Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178

She turned at the sound of our footsteps, and even through the veil, I could feel the weight of her gaze.

“Kaius.” She moved toward him with surprising speed, pulling him into an embrace. “It’s been too long, my son.”

Then she turned to me, and her hand shot out to grasp mine. Her grip was firm-uncomfortably firm, actually, her fingers pressing hard

enough to make my bones ache.

“And this must be the legendary White Wolf. Elowen.” Her voice carried a strange quality, like she was assessing livestock rather than

greeting her son’s mate.

“Sera,” I said carefully, trying to extract my hand without being obvious about it.

Kaius stepped between us smoothly, breaking the contact. “Mother, this is my mate, Elowen.” His tone was formal, but I caught the warning underneath. “What brings you here? Is this about Father’s disappearance?”

Sera laughed a cold, brittle sound. “Disappearance? Oh, I know perfectly well he was captured. But why on earth would I be concerned

about that?”

Kaius’s expression tightened. “Mother-”

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“I came to see the new Queen, obviously.” She began circling me slowly, and I felt like prey being evaluated by a predator. “Though I must say, the silver hair is unfortunate. A proper Queen should have golden hair-it photographs better, looks more regal in portraits.”

I blinked. Is she serious right now?

“And that outfit.” She made a disapproving sound. “Far too… utilitarian. You’re the Queen of a kingdom, dear, not a mercenary. Where are the gowns? The jewels? The symbols of your station?”

“Mother,” Kaius said sharply. “That’s enough. Elowen isn’t just a Queen-she’s an Alpha in her own right. She has her own style, her own

way of doing things.”

“Of course, of course.” Sera’s tone suggested she found this deeply amusing. “She’s your mate, after all. I’m merely making observations.

No offense intended.”

None taken because I’m not listening to a word you’re saying.

But I was done with pleasantries. “Sera, with all due respect-what happened to Aldric? How exactly did he disappear?”

She moved to sit on one of the ornate couches, her movements unnaturally graceful. She lifted her veil just enough to sip from a teacup that had been prepared for her, then lowered it again.

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Chapter 178

“You want to discuss such tedious matters?” Her voice carried a note of disdain. “Though I suppose that’s what Alphas do-always focused

on violence and politics rather than civilized conversation.” She paused. “But fine. Listen carefully, and try not to blame yourself for what

happened.”

My eyes narrowed. “Blame myself? Why would 1-

“Because my husband was captured while trying to break your mate bond, of course.” Sera said it so casually, like she was commenting on the weather. “Though looking at you two now, clearly that wasn’t necessary. You’ve accepted Kaius quite thoroughly, haven’t you?”

“Mother!” Kaius’s voice was sharp with warning.

“What?” Sera’s tone was innocent. “I’m simply stating facts. When you first captured this girl, she was quite resistant to the idea of being your mate. Fought it terribly, from what I heard. But now look-she’s sleeping in your bed, wearing your mark. How things change.”

My blood was starting to boil, but I kept my voice level. “Get to the point.”

“The point,” Sera continued, “is that our kingdom was without a Queen for far too long. Aldric, in his infinite foolishness, decided that since you two clearly weren’t going to work out-” She gestured vaguely at us. “-he would seek magical assistance to sever your bond entirely. Allow Kaius to choose a more… suitable mate.”

“That’s insane,” I said flatly.

“Is it?” Sera tilted her head. “You were rejecting my son at every turn. The bond was causing both of you suffering. Aldric thought he was

helping.”

“He went to a Flesh-Weaver,” Kaius cut in, his voice tight with anger. “He played with dark magic and got exactly what he deserved. This

has nothing to do with Elowen.”

“Doesn’t it?” Sera’s attention fixed on me again. “A former Alpha King, driven to desperate measures because the White Wolf refused to accept her destined mate. One could argue that-”

“One could argue,” I interrupted coldly, “that a King who decides to interfere with other people’s mate bonds, who dabbles in forbidden magic without considering the consequences, brought his fate entirely upon himself. Are you seriously suggesting that I’m responsible for

his stupidity?”

Silence fell over the room.

Then Sera laughed-actually laughed. “Well. At least you have a spine. That’s more than I can say for some Queens. Her hand moved, unconsciously to her veiled face, fingers brushing across where her cheek would be beneath the fabric. “Sharp words are better than silent

suffering.”

There was something haunting in the way she touched her veil. Something that spoke of old pain, old scars-

“Mother.” Kaius’s patience had clearly reached its limit. “If you came here just to cause trouble, you can leave. Now.”

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Chapter 178

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“I told you,” Sera said, her voice taking on an edge. “I came to see the Queen. Not you. I have important matters to discuss with Elowen.”

She turned to face me fully. “Privately. So if you would be so kind, Kaius-leave us.”

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Alpha’s STOLEN Mate