The Alpha's Exiled Mate Chapter 60

Thorne’s POV

The grandfather clock in my study chimed nine as I pored over the territory maps spread across my desk. Each marking represented a reported sighting of unknown wolves, forming a disturbing pattern that centered around Shadow District. My phone vibrated against the polished mahogany, and I snatched it up immediately.

"Alpha." Mark's voice was tense, confirming my suspicions. "In searching the area for thirty minutes, we've discovered unfamiliar pack scents and signs of struggle near the abandoned factory complex in Shadow District."

My muscles tensed as adrenaline surged through my system. "Organize every available Delta. Establish a perimeter around the factory area. No one enters or leaves without my knowledge."

"Already in progress, sir." Mark's efficiency was why I'd promoted him to second-in-command of my security team. "The scents are... unusual. Not from any local pack I recognize."

I stood, grabbing my jacket from the back of my chair. "I'm on my way. Have weapons ready, but keep them concealed. We don't need a territorial incident if this turns out to be something legitimate."

"And if it isn't legitimate, sir?"

My lips pulled back in an involuntary snarl. "Then they'll learn what happens when someone hunts on Grey Moon territory."

I ended the call and moved toward the door, my mind already calculating the fastest route to Shadow District. A soft knock interrupted my momentum, and Lucy appeared in the doorway, her eyes downcast in proper Beta deference.

"Alpha, Miss Brooks is on the phone. She says it's urgent."

I barely suppressed a growl of frustration. "Tell her I'll call back later."

Lucy shifted uncomfortably. "She insists it's an emergency, Alpha. She sounds... distressed."

With reluctance that bordered on physical pain, I took the landline receiver Lucy offered. Every second wasted was another second Freya remained in danger—a thought that sent an unexpected surge of possessive rage through my veins.

"Kaelin, I'm in the middle of something—"

"Thorne?" Her voice was thick with tears. "The symptoms started early this time. It's... it's really bad. Can you come? Please? I need you."

I closed my eyes, forcing my voice to remain level. "I'm not a doctor, Kaelin. You can't keep calling me every time you have an episode."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I recognized their harshness. We'd been friends since childhood, and her moon phase syndrome was a legitimate medical condition. But right now, all I could think about was the scent of strange wolves and the possibility of Freya bleeding somewhere in that abandoned factory.

"Is it because of her?" Kaelin's voice shifted from pleading to accusatory, a sob catching in her throat. "Ever since that exile returned, you've been different. Less patient with me."

My jaw clenched so tightly I could hear my teeth grinding. "This has nothing to do with Freya Riley."

"You're even using her name now? Before she was just 'the exile' or 'the Riley girl.'" Her breathing became erratic. "You promised you'd always be there for me, Thorne. You promised when we were fifteen and you found me during my first attack."

The memory flashed unbidden—Kaelin curled in a ball in the forest, her wolf half-emerged in painful spasms as the moon rose. I'd stayed with her all night, holding her hand through the worst of it.

"I'll send Dr. Maloy to you," I said, moderating my tone. "He's the professional, Kaelin. He knows exactly how to manage your symptoms."

"But I need—"

"I have an urgent security matter," I interrupted. "I'll check on you after it's resolved."

I hung up before she could protest further, ignoring the pang of guilt. Lucy still stood in the doorway, her eyes carefully averted but her posture suggesting she'd heard everything.

"Call Dr. Maloy and have him go to Miss Brooks immediately," I ordered, brushing past her. "And tell Mark I'm ten minutes out."

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Freya's POV

The moon-silver collar burned like a band of molten metal against my throat, each heartbeat sending fresh waves of agony radiating down my spine. My wrists, raw and bleeding from the handcuffs, throbbed in time with my pulse. But strangely, the physical pain brought clarity rather than confusion. Where most wolves became disoriented under moon-silver's influence, my mind remained unusually sharp.

"The moon-silver weakens our wolves," I whispered to Terra, who lay slumped against the wall beside me, "but my human will is still intact."

Terra's eyes widened slightly, confusion evident in her bruised face. "How are you even conscious? That dosage would knock most wolves completely out."

I didn't have an answer for her. All I knew was that while the silver burned my flesh and suppressed my ability to shift, it hadn't clouded my thoughts the way it should have. Maybe it was a quirk of Riley blood, or perhaps three years in exile had hardened me in ways I hadn't recognized.

Using the brief moment when our captors were distracted with a shift change, I twisted my bleeding wrists, working at the knots binding Terra's hands. The ropes were crude but effective, designed to tighten with struggle.

"You're our only chance," I murmured, wincing as fresh blood slicked my fingers, making them slippery. "When the guards change, there's a window at the back. It's partially broken. If you can squeeze through..."

Terra stared at my wrists, horror spreading across her face as she saw the depth of the wounds. The moon-silver had eaten through skin and muscle, exposing glimpses of bone beneath. "Freya, your hands—"

"Don't matter," I finished for her, finally loosening the final knot. "Find Alpha Thorne. Tell him where I am."

"Why would he help you?" Terra asked, flexing her fingers as circulation returned. "He exiled you."

I touched the crescent-shaped birthmark on my neck, feeling an inexplicable warmth there despite the burning chill of the moon-silver. "Because despite everything, he's still the Alpha of Moon Bay. And this is happening in his territory."

A fleeting memory surfaced—Thorne as I'd first seen him years ago, standing tall and proud at my father's side during a council meeting. Before the accusations, before Kaelin, before everything fell apart. The way his eyes had briefly met mine across the room, sending a jolt of recognition through my teenage heart.

The sound of footsteps jolted me back to the present. "Go," I urged Terra. "Now!"

Terra had just begun to edge toward the window when the door swung open with a metallic screech. Cole Raine stood in the doorway, his lieutenant hovering behind him. His eyes narrowed as they fell on Terra's untied hands.

"Planning a little escape, are we?" His voice was deceptively soft, but the rage in his scent was unmistakable.