Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Chapter 98: 0098

Lorelei POV

Oh God.

Oh goodness.

What was that? What the hell was that?

The questions screamed through my head as I practically power-walked down the hallway.

Behind me, Isaac wore a thoroughly confused expression as he hurried to keep up with my sudden, frantic change of pace.

I had literally just insisted that I needed to go to Kaelen’s office to properly thank him one more time for letting Paul go. But who would’ve thought I’d walk in on him and his Beta being... that intimate?

So...

the Alpha King was actually gay?

But that didn’t make any sense. He had kissed me. He had slept with me.

Except...

I gasped, clutching my chest as a memory slammed into me like a freight train.

"Because you are a..."

Those were his exact words from the night I got lost in the woods. He had never gotten to finish that sentence, but thinking back on it now... did he mean because I was a girl?

My eyes widened.

That would explain so much.

It explained why we had only slept together twice. The first time, he had been heavily drugged, and the second time was in his office, where Darius had just so happened to conveniently walk in on us.

It explained the ridiculously thick tension between the two of them every time I was around.

It explained why neither of them ever had women by their sides.

Who knew?

Maybe that was the real reason his mate had left him in the first place.

The more I thought about it, the more everything started falling into place.

Oh my God.

The signs were practically slapping me across the face.

The Alpha King was gay.

And he was secretly tangled up in some messy relationship with his own Beta.

"Hey!"

My heart shot straight into my throat at the sound of Kaelen’s deep voice echoing down the corridor.

I glanced over my shoulder for only a split second, just long enough to catch sight of him striding toward me with an intense look on his face.

Panic exploded inside my chest, and without thinking, I immediately picked up my pace until I was practically sprinting down the hallway.

"Stop right there!" he commanded.

The surrounding guards reacted instantly to the Alpha command in his voice. They stepped into my path before I could get any farther, cutting off every possible escape route.

Well... crap.

I cursed silently under my breath before slowly turning around to face him.

He was already standing right in front of me.

Before I could even get a single word out, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled me into a secluded corner before pinning me gently against the wall.

"I’m so sorry!" I blurted, the words tumbling out in a panicked rush. "I didn’t mean to walk in on you! I didn’t mean to see that! I swear to the Moon Goddess I won’t tell a single soul!"

"Enough," Kaelen interrupted sharply.

His grip remained firm but careful around my wrist as he leaned closer until his amber eyes were level with mine.

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it.

"Whatever you’re thinking right now," he said slowly, "stop thinking it."

"That you’re gay?" I whispered before I could stop myself, my voice barely audible.

Kaelen’s eyes widened.

The next second, his hand clamped firmly over my mouth.

"I’m not," he said through gritted teeth, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "I am not gay. You completely misunderstood what you saw."

I just stared back at him with wide, unconvinced eyes.

Apparently, my expression said everything, because a frustrated growl rumbled from deep in his chest.

He pulled his hand away from my mouth, and before I could even inhale to argue, he suddenly bent down and scooped me cleanly off my feet.

My eyes widened in absolute horror.

He casually carried me through the main hallway as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

Dozens of guards and maids turned to look at us. Several of them outright stopped walking, and more than a few jaws actually dropped.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, keeping my voice low despite the panic bubbling inside me as I pushed against his broad chest. "Put me down!"

Instead of listening, his hold around me tightened just enough to pin my arms against my sides, making it impossible to struggle.

"You clearly don’t believe me," Kaelen muttered, his voice low and dangerously calm as he continued striding down the corridor without slowing. "So I’m going to have to prove it to you."

His gaze shifted to me for a brief second before returning forward.

"Besides," he added matter-of-factly, "it’s been a while anyway."

Hearing those words and following the exact direction he was heading, my face instantly burned with so much heat that I was sure I looked like a tomato. I realized exactly what he was implying, and that realization only made the embarrassment ten times worse.

The lingering stares from the maids passing by weren’t helping either.

Completely mortified, I had no choice but to bury my burning face against the crook of his shoulder, hoping desperately I could somehow disappear.

Compared to that night in the woods, this felt a thousand times more embarrassing. At least back then, it had been dark, and we had been surrounded by strangers I would probably never see again.

This time, I actually lived here.

These were the same people I would run into every single day.

And they were all watching me get carried straight toward the Alpha King’s private chambers.

Wonderful.

*

"I’m not gay," Kaelen said again the second he set me down on the massive mattress.

"I believe you," I stammered as I quickly tried to get back to my feet.

"Sit."

The single word carried enough authority, and paired with the look he gave me, it made my legs buckle before I could even think. I dropped right back onto the edge of the bed.

"No," he said, his amber eyes fixed on mine. "You don’t."

"You don’t have to be ashamed of who you are," I blurted out, hoping he’d realize I genuinely didn’t care. "If you’re only doing this because of Darius, I don’t mind. We can just talk this through and come up with a better arrangement."

There was no reason for him to go to such ridiculous lengths just to hide who he really was.

Besides, he was the Alpha King.

Who would dare question him?

Unfortunately, the words I’d hoped would reassure him seemed to have the exact opposite effect.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath, and before I could even blink, his hands were already fumbling frantically with the belt of his pants. In one swift motion, he freed himself, pulling out his thick cock right in front of my face.

"Here," he snapped. "Now do I look gay to you?"