The Alpha’s Exiled Mate Chapter 13

The Alpha’s Exiled Mate Chapter 13

“She has other assets,” Terra insisted, turning to me. “Pull your hair up. Let him see your

neck.”

I obeyed, exposing the moon-shaped white mark that identified me as a Riley-once a source

of pride, now a brand that could either doom me or save me.

Wolf King’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring as he leaned closer to examine the mark. “A

genuine Riley mark,” he breathed, greed flickering across his features. “This changes things.

The elites will pay good money to see a fallen Riley dancing for their entertainment.”

I swallowed hard against the bile rising in my throat, but kept my expression neutral. This was

survival. Nothing more.

“Tonight’s special,” Wolf King informed me, his tone businesslike now. “Some upper-society wolves slumming it in the Shadow District. Perform well, and you might get invited for more…

private entertainment.”

The stage was designed as a giant crescent moon, illuminated by silver lights that cast an otherworldly glow. When I stepped out, the bar fell momentarily silent, all eyes drawn to me-

or more specifically, to the distinctive mark on my neck that the lighting deliberately

highlighted.

I began to move with the music, not attempting the overtly seductive routines the other

dancers used, but instead channeling the wild grace I’d developed in the Wilds. My body told

the story of pain and survival, of a wolf forced to adapt to the harshest conditions. The

movements were both elegant and primal, drawing on the natural rhythm of my wolf.

Initially, the high-end clientele looked unimpressed. They had expected cheap titillation, not

this strange, almost artistic expression. But as I continued, I noticed their expressions shifting

-from dismissal to curiosity, then to fascination. My Riley mark glimmered under the lights,

and my movements carried a quality they rarely saw in the Shadow District-the echo of old

blood, old power, now fallen.

When the music ended, the bar erupted in applause and howls. I stood breathing heavily,

sweat trickling down my spine, feeling an odd sense of accomplishment-not for the

performance itself, but for transforming my suffering into something that might keep me

alive.

Wolf King’s expression had shifted from skepticism to calculation. “Well done, Riley,” he said,

offering his hand to help me from the stage. “It seems I underestimated your value.”

“Several guests have expressed particular interest in you,” he continued, his voice lowered.

“They’re waiting in the upstairs VIP room. A ‘private performance,’ if you understand my

meaning.”

My heart sank, but I nodded. I had known this was coming. In the world of exiles and bottom-

feeders, nothing came without a price.

“Get her ready,” Wolf King ordered Terra. “Make sure she looks decent enough for the VIP section. I don’t want those society wolves thinking we don’t respect their status.”

Terra led me backstage, helping me change into a slightly more modest silver dress that still left my back completely bare and plunged dangerously low in front. She applied makeup to my face, trying to disguise the hollowness of my cheeks.

“Remember,” she whispered, genuine concern in her voice. “No matter what they say or do, you’re not what they say you are. You’re Freya Riley, daughter of the Riley pack. You’re just

surviving until you can reclaim what’s yours.”

I nodded gratefully, touched by her kindness-the first real kindness I’d experienced since

returning to Moon Bay.

“Time to go,” Wolf King called impatiently from the doorway. “Don’t keep the clients waiting. Remember, you represent the Howl tonight. Keep them happy, Freya. It’s good for both of us.”

I took a deep breath, pushing my wolf deeper into my mind. I needed human resilience for

what was coming, not wolf pride.

“I’m ready,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.