Mark entered without waiting for my response, his normally composed expression tense.

"Alpha," he said, closing the door behind him. "There's a situation."

"What is it?" I asked, instantly alert.

"It's about Ms. Riley." Mark's scent carried notes of agitation and concern. "A photo of you carrying her into the hospital has been circulating on Moon Net for the past few hours. Her identity has been exposed."

I rose from my chair, a low growl building in my throat. "Show me."

Mark handed me his tablet, already opened to the social feed. I scanned the image and the vicious comments beneath it, my anger growing with each word. The pack's reaction was ugly, fueled by old prejudices and rumors about the Riley family's disgrace.

"Who took this?" I demanded, my voice dangerously soft.

"Unknown, Alpha. The original post came from an anonymous account, but—"

"But what?"

Mark hesitated. "The post was shared almost immediately by accounts connected to the Brooks family network."

My jaw clenched. Kaelin. Or perhaps her mother. Either way, this had the Brooks family's signature all over it—a calculated move to discredit Freya and, by extension, question my judgment.

"There's more," Mark continued. "I just received a call from the hospital. Ms. Riley has left her room. She's gone."

"What?" The word came out as a snarl. "How long?"

"Unknown. A nurse checked her room twenty minutes ago and found it empty. Her IV had been removed, and her personal belongings were gone."

My wolf surged forward, golden light bleeding into my vision as partial transformation began. Freya was ill, vulnerable, and now she was out there alone while an angry mob gathered at the hospital.

"Have the car brought around," I ordered, already striding toward the door. "And call Dr. Maloy. I want to know exactly what happened."

During the drive to the hospital, Mark updated me on the developing situation. The crowd outside the hospital had grown, mostly low-ranking wolves stirred up by the online outrage. Hospital security had increased, but the atmosphere remained tense.

When we arrived at the hospital, I was met with a scene that made my wolf's hackles rise. The crowd gathered outside the main entrance had swelled to nearly fifty wolves, their angry voices carrying through the night air.

"Shame on our Alpha!" someone shouted. "Choosing an exile over his own pack!"

"The Grey bloodline deserves better than Riley filth!" called another.

My jaw clenched as I heard the accusations. These were my pack members, questioning not just my judgment but my integrity, suggesting I had somehow betrayed them by helping Freya.

"Stand down," Mark ordered the crowd as we approached. "Make way for Alpha Thorne."

The crowd parted reluctantly, many averting their eyes from my direct gaze while others stared with open defiance. I caught fragments of their muttered comments.

"...sleeping with an exile..."

"...dishonors his position..."

"...what about Luna Brooks?..."