The Alpha’s Exiled Mate Chapter 14

The Alpha’s Exiled Mate Chapter 14

Freya’s POV

The VIP room was more luxurious than I had imagined. The walls were covered in deep red velvet, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and soft lighting illuminated a group of wolves seated on plush couches in the center. They wore expensive custom clothing, jewelry glinting at wrists and throats, every detail screaming wealth and status.

I stood in the doorway, acutely aware of how out of place I was. These were Moon Bay’s elite- high-ranking Betas and their associates, possibly some powerful Alpha assistants. They regarded me with curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite identify-a hungry

anticipation.

“Come closer, dancer,” a male in a purple silk shirt beckoned. “Let us get a better look at you.”

I approached the center of the room, trying to maintain a graceful posture despite my racing heart. The room smelled of power and privilege, so different from the desperate survival scents I’d grown accustomed to in the Wilds and Shadow District.

“Turn around,” a female commanded, her voice cold and haughty. “Let us see if the Howl’s entertainment tonight is worth our time.”

I obeyed, turning slowly, feeling their gazes like physical touches on my exposed skin. When I faced them again, a man in a tailored suit suddenly sat up straighter, pointing at my neck.

“Wait, that mark!” he exclaimed, eyes widening. “Look at that moon-shaped mark! She’s the Riley daughter, the one who almost married Thorne Grey!”

My blood froze, terror washing over me in an instant.

“No, you’re mistaken,” I quickly denied, my voice trembling with fear. “I just happen to have a similar mark. It’s common in some packs.”
But my instinctive retreat had already given me away. The atmosphere in the room shifted,

transforming from casual curiosity to the tense excitement of predators discovering vulnerable

prey. They exchanged glances, lips curving into unsettling smiles.

“A Riley, reduced to dancing in the Shadow District,” a female tittered, fingering her expensive

necklace.

“Perhaps she should prove she’s not a Riley,” a man wearing a gold watch suggested, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “Demonstrate her true low-rank status.”

My heart sank, knowing what was coming. This was no longer just a performance-it was a game designed to humiliate a fallen member of a family that had once outranked them.

“Kneel,” Gold Watch commanded, his voice carrying the unmistakable Beta authority that, in this room full of high-ranking wolves, my instincts urged me to obey. “Clean each guest’s shoes, to show your… servitude.”

I stood frozen, my jaw tightening. “I’m here to dance, not to clean shoes.”

The room fell silent. Gold Watch’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You know what happens to exiles who can’t find employment?” he asked softly. “They get reported. Sent back to the Wilds. Permanently.”

“We pay good money to this establishment,” another man added, swirling his expensive whiskey. “Wolf King would be very disappointed to hear you refused to please his valued

customers.”

I thought of Terra, of the meager room I’d been given above the bar, of my desperate need to find my family. My shoulders slumped slightly.

I slowly sank to my knees, the marble floor cold against my skin. Deep humiliation spread

through me as I reached for the cloth they offered. My hands shook slightly, but I willed them to be steady. I would not show weakness.

“Look at that,” Purple Shirt remarked as I polished his Italian leather shoes. “A Riley on her

knees before me. I should take a picture.”

“Don’t you dare,” I said through clenched teeth, looking up with a flash of defiance.

He laughed, a harsh sound that made my wolf bristle. “The exile still has teeth! Careful. You’re not in a position to make demands.”

I moved from one guest to another, cleaning their shoes as instructed. After each one, Gold Watch insisted I say, “Thank you for your generosity,” words that made me feel physically ill.

“Thank you… for your generosity,” I forced out after the third pair, the words sticking in my

throat.

But they weren’t satisfied with just this humiliation.