Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Kaius

I stared down at the claw marks raking across my ribs, the wounds still tender despite five days of healing. My regenerative abilities

surpassed most wolves–cuts that would take others weeks to mend closed on me within hours. Yet these particular injuries remained

stubbornly visible, thin silver lines etched into my skin like some kind of permanent reminder.

White wolf claws. Of course they’d leave marks.

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The memory of her in wolf form crashed over me again, as it had countless times over the past five days. Massive and ethereal, her coat the color of fresh snow under daylight, so pure it seemed to glow with its own inner light. She’d moved with liquid grace, every step radiating power that made my own wolf want to submit–and simultaneously want to dominate her completely.

Beautiful. Deadly. Mine.

And completely fucking insane.

Rage flared in my chest, hot and familiar. Not because she’d hidden her true nature from me–though that was its own betrayal. No, what

made my blood boil was her sheer stupidity. How dare she choose death over returning to my pack? She should have known I wouldn’t

truly harm her. Should have trusted that whatever punishment I might devise would be infinitely preferable to splattering herself across

the rocks below.

How could she be so fucking reckless?

From that height, survival was impossible. No wolf, white or otherwise, could survive a fall like that. Basic physics didn’t care about legends or bloodlines.

Yet I’d sent search parties anyway. Dozens of my best trackers combing every inch of the ravine below, following the river for miles in case the current had carried her body downstream. Five days of methodical searching had yielded nothing–not a scrap of fabric, not a drop of blood, nothing.

The great hall felt cavernous around me as I slumped in my throne, the massive space echoing with emptiness. My warriors gave me a wide berth, their usual casual banter replaced by careful silence. They could sense my mood, the barely leashed violence that had been building since I’d watched her white form disappear over that cliff edge.

Smart wolves, staying out of my way.

“Kaius.”

Frost’s voice cut through my brooding like a blade. I looked up to see my beta approaching with that particular expression that meant he was about to say something I didn’t want to hear.

“This time you really fucked up,” he said without preamble, stopping directly in front of my throne. His usually diplomatic demeanor had

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Chapter 22

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been replaced by something harder, more confrontational than I’d ever seen from him. “You shouldn’t have killed that young wolf in front

of her. You pushed her to jump.”

I studied his face, surprised by the steel in his tone. Frost had always been the reasonable one, the voice of calm counsel when my temper ran hot. This direct challenge was… unexpected.

“She–wolves don’t understand war,” I said, my voice carefully controlled. “Apparently neither do you. Cut the grass at the roots, Frost. I killed that pup’s entire family in front of him–did you think he’d go home and forget? You should know better than anyone how many

innocent wolves have died in these border raids.”

“That doesn’t mean-

“Enough.” I cut him off with a sharp gesture. “What’s done is done. Do you have any leads?”

Frost shook his head, but his expression remained stubborn. “No concrete evidence. But I believe she’s still alive.”

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. “Since when did my beta develop such a fascination with a dead rogue?”

“She’s not dead,” Frost insisted, his voice gaining conviction. “In my birth pack, there was always a legend–when the white wolf appears,

wars end. And white wolves are supposed to be immortal, unkillable. I don’t think she’d die easily, not even from a cliff that high.”

1 stared at him, momentarily taken aback by his certainty. Frost had always been practical, logical–hearing him spout folklore was jarring.

“Now that I think about it,” he continued, warming to his theme, “she did show that white wolf spirit, that impossible resilience. Maybe

the Moon Goddess paired you with exactly the mate you need–someone who can temper your violence, help you rule with wisdom instead

of just fear.” His voice dropped. “You know our conflict with the rogue packs is escalating. Maybe we need a different approach.”

I wanted to dismiss his words as superstitious nonsense, but something in his tone made me pause. Still, the rational part of my mind

rebelled against putting faith in ancient stories.

What truly frustrated me was the timing. Why hadn’t the Moon Goddess revealed Elowen’s nature four years ago? If I’d known she was a

white wolf, if I’d understood what she truly was…

No. Focus on what matters now.