Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Elowen

72

The moment Kaius disappeared from my office, I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Just thinking about him staying in my pack for an entire day made my skin crawl-but the thought of him actually being near me constantly for those twenty-four hours? Absolutely unbearable.

At least now I had some breathing room. Some blessed solitude to actually think clearly without his overwhelming presence clouding my

judgment.

I settled back into my chair and pulled out my leather-bound research

enhanced rogue wolves. Time to organize the intelligence I’d gathered

al, the

one I’d been using to document everything about those

see if I could piece together more of the puzzle.

My pen moved across the pages methodically as I recorded observations: Enhanced speed-approximately 40% faster than normal rogues. Pain immunity confirmed. Regenerative capabilities-wounds heal within minutes unless cauterized with elemental fire. Tactical adaptation-they

learn from combat encounters.

I sketched rough diagrams of the cave entrance I’d discovered, noting the shifting magical aura and the portal that had allowed one creature to escape. Someone was creating these abominations, and they were getting bolder. More sophisticated.

The missing pack members aren’t just casualties. They’re raw materials.

The thought made my stomach turn, but I forced myself to continue documenting. Every detail could be crucial for protecting my people.

Hours passed as I worked, cross-referencing magical theory with combat observations, trying to identify patterns that might reveal the mastermind behind these experiments. The afternoon sun was already casting long shadows through my office windows when my stomach

finally demanded attention.

Time for dinner. And food means facing people again.

I stood and stretched, realizing I hadn’t caught Kaius’s scent in quite a while. Which was… strange, actually. Given his obsessive need to control everything around him, I’d expected him to be lurking nearby, finding excuses to “check on” me every few minutes.

Maybe he’s actually respecting boundaries for once? Unlikely.

A cold dread began forming in my chest as the implications hit me. Kaius might be arrogant and controlling, but he wasn’t the type to just disappear quietly, especially not in unfamiliar territory.

I opened my office door and inhaled deeply, testing the air for his scent signature. Nothing. Not even a faint trace.

“Fuck, I whispered, my worst suspicions crystallizing into certainty.

“Evelyn! Scarlett!” I called out, my voice carrying the sharp authority of an alpha in crisis mode. “Emergency meeting! Now!”

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Chapter 89

Both women appeared within minutes, their expressions immediately shifting to high alert when they saw my face.

“Where is Kaius?” I demanded without preamble.

A

ମୂଛ (72)

Scarlett’s expression cycled rapidly through guilt, defiance, and growing worry. Finally, she squared her shoulders and met my eyes. “He…

he asked for my help with something. Said he needed to retrieve important pack business from outside the barrier.”

My blood ran cold. “You let him out? You opened the barrier for him?”

“He promised he’d leave immediately afterward!” Scarlett protested, her voice rising defensively. “I thought it was better to get him out of

our territory sooner rather than later. What difference does it make if he left now or tonight?”

Evelyn pressed both palms against her temples, her face pale with dawning horror. “God almighty, Scarlett. Did you forget about my

prophecy? The one I made this very morning about someone dying if either of them left the pack today?”

The color drained completely from Scarlett’s face as the full weight of her mistake hit her. “I… I didn’t think… He was so convincing, and

I wanted him gone…” Her voice trailed off into desperate whisper. “What have I done?”

“No time for self-recrimination now,” I said grimly, though my own panic was rising. “Evelyn, can you track him with your scrying bowl?”

Evelyn was already moving toward her magical implements, her hands shaking slightly as she prepared the ritual. “Crystal ball will be faster for real-time surveillance,” she muttered, pulling the gleaming sphere from its velvet wrapping.

The three of us huddled around the crystal as Evelyn’s magic began to take effect. Swirling mists cleared to reveal the interior of the

Silent Forest, and there-

“That absolute idiot,” I breathed.

Kaius was still in wolf form, his massive black frame darting between trees with desperate agility. But he was clearly exhausted, his movements losing their earlier fluid grace. Around him, white shapes flickered in and out of existence-the enhanced rogue wolves, appearing and vanishing like ghosts as they coordinated their attack.

As we watched, one of the creatures materialized directly in front of Kaius, its claws raking across his shoulder. He retaliated immediately, his own claws tearing the wolf nearly in half-only to watch in horror as the creature’s wounds began sealing themselves within seconds.

Another wolf appeared behind him, jaws snapping at his hind legs. Kaius spun and caught it across the throat, sending it crashing into a tree. But even as dark blood poured from the wound, the creature was already rising again, its red eyes blazing with mechanical hunger.

“Jesus,” Scarlett whispered. “There are so many of them.”

I counted at least eight distinct shapes circling him, maybe more. They were working together with inhuman coordination, taking turns wearing him down while their packmates regenerated from his attacks.

“Only my evolved claws can actually kill them, I realized aloud. “The fire cauterizes their wounds before they can heal. Physical trauma

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Chapter 89

alone just makes them stronger.”

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Evelyn looked at me with growing anxiety. “Elowen, I understand your concern, but you absolutely cannot go out there. The prophecy has

never been wrong-”

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19:08 Wed, Jan 14

Alpha’s STOLEN Mate