The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 262

Thorne’s POV

The admission hung in the air between us, confirming my worst suspicions. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said, meaning it. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Lisa sank into a chair, suddenly looking exhausted. "Carter knew it was coming," she said. "After the investigation into Silver Shackle Prison started, he knew he'd be the scapegoat. He moved us here, set up new identities, made sure we were safe."

"He left something with you, didn't he?" I asked gently. "Something to protect you if the Brooks family came after you."

Lisa nodded slowly, then rose and went to the kitchen. She knelt and pried up a section of the floorboard, revealing a hidden compartment. From it, she extracted a metal box.

"Carter was... complicated," she said as she returned to her seat. "He did terrible things at that prison. Things I can never forgive him for. But he had a strange sort of sympathy for the Riley girl. He said what Edward Brooks was doing to her wasn't right—even for a prisoner."

She opened the box to reveal a USB drive and several sheets of paper. "He kept records," she explained. "Video from the prison security system, written logs of the orders he received. He said if anything happened to him, I should use it as leverage to keep Sarah and me safe."

I accepted the USB drive from her, handling it carefully. "May I?" I asked, gesturing to my laptop.

Lisa nodded, and I connected the drive. The first file that opened was a video dated three years ago—just weeks after Freya had been sentenced to Silver Shackle Prison.

The footage showed a sterile prison room, Freya strapped to a chair, her face much younger but already showing signs of the suffering that would age her beyond her years. Edward Brooks entered the frame, his posture rigid with authority.

"Increase her exposure time," he ordered someone off-camera. "The standard protocol isn't enough for a Riley."

The camera angle shifted, showing Carter Wells nodding. "Sir, the standard protocol is already at maximum safety limits for—"

"I don't care about safety limits," Edward snapped. "This one deserves special treatment. If she starts to adapt, increase the dosage. I want her to feel it. Every day."

I felt my wolf rising inside me, a growl building in my throat as I watched the systematic torture being ordered so casually. Mark placed a warning hand on my shoulder, reminding me of where we were, of the frightened woman and child watching me.

I forced myself to continue through several more videos. Each one documented Edward Brooks' personal involvement in Freya's treatment, his explicit orders to exceed standard protocols, to ensure her suffering was maximized.

Then I found something even more damning—footage of Kaelin visiting the prison, speaking privately with Carter Wells. She looked different than I remembered—colder, more calculating, none of the vulnerability she showed around me.

"Make sure she understands who put her here," Kaelin was saying, her voice clear through the prison's recording system. "I want her to know it was me. I want her to suffer knowing she lost everything because of me."

Carter's response was careful. "Miss Brooks, these conversations are typically recorded—"

"I don't care," Kaelin interrupted, her voice sharp. "My father runs this place. No one will see this footage but you." She leaned closer to Carter. "Besides, she's never getting out. Who would she tell?"

I closed the laptop, unable to watch more. The evidence was damning, irrefutable. Edward Brooks had abused his position to inflict extra punishment on Freya. Kaelin had been involved, gloating over her victory. And I had enabled all of it with my judgment, with my blind trust in the Brooks family.

"This is... exactly what I needed," I said to Lisa, my voice rough with suppressed emotion. "Thank you for showing me."

Lisa nodded, her expression solemn. "What happens now?" she asked.

"Now," I said, rising to my feet, "you and your daughter will come with us to Moon Bay, where you'll be under my direct protection until this matter is resolved."

"To Moon Bay?" Lisa looked alarmed. "But that's where the Brooks family is—"

"And that's where I have the power to protect you," I assured her. "You'll stay in a secure location on Alpha territory. No one will reach you there without going through me first."

Mark began making arrangements, speaking quietly into his phone to organize a security detail for the transfer. Meanwhile, I stepped outside to clear my head, overwhelmed by what I'd just seen.

The evidence against Kaelin and her father was far more damning than I'd imagined. This wasn't just about a personal vendetta against Freya—this was systematic abuse of power, corruption that reached to the highest levels of Moon Bay's governance. And my father had either known about it or deliberately ignored it to maintain his alliance with the Brooks family.

Mark joined me outside, his expression concerned. "Alpha, what's our next move?"

I stared out at the quiet town, weighing my options carefully. "We take the Wells family back to Moon Bay tonight. Place them in the Alpha compound guest house with round-the-clock security."

"And the evidence?" Mark asked.

"We need to move carefully," I said after a moment's consideration. "If we present this to the Council now, Edward Brooks will have time to prepare his defense, to destroy additional evidence, perhaps even silence other witnesses."

I thought of Freya, of her upcoming surgery, of how desperately she needed to heal—both physically and emotionally.

"We wait until after Freya's surgery," I decided. "She deserves to be strong and clear-headed when this comes to light. And I want to gather any additional evidence that might exist."

Mark nodded, though I could sense his reservations. "What about your father? Alexander is part of the Elder Council. He'll have to be informed eventually."

I turned to look at my Beta, my decision already made. "My father has made his allegiances clear. He will be informed when everyone else is."

As Lisa and Sarah prepared to leave with us, I found myself staring at the USB drive in my hand, thinking of the footage it contained. Freya's face contorted in pain as silver was pressed against her skin. Kaelin's cold smile as she spoke of Freya's suffering. Edward Brooks' calculated cruelty.

I slipped the drive into my pocket, a cold determination settling in my chest. The Brooks family would pay for what they had done—not just to Freya, but to justice itself in Moon Bay. And when the time came to expose their crimes, I would ensure they had nowhere to hide, no allies to protect them.

Not even among the Grey family.