Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Chapter 85: 0085

Lorelei POV

Her dramatic reaction made me fight back a genuine chuckle as I recalled Kaelen’s words about finding her annoying.

Emily then turned her full attention back to me, her expression shifting instantly.

"Okay, so if not him... what about the Beta?" she asked, stepping closer and giving me her best, most pathetic puppy-dog eyes. "Are you two together as well? Because the way he was looking at you on the field today..."

My eyes widened in pure shock.

"What?! No!" I exclaimed, waving my hands frantically in front of me to dismiss the wild accusation. "What do you take me for? Why on earth would I be with two men who are practically brothers?"

Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Practically brothers is not the same thing as actually brothers," she pointed out.

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Emily!"

"What?" she said innocently, although the mischievous grin on her face completely ruined the act. "I’m just saying. The Alpha was acting all protective, and the Beta looked ready to throw a punch. As an outside observer, I’m obligated to notice these things."

I groaned and covered my face with one hand.

"Don’t be embarrassed. That’s literally nothing new around here. It happens all the time in pack circles," Emily replied casually, taking another step closer to me. "But hey, since you two are definitely not together, can you put in a few good words for me with Beta Darius? You know I’ve been nothing but incredibly nice to you since you got here."

She wrapped both hands around my forearm, pleading desperately with a dramatic pout that finally broke through my defenses.

I couldn’t help but smile at her persistence.

"Alright, alright. I’ll try to mention you to him."

"Yay! You are officially the absolute best!" Emily shrieked excitedly. "Why don’t we exchange numbers right now so we can talk more often? And, of course, so you can keep me updated on the progress with the hot Beta."

Hearing that, my cheerful expression immediately fell, and a knot formed in my stomach because I knew full well that I didn’t even own a phone. But how could I possibly explain that to her without diving into the humiliating truth that I had been a maid?

"Well, I..." I stammered, desperately looking around the room for an excuse.

"Ah! Let me guess. You’re also strictly forbidden from sharing private contact details with outsiders?" Emily asked, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.

Realizing she had unknowingly handed me the perfect cover story, I decided to quietly go along with it and nodded sheepishly.

"Oh, I am going to miss you so much," Emily said, her tone softening immediately. "Maybe I should start writing physical letters to you instead. That way, we can still stay in touch and hang out whenever you’re allowed out."

At that, a genuine smile returned to my face.

"I would absolutely love that, Emily."

The moment the words left my mouth, she threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

I laughed softly and carefully hugged her back, grateful that despite everything that had happened, I was leaving with at least one real friend.

****

For the ride back to the estate, Kaelen surprisingly tagged along this time, sliding into the back seat right beside me while Paul drove and Darius sat in the passenger seat.

It left me wondering how Kaelen intended to get his own car back, but honestly, who cared? He was the Alpha King. He had never been an ordinary person, so abandoning one luxury vehicle was hardly going to make a dent in his finances.

The car ride back was suffocatingly quiet. Even though I could feel Kaelen’s heavy gaze fixed on me for most of the journey, I kept my eyes locked on the passing scenery outside the window, silently praying for the day I might finally be truly free.

Eventually, the steady hum of the engine lulled me to sleep, only for me to be gently tapped awake as the vehicle pulled to a stop inside the estate’s private garage.

"We’re here," Kaelen said.

His voice was still devoid of most emotion, but there was a faint softness to it as he looked at me.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I allowed Paul to carefully help me out of the car.

"Go straight to your room and rest. The pack healer will be sent up to see you shortly," Kaelen instructed before turning his sharp gaze toward his Beta. "Darius, we have an emergency meeting to attend with the pack council."

For some reason, I watched Darius’s jaw tighten instantly.

A brief flicker of irritation crossed his face before his attention shifted back to me, and his expression softened completely.

"We haven’t had enough time to have a proper conversation since yesterday," Darius said, looking down at me and completely turning his back on Kaelen. "Let’s talk the second I get back, alright?"

I could only offer him a small smile and nod in agreement before Paul guided me away, helping me make my way back into the main house.

The second we stepped through the front door, I immediately spotted Skye anxiously waiting for my return.

Her face lit up the moment our eyes met.

However, as she rushed toward me, her joyful expression quickly began to crumble. Her gaze dropped to my heavily bandaged leg and the crutch tucked beneath my arm, and all the color drained from her face.

"Oh my goodness, what on earth happened to you?!" she cried in alarm as she rushed to my side, immediately offering her arm for support despite Paul already helping me on my other side.

"It’s just a little accident," I said quickly, trying to brush it off. The story was far too complicated to explain right now, and I didn’t want to frighten her when she already looked so worried. "Really, it’s nothing serious."

But Skye’s expression only hardened as her gaze snapped toward my guard.

"Hey, you! How did you let this happen?" she scolded, glaring at Paul. "Weren’t you always stuck to her side like a lost puppy? What happened this time? How did you miss this?"

"Skye!" I gasped, my eyes widening.

Those words were far too harsh, especially considering the guilty expression Paul had been wearing all morning.

"Please return to your room, Miss," Paul said flatly, completely ignoring Skye’s stinging accusations. "I will go make immediate arrangements for the pack healer."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Skye standing there, looking completely stunned by his cold dismissal.

"What the heck is wrong with him?"