The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 56

Freya's POV

We worked efficiently, preparing a simpler but still appetizing meal for the household staff. After everything was ready, Martha shooed me away.

"Go on. I'll tell Edith I've sent you to organize the pantry if she asks. Use this time for your design."

Her words caught me off guard, and I felt a sudden lump in my throat. In this mansion where I was little more than a servant with an exile mark, Martha was offering me something precious—support and belief in my abilities. It reminded me of my mother's encouragement before everything fell apart.

"Martha, I..." My voice cracked slightly. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug, not the quick embrace I'd normally offer, but something deeper. She stiffened momentarily before her hands patted my back gently.

"You're a Riley," she whispered. "And Rileys create beautiful things. Don't let them take that from you too."

With tears threatening to spill, I nodded against her shoulder before pulling away. Martha quickly turned back to her work, but not before I caught the moistness in her eyes.

I hurried to my attic room, heart full of gratitude for this small piece of family warmth in my isolated existence. Hours passed as I refined my concept, losing myself in the creative process that had once been such a central part of my life.

As my fingers moved across the sketching tablet, memories flooded back—my father's proud smile when I won my first design competition, my mother's gentle critiques that always made my work better, my brother Ethan's teasing that pushed me to excel. "Even an Alpha would be impressed by this," he'd say, and we'd laugh together.

I paused, wondering what Thorne would think of my work. Despite everything, I found myself hoping his eyes would widen with surprise when he saw what I could create. Perhaps this design could be the first step toward reclaiming my family's reputation, toward proving that the Rileys weren't the traitors everyone believed us to be.

With renewed determination, I continued working, pouring my heart into every line and curve. This wasn't just a competition entry anymore—it was my declaration that I was still here, still fighting.

A knock at my door startled me out of my concentration. I quickly closed the design program and opened the door to find Edith standing there, her thin frame rigid as always.

"Freya, Elder Grey has requested your presence at the family residence. He's sent a car for you."

I frowned in confusion. "Elder Grey? Thorne's father?"

Edith nodded. "Yes. He specifically asked for you to deliver some documents to him." She held out a sealed envelope. "Take this to him."

"But... Alpha Thorne said I wasn't to leave the estate," I reminded her, hesitant to take the envelope.

"Elder Grey overrides that instruction. He and your father were friends, if you recall. He's been asking after you." Edith's expression softened slightly. "I think he misses you. The Rileys were frequent visitors at the Grey family residence before... everything."

I did remember Elder Grey—a stern but fair man who had always treated my family with respect. But something about this request felt strange. Why would he suddenly want to see me after all this time?

"I don't think Alpha Thorne would approve," I said cautiously.

Edith's expression hardened again. "Are you refusing a direct request from a Beta manager? Need I remind you of your position in this household?"

Put that way, I had little choice. As a servant—and an exile, at that—I couldn't refuse an order from the head of household staff.

"No, of course not," I said, taking the envelope. "When is the car coming?"

"It's waiting at the front gate now," Edith replied. "Don't keep Elder Grey waiting."

I nodded and tucked the envelope into my pocket. As I made my way to the front gate, an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. Why would Elder Grey suddenly want to see me? And why send for me when Thorne was away at a council meeting?

---

At the gate, a black SUV idled, its windows tinted so dark I couldn't see inside. I approached cautiously, my wolf senses on alert despite the dampening effect of my exile mark.

Just as I reached the vehicle, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Terra's name on the screen. My heart leapt—I hadn't heard from her since being brought to Grey Estate.

"Terra?" I answered eagerly, stepping away from the SUV. "You're finally—"

"Freya, listen to me," Terra's voice came through, tight with fear. "Someone's coming for you. You need to hide, now!"

"What? Terra, what are you talking about?"

"They forced me to tell them where you were," she continued, her words tumbling out rapidly. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't—"

The SUV's door opened, and a large man in a black suit stepped out. He wore leather gloves and his face was expressionless as he approached me.

"Miss Riley," he said, his voice flat. "If you don't want your friend Terra to have an unfortunate accident, you'll get in the car now."

My blood ran cold as I looked from the phone to the man. Terra's panicked voice continued, "Freya, run! Just run!"

But I knew I couldn't. If they had Terra, running would only endanger her further. And with my exile mark limiting my abilities, I wouldn't get far anyway.

"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to sound braver than I felt. "What do you want with me?"

The man's expression didn't change. "That's not your concern. Get in, or your friend suffers."

My mind raced, searching for options, but finding none. With a sinking heart, I nodded and moved toward the vehicle.

As I climbed into the back seat, a second man was waiting. Before I could react, he slipped something cold and metallic around my neck—a collar made of moon-silver. Immediately, my senses dulled even further, and my connection to my wolf became a distant whisper.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, reaching for the collar, only to have my hands roughly pulled away.

"Insurance," the first man said as he got behind the wheel. "Now sit back and keep quiet. We have a long drive ahead of us."

As the SUV pulled away from Grey Estate, I stared out the window, watching my temporary sanctuary fade into the distance. My hands trembled in my lap, and my wolf, though muted by the silver, whimpered in fear.

Who had sent these men? Where were they taking me? And what did they want?

Questions swirled in my mind, but one certainty remained—I had walked straight into a trap, and there was no Alpha coming to save me this time.