The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 26

Freya's POV

The night swallowed me as I stumbled away from the Grand Lunar Hotel, each step sending waves of agony through my body. Dr. Maloy's treatment had been interrupted at the worst possible moment, leaving my insides partially healed but still dangerously unstable. The cold air sliced through my thin clothes, and my wolf whined pitifully beneath my skin, too weak to offer warmth or strength.

Keep moving. Just kept moving.

My vision blurred at the edges, streetlights stretching into hazy stars above me. I hadn't eaten all day, and the medicine Dr. Maloy had administered was making me dizzy. Yet beneath the pain, I could feel a subtle warmth beginning to spread through my veins—the healing compound he'd injected was slowly taking effect, fighting against the moon-silver residue that had poisoned my system for years. The doctor had said it would stimulate my wolf's natural healing abilities while counteracting the suppression effect of the moon-silver, but the process would be gradual and painful.

Every heartbeat pushed the competing substances further through my system—the burning poison of moon-silver and the healing warmth of Dr. Maloy's medicine, locked in a slow battle for dominance in my bloodstream.

I didn't know where I was going, only that I needed to put distance between myself and the hotel—between myself and Kaelin Brooks. The memory of her voice in the hallway still made my skin crawl.

The buildings of downtown Moon Bay loomed around me, unfamiliar and imposing. Before my exile, I'd rarely ventured into this part of the city alone. The Riley family had drivers, security—all the trappings of high Beta status. Now, I was just another shadow slipping between the cracks of society, barely noticed by the well-dressed wolves hurrying past.

A sharp pain lanced through my abdomen, and I stumbled against a storefront, pressing my hand to the spot where Dr. Maloy had injected the healing compound. My fingers came away wet with blood. The wound had reopened.

Not good. Not good at all.

The traffic light ahead turned green, and I forced myself forward, desperate to cross before it changed again. My legs felt like they were weighted with stones, each step requiring tremendous effort. The street seemed to tilt and sway beneath me. Halfway across, the pedestrian signal began flashing red.

Faster. I needed to move faster.

But my body refused to cooperate. The world spun around me, buildings and lights blurring together in a nauseating swirl. I didn't see the car until its headlights washed over me like twin moons, its engine growling like an angry predator. The screech of brakes pierced my sensitive ears, and I froze, instinctively curling in on myself to protect my wounded abdomen.

The vehicle stopped mere inches from me, its sleek black form gleaming under the streetlights. The scent of burning rubber mixed with a familiar odor—pine and musk, the unmistakable signature of a Beta male. Not just any Beta, but one whose scent I recognized from the courtroom three years ago, from the VIP room at the Howl, from Thorne's inner circle.

I tried to run, to escape, but my legs gave out beneath me. I crumpled to the asphalt, pain radiating through my body in waves.

The car door opened, and footsteps approached. I raised my head, squinting against the glare of headlights, and found myself looking up at the stunned face of Ryder Foster.

"Moon Goddess," he breathed, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Freya Riley?"

---

I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry. My wolf cowered inside me, sensing a threat—this man was Thorne's friend, possibly sent to retrieve me, to drag me back to that hotel room where Kaelin would surely find me.

"Don't—" I finally managed, trying to push myself up. "Please, just... leave me."

Ryder knelt beside me, his expression shifting from shock to concern as he noticed the blood seeping through my shirt. "You're injured." He shook his head. "What happened? Did Thorne—"

"No," I interrupted, mustering enough strength to sit up. "I need to go. Can't stay here."

"You can barely stand," he pointed out, his voice gentler than I remembered. The last time I'd seen Ryder Foster, he'd been watching from the gallery as Thorne sentenced me to exile, his face a mask of contempt for the half-blood who dared pursue his Alpha friend.

I attempted to stand again, panic giving me a burst of strength. "Kaelin will find me. She'll kill me. I can't—"

"Kaelin?" Ryder's eyebrows shot up, and something like understanding flashed across his face. "So that's why you ran from the hotel."

A car horn blared behind us, and Ryder glanced over his shoulder. "We need to move. Can you walk?"

I nodded, though I wasn't certain it was true. He helped me to my feet, and when my legs threatened to give out again, he caught me with surprising gentleness.

"My car's right there," he said, guiding me toward the sleek sports car. "Let me help you."

Every instinct told me not to trust him, but I had no choice. I was losing blood, growing weaker by the minute, and completely exposed on a busy street. At least in his car, I could rest momentarily before making my escape.

Once inside, the rich leather seats enfolded me like a cocoon. Ryder slid into the driver's seat and pulled away from the intersection, heading down a side street.

"There's water in the console," he said, starting the car. "And a first aid kit under your seat."

I reached for the water bottle with shaking hands, nearly dropping it before managing to unscrew the cap. The cool liquid was heaven against my parched throat.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked after taking several desperate gulps.

Ryder's eyes remained on the road. "I'm not entirely sure myself," he admitted, his tone surprisingly honest. "But I know that look in your eyes. You're running from something serious."

"Kaelin Brooks," I said, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. "Shouldn't I fear her? In everyone's eyes, I'm the one who wronged her, but only she and I know that I was the one who got framed."