The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 266

Freya's POV

Shadow Creek lived up to its name—a place of darkness and secrets. The underground district was literally that—a network of tunnels and converted basements beneath what had once been a mining town. The air felt thick with suspicion and desperation as Thorne and I made our way through narrow passages illuminated by flickering lights.

Wolves scurried out of our path, their noses twitching as they caught Thorne's Alpha scent. An Alpha in these parts was unusual and unwelcome—a reminder of the authority many here had fled.

"They're afraid of you," I murmured as we passed a group of thin, ragged Omegas huddled around a barrel fire.

"With reason," Thorne replied grimly. "Many here have broken pack laws."

"Or been broken by them," I countered, thinking of my own time in exile.

Thorne had no response to that.

The Moonlight Tavern was buried deep in the warren of tunnels, announced only by a faded sign and the smell of cheap alcohol and unwashed bodies. Inside, the ceiling was low, the lighting poor, and the clientele worse. Conversations stopped as we entered, dozens of pairs of eyes tracking our movement.

I scanned the room desperately, searching for Ethan's familiar form. My heart sank when I didn't see him, but then I caught a scent—faint beneath the bar's overwhelming odors, but unmistakable. Family. Blood. Home.

My head snapped toward a corner booth where a lone male sat with his back to the room, shoulders hunched defensively. His hair was darker than I remembered, but the way he held himself—that hadn't changed.

"Ethan," I whispered, my voice breaking.

The figure stiffened, then bolted for a back door.

"Wait!" I called, pushing through the crowd after him. My right hand throbbed with pain as I bumped against tables and chairs, but I didn't slow down. "Ethan, please!"

Thorne moved faster, cutting around the other side of the bar to block the exit. The man—my brother—skidded to a halt, trapped between us.

"Get away from me," he growled, his voice deeper than I remembered but unmistakably Ethan's. "You shouldn't be here. This will get us both killed!"

Before I could respond, he shoved past me and ran for another exit. I followed him into an alley, my lungs burning with the effort. "Ethan, please stop!"

He ran a few more steps before freezing at my next words:

"Moonchaser! Please, Moonchaser, stop!"

It was the nickname I'd given him when we were pups, playing in the forests of our family estate. Only I had ever called him that.

Slowly, Ethan turned. In the dim light of the alley, I could finally see his face—thinner, scarred across one cheek, his eyes haunted. But it was him.

"Starfall," he whispered, using his old nickname for me. Then his face crumpled. "Oh gods, Freya. What have they done to you?"

We collided in a desperate embrace, both of us shaking. He smelled different—his natural scent overlaid with unfamiliar wolf packs, cheap cologne to mask his identity, and the acrid tang of fear. But underneath it all was the scent of home, of family.

"I thought you were dead," I sobbed into his shoulder. "All this time..."

"I had to stay away," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Edward Brooks threatened me. Said if I ever showed my face or contacted you, he'd make sure you suffered worse in that prison. I couldn't risk it, Freya. I couldn't bear the thought of you being hurt more because of me."

Thorne appeared at the end of the alley, giving us space but keeping watch. Ethan tensed at the sight of him.

"What's he doing here?" Ethan growled.

"He's helping me," I said, surprised to find I meant it.

Ethan looked skeptical but nodded toward a rusted metal door. "Come on. We can't talk here. My place is safer."\

---

Thorne's POV

The "safe house" was little more than a converted storage room, with a cot in one corner and a hot plate in another. But it was clean, and the multiple locks on the door suggested Ethan Riley took security seriously.

I watched the reunion between brother and sister with a mixture of satisfaction and unease. Their bond was evident in every gesture, every shared glance. But Ethan's wariness around me was equally obvious.

"Why now?" he asked Freya, after they had exhausted the first rush of questions. "Why risk finding me after all this time?"

"I saw your photo," Freya explained. "In a magazine. And... things have changed in Moon Bay. Thorne is investigating the Brooks family. We know they framed me."

Ethan's gaze shifted to me, assessing. "So the great Alpha Grey finally realized he was played for a fool?"

I didn't flinch at the accusation. "Yes."

My simple admission seemed to surprise him. He turned back to Freya. "How much do you know about what really happened?"

"Not enough," she replied. "I know Kaelin Brooks orchestrated my exile. She worked with a wolf named Derek to frame me. But I don't understand why the Brooks family targeted our family in the first place."

Ethan sighed heavily and crossed to a loose floorboard in the corner. He pried it up and pulled out a waterproof container. "I've kept these hidden for three years, waiting for the right moment."

He placed the container on the small table and opened it, revealing a stack of documents. "These are the real reason the Riley family was destroyed."

I moved closer as Ethan spread the papers out. They were records—financial transactions, meeting notes, and most damning of all, correspondence between Edward Brooks and a group known as the Silver Circle—human hunters who specialized in capturing and experimenting on werewolves.

"The Riley Enterprises discovered these transactions five years ago," Ethan explained. "My father was going to expose Brooks at the next council meeting. The Brooks family was selling information about pack movements to hunters in exchange for advanced weapons and protection."

"Treason," I breathed, the severity of the crime hitting me full force. Collaborating with hunters was the highest offense in wolf law.

"Exactly," Ethan nodded. "But before my father could present the evidence, the Brooks family struck first, accusing us of the very crime they were committing."

Freya looked stunned. "But why didn't Father defend himself? Why didn't he show these documents?"

"Because our evidence mysteriously disappeared the night before the council meeting," Ethan said bitterly. "And then our parents disappeared too."

I studied the documents, my mind racing to connect the pieces. "This explains Edward's involvement, but not why my father supported the Brooks family's claims."

Ethan hesitated, then pulled out a final document from the bottom of the stack. "I think this might answer that question."

It was a handwritten letter on Grey family stationery, addressed to Edward Brooks, in my father's unmistakable handwriting:

[Edward,

The Riley situation has been handled as discussed. Their growing influence was becoming problematic for both our families. While your methods were extreme, I understand the necessity. However, your dealings with the Silver Circle must cease immediately. If word of this reaches the council, not even I can protect you, and the Grey Moon Pack would be vulnerable.

The proposed alliance between our children will ensure both our families' security moving forward. Kaelin will make a suitable Luna, and the Riley threat will be neutralized permanently.

Destroy this letter upon reading.

—Alexander Grey]

I read the letter twice, my hands shaking with rage and disbelief. "My father knew," I said, my voice hollow. "He knew the Brooks family framed the Rileys."

"Worse," Ethan said grimly. "He helped them cover it up."

Freya's scent spiked with shock and pain. "Why? Why would he do that?"

"Politics," I said, the realization bitter on my tongue. "The Riley family was growing too influential. My father saw your family as a threat to Grey dominance."

The implications were staggering. My father, the previous Alpha, had participated in framing an innocent family. He had known about Freya's wrongful exile. He had pushed for my mating with Kaelin to seal the corrupt alliance.

"I will make this right," I promised, looking from Ethan to Freya. "Both of you have my word as Alpha. The truth will be revealed, and justice will be served—no matter who it implicates."

Ethan studied me for a long moment before nodding. "I'll come back to Moon Bay. I'll testify before the council."

Freya gripped her brother's hand, her right hand trembling but holding on. "We'll face this together."

As I watched them, I felt a weight shift inside me. My father's betrayal cut deep, but I knew what I had to do. The truth would not be buried again, even if it meant challenging my own blood.

"Father," I thought, looking out the grimy window toward the direction of Moon Bay, "your injustice against the Riley family ends now. I will fix what you broke, no matter the cost."