Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21

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“Holy shit,” I breathed, feeling the exhilaration of true flight coursing through my veins.

“Now you’re getting it!” Nyx crowed triumphantly. “Let’s see what else we can do!”

What followed was the most incredible experience of my life. I wasn’t just controlling the wind–I was becoming part of it. When I wanted

to move faster, the air accelerated around me. When I needed to change direction, currents shifted to carry me where I wanted to go. I

ran through the sky itself, leaping from one wind current to another like they were solid ground.

By the time I touched down in a wilderness area miles from the cliff, I was practically vibrating with newfound power. The landing was

soft as a feather, the wind cushioning every step until my feet found solid earth.

But even from this distance, carried on the breeze that now felt like an extension of my senses, I caught a familiar scent. Sandalwood and

winter pine, tainted with emotions so strong they had a physical presence–panic, fear, something that might have been grief.

Kalus.

I shook my head violently, trying to clear his presence from my mind. The last thing I wanted was to smell my so–called mate’s emotional

breakdown.

Instead, I focused on finding what I actually wanted to detect. There–faint but unmistakable–the subtle fragrance of lavender and sage

mixed with something uniquely herbal. Evelyn’s scent blend, designed to be recognizable only to pack members while remaining completely innocuous to outsiders.

Home.

With my newfound mastery over wind, the journey that should have taken hours was completed in minutes. I moved through the

landscape like liquid lightning, each step carrying me farther than should have been possible. When I needed to cross a canyon, the wind simply carried me across. When I encountered a steep hill, air currents lifted me to the top.

Eventually, I found myself standing at the edge of the most beautiful, peaceful forest I’d ever seen. Moonlight filtered through ancient branches, creating pools of silver light that made everything look ethereal and magical. The silence was so complete it seemed to have

weight, pressing against my eardrums like a physical force.

Most wolves would have turned and fled immediately. The unnatural quiet was deeply unsettling, triggering every instinct that warned of danger.

But I knew better. This was just Evelyn’s masterwork–an illusion so perfect that even other supernatural creatures couldn’t see through it.

I walked deeper into the forest until I found what I was looking for: an ancient birch tree that looked completely ordinary to anyone else. When I pressed my palm against its bark, invisible runes carved by witch magic recognized my scent and life force.

The peaceful forest shimmered like a mirage, reality bending and shifting until it revealed what had always been there. Instead of empty

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Chapter 21

woodland, a narrow path appeared, lined with wildflowers and leading toward the warm glow of home.

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I shifted back to human form, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that had happened. My legs were unsteady as I walked down the

moonlit path, exhaustion finally catching up with me.

The sounds reached me before I saw the lights–laughter, music, and what sounded suspiciously like a party in full swing.

When I rounded the final bend, I stopped dead in my tracks. The pack house was lit up like a festival, with colorful banners hanging from

every available surface. Through the windows, I could see figures dancing and celebrating.

I pushed through the front door to find chaos. Scarlett, my blue–haired beta, was standing on a table leading what appeared to be a

drinking song. Her wild cerulean locks were even more disheveled than usual, and she had what looked like glitter in her hair.

Beside her. Evelyn was mixing some kind of glowing cocktail, her flame–red hair practically sparkling in the magical light she was

generating. Both of them looked far too young to be handling this much responsibility, but then again, so did I.

“Oh!” Scarlett spotted me first, grinning widely. “You’re back earlier than I expected! How was your romantic getaway with the scary Alpha

King?”

I stared at her in disbelief. “Romantic getaway? I was kidnapped! Tortured! Nearly executed!”

Evelyn looked up from her glowing beverages with a knowing smile. “You seemed to be managing just fine at his place. We figured you didn’t need rescuing, so we went ahead with Good Riddance Day without you!”

Good Riddance Day. Of course. Our pack’s most treasured holiday–the day we celebrated all the terrible people who’d done us the favor of removing themselves from our lives. It was simultaneously our most sarcastic and most genuinely grateful tradition.

“God damn it!” I exploded, throwing my hands up in frustration. “I forgot you can see the future! You knew I was in trouble and you didn’t

warn me?”

Evelyn’s grin turned absolutely wicked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh honey, where’s the fun in that? Besides, you looked so cozy in that big fancy castle with your brooding Alpha King, And look how much you’ve grown! When’s the last time you controlled elemental forces?” She winked deliberately. “Some of us knew you’d figure it out. Eventually.”

I opened my mouth to argue, then caught sight of the banner hanging over the fireplace: “Happy Good Riddance Day! Celebrating All the

Trash That Took Itself Out!”

Looking around at the cheerful chaos of my pack celebrating, I took a deep breath and threw my hands up in defeat. “For today’s holiday’s

sake! Whatever! I’m not going to give you troublemakers any grief!*

“That’s the spirit!” Scarlett cheered, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the dancing crowd. “Come on, Alpha! Time to celebrate your

dramatic return!”

Despite myself, I found my mood lifting as the infectious energy of the party swept me up. But when someone thrust a suspiciously

glowing drink into my hands, I held up a warning finger.

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“Don’t get me too drunk,” I protested, already feeling a headache coming on.

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“Yeah, Alpha!” Evelyn called out with exaggerated concern, still grinning wickedly. “You have to work tomorrow! Our pack funds are

running dangerously low!”

I stared at her in exasperation, massaging my temples. The reminder that I’d have to return to the human corporate world tomorrow to keep funding our little sanctuary was less than thrilling. But looking around at these ridiculous, wonderful, broken people who’d become my family, I couldn’t bring myself to be truly angry.

At least I was home.

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