Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Chapter 86: 0086

Lorelei POV

"What the heck is wrong with him?" Skye whispered, staring after his retreating figure.

I simply shook my head.

I didn’t know either, but he had been unusually quiet and distant ever since the incident.

Soon enough, Skye brushed it off. Since she had never liked him in the first place, she clearly didn’t care enough to spend much time analyzing his mood.

"Anyway, I finally had a really good conversation with that new maid yesterday," she said, quickly changing the subject to something much brighter as she carefully guided me down the hallway toward my bedroom. "Did I tell you her name is Maya?"

I shook my head, my crutch clicking softly against the polished floor.

"No, you didn’t."

"Well, her name is Maya," Skye continued, a smile returning to her face.

Maya.

Why did that name sound so familiar?

"I told her about you, and I mentioned what you said about wanting to meet her."

Instantly, my interest was piqued.

"Really?" I asked. "So what did she say?"

"She actually seemed pretty happy about it. Sort of, in a way. Like her eyes sparkled a little," Skye teased.

Those words made me chuckle softly.

Skye pushed my bedroom door open and stepped inside, helping me make my way over to the bed so I could sit down comfortably.

"Well, now that I’m back... is there any way for me to meet her right now?" I asked, looking up at her.

"Really?" Skye asked hesitantly, her eyes dropping to my bandaged leg. "But you literally just got back, and you’re clearly hurt."

"I don’t mind," I replied honestly. "Besides, it would just be a quick introduction, that’s all. I just really want to say hello."

"Ahh... then wait right here. I’ll go get her," she said.

Where else am I supposed to go with a sprained ankle? I thought to myself.

I gave a small nod, and she turned and walked out of the room.

The minutes passed slowly.

I sat on the edge of the mattress in the quiet room, and before long, my mind began to wander.

Then a sudden wave of anxiety hit me as I wondered whether I should have asked Kaelen for permission before inviting another maid up to my room.

But the moment his name entered my thoughts, my fingers drifted absentmindedly to my lower lip as I replayed what had seemed like a genuine apology from him, followed by the kiss that came afterward.

A kiss I had initiated.

Even though we had kissed before, this one had felt strangely different.

Almost as if he had been trying to say something without using words.

Almost as if he had been trying to prove that he wasn’t the cold, distant man he always carried himself to be.

My heart fluttered at the memory, and a sudden warmth rushed up my neck.

I pressed my palm against my chest, silently willing it to slow down.

What was happening to me?

I had spent so long being afraid of him.

Angry at him. Distrustful of him.

And now...

Now I couldn’t stop thinking about a stupid kiss.

Fuck, what is wrong with me?

A sharp knock on the door startled me back to my senses, and I quickly pulled my hand away, smoothing down my shirt and straightening my posture.

The door was pushed open, and Skye stepped in first, offering me a bright smile.

I sat up a little straighter, forcing a welcoming expression onto my face as the second woman stepped into the room behind her.

But the moment she cleared the doorway and the light hit her face, all the air was sucked from my lungs.

My breath caught violently in my throat, and I felt the blood drain completely from my face.

Across from me, her expression twisted into a mirror image of my own shock. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted as she whispered a single name.

"Lorelei?"

"What?" Skye asked, her face contorting in utter confusion as she looked between the two of us. She seemed completely stunned that a newly hired maid somehow knew my real name. "You two... know each other?"

She waited for an explanation, but all she received was a suffocating silence as Maya and I stared at one another.

Maya.

Of course it was Maya.

I should have known.

How could I ever forget a name that had haunted me for so long?

The memories came flooding back all at once.

I remembered being stripped, locked away, starved, and humiliated. I remembered every cruel thing that had been done to me while she stood among the countless faces that laughed, watched, and sometimes even participated.

My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides, and my entire body trembled with rage.

"Get out."

It was only two words, but they were dripping with venom. Just looking at her made me feel physically sick.

"Lorelei," she said again, tears instantly filling her eyes as she took a hesitant step farther into the room. "We... we thought you were dead. I know you hate me, but—"

The second she stepped closer, something inside me snapped.

"Get out!" I screamed, and Maya flinched violently at the sound.

"Get away from me!" I shouted, my voice shaking with fury. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Lorelei—"

"She said you should leave," Skye cut in, finally snapping out of her confusion.

Sensing the panic and fury radiating off me, she immediately stepped in front of Maya, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders and gently guiding her backward toward the open doorway.

Thankfully, it was at that exact moment that Paul returned with the pack healer.

The second Paul spotted an unfamiliar face in my room, his expression hardened instantly, transforming him back into the intimidating guard I had first met.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

His voice was cold as ice, and the harsh tone alone was enough to make Maya shriek and shrink into herself.

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!" she whispered frantically as she repeatedly bowed her head in terror before turning on her heel and hurrying down the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her.

The moment she disappeared, Paul’s anger shifted entirely toward Skye.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Paul roared, and Skye’s face immediately turned pale.

She clearly hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from him.

"I was just bringing—" she began defensively.

"No other maids are allowed in here," Paul interrupted coldly, his towering frame casting a shadow over her. "You should have known better than that."

"It’s okay," I said quickly, my voice trembling as I struggled to pull myself together. "It’s fine. She didn’t know."

Paul looked like he wanted to argue further. His chest rose and fell heavily as he fought to rein in his temper.

But then his sharp gaze lingered on my pale face for a long moment before he finally nodded stiffly.

"The healer is here," he said, stepping aside to allow the medical professional into the room. "I’ll be right outside."

Without another word, he moved to the doorway and took up his post, though the tension radiating from him made it obvious he was still furious.

Meanwhile, Skye remained frozen where she stood, looking completely shaken by the entire encounter.

While my fingers continued to dig painfully into my palms.

Maya.

Of all the people in the world, one of the people I hated most was working here in this estate.

It seemed the universe had a twisted sense of humor.