Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 172

Chapter 172

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Every night after finishing my work, I’d find myself looking at the moon. And every night, I’d think of her. The way her silver hair caught the light. The fierce determination in her eyes. The strength in her voice when she commanded attention.

But something had shifted in how I thought about her.

Before, I’d always kept her at a distance in my mind. Placed her on a pedestal. My Queen. Kaius’s mate. Someone beyond my reach, someone

I could admire from afar but never truly have.

Now? Now when I thought of her, it felt… different. More intimate. More honest.

I wasn’t thinking of her as some distant, untouchable figure. I was thinking of Elowen. The woman. The person I loved-truly, deeply, hopelessly loved.

Not as my Queen. As the woman who’d somehow claimed my entire heart without even trying.

“The calming draughts I’ve been giving you,” Lysandra said, her tone almost conversational, “they work wonders on anxiety, on physical stress. But they can’t solve your love problems, can they?” She paused in her work. “If I really wanted you to forget about the outside world completely, I’d need to use memory-altering potions. Wipe your mind clean of her.”

I found myself smiling despite the grim topic. “Well, if you were going to do that, you would’ve done it already.”

“Don’t mistake my restraint for kindness,” she shot back. “If you come to me later, begging me to erase your memories because the pain is too much… I might just turn you away at the door.”

“I wouldn’t ask-”

“Your trouble is here,” Lysandra interrupted suddenly. She set down her mortar and turned to face me fully. “Frost. You have a visitor.”

What?

Before I could process that, a scent hit me. Familiar. Achingly familiar.

Fuck. No. Not-

Scarlett.

My former mate. The bond I’d severed. The woman whose heart I’d broken because I couldn’t-because I didn’t-

How did she find me here?

Lysandra vanished in that way she had, dissolving into shadows like she’d never been there at all. And suddenly Scarlett was standing in

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Chapter 172

the entrance of the cave, moonlight silhouetting her figure.

&

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The moment her eyes found me, I saw it-the way her entire body relaxed. The tension bleeding out of her shoulders. Her hand went to her chest, pressing against her heart like she needed to physically hold herself together.

“Frost,” she breathed. Then she was moving, rushing forward, and I could see her fighting to contain the emotion threatening to

overwhelm her. “You’re okay. Thank God, you’re okay.”

She stopped a few feet away, her hands twitching like she wanted to reach for me but didn’t dare. “I can smell it-your scent, it’s coming

back. You’re healing.”

My heart, which had been so calm just moments ago, suddenly felt like it was trying to beat out of my chest.

I gestured awkwardly to the other stone bench. “Scarlett. Please, sit down.”

She did, perching on the edge like a nervous bird ready to take flight at any moment.

I opened my mouth to ask why she’d come, but she beat me to it.

“I’m sorry for just-for showing up like this.” Her cheeks were flushing, that telltale sign she got when she was flustered. “I heard you were injured. That you were… that it was serious.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, not meeting my eyes. “And Elowen and Evelyn have been gone for a few days. The pack’s been quiet. I’ve been-I mean, I had some time. And I just-”

She was rambling now, words tumbling over each other.

“I was worried. Not worried, exactly. Just… curious? No, that’s not right either.” Her face was getting redder. “I wanted to make sure you were alright. Just to see for myself. Just to confirm that you were-that you were recovering.”

God, she’s trying so hard to seem casual. To pretend this doesn’t mean anything to her.

I could feel my own calm shattering, sharp edges of guilt and regret cutting through the peace I’d built.

“Scarlett,” I said gently, “I’m fine. Truly. My scent is returning. My life force is stabilizing. I’m not dying anymore.”

The joy that lit up her face was like a knife to my chest. “God, that’s-that’s wonderful. That’s such good news.”

She stood abruptly. “Well. I’ve seen you. I’ve confirmed you’re okay. So I should-I’ll just-I should go.”

And just like that, she was moving toward the exit, and I felt something crack inside me.

She came all this way. Found this hidden cave. Risked Lysandra’s wrath. Just to see me for thirty seconds and leave.

“Scarlett, wait!”

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Chapter 172

She spun around immediately, and the hope in her eyes-God, the raw, desperate hope-nearly broke me.

“Yeah?” Her voice was small. Tentative.

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Alpha’s STOLEN Mate