Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 106

Chapter 106: 0106

Kaelen POV

"Shai’ren, Nae Ekan varo." (Look at that, my twin.) Kalu said, leaning back in his leather chair the second we stepped inside the dimly lit chamber. "The King chooses now to remember we exist."

His tone dripped with sarcasm, a sharp, teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Keeping my expression neutral, I offered a polite, measured smile before bowing my head respectfully.

"I’m deeply sorry that my arrival kept you waiting, Prince Kalu. Matters at the estate demanded my attention," I lied smoothly, while Darius raised a brow.

But Kalu only raised a hand, waving me off dismissively.

"Ah, ya, ya, ya," he said, rising to his feet as he smoothed down the front of his tunic. "Enough of that. We did not travel here for speeches and diplomacy. Though..." He looked me over with an amused smile. "Being late does not belong to you, Kaelen. It almost had me wondering if you had finally found something more interesting than curses. The bath is nearly ready, so all remains well."

"Thank you for your understanding," I replied, clasping my hands together before bowing my head once more to maintain the diplomatic front.

Only then did Princess Nala finally speak.

She was sprawled lazily across a velvet chaise lounge nearby while a young male guard knelt silently beside her, feeding her fresh green grapes one at a time. Her golden eyes, identical to her brother’s, slowly lifted to meet mine, studying me with an intense, calculating curiosity.

"Your presence carries another rhythm today, Alpha King," she observed, her voice smooth and melodic. "The unrest around your aura has grown quiet. It almost gives the impression you have found proper sleep. If that is so, why does this blood bath still call for you?"

"If that were truly the case, I wouldn’t have inconvenienced you by asking you to travel all the way from the N’zari Kingdom," I replied, letting the polite façade slip away. "My wolf is pushing me closer to the edge than I care to admit. What you’re seeing right now is nothing more than a temporary mask."

Nala chewed on her grape thoughtfully, her golden eyes narrowing as she tried to see through the defensive walls I had spent years building around myself.

"If that is what you believe," she murmured, resting her chin lightly on her hand. "Yet it is curious. A feral Alpha close to breaking should feel like a storm tearing the sky apart. You do not. It feels as though the storm has already passed."

"Let’s just say I found a temporary anchor," I replied, my chest tightening as Ella’s face flashed through my mind. "But it isn’t a permanent solution. I still need the blood bath if I’m going to keep complete control for much longer. I can’t afford to lose it."

"Alright, alright," Kalu interrupted, clapping his hands together once. Turning toward his attendants, he called out, "Zora, Amari. Evara Varazhan. Sorei na’vath." (Zora, Amari. Take the Alpha King and get him ready for the ritual.)

Immediately, two young women stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

They were dressed in sheer black linen wraps that draped over one shoulder and fell to their knees, revealing their arms and collarbones, which were adorned with intricate white tribal markings.

Unlike werewolf females, whose scent could easily provoke a feral response and destabilize my wolf, women from other supernatural races had no effect on me whatsoever. My wolf remained completely still as they escorted me out of the main hall.

Once inside the private preparation chamber, they removed my clothes, leaving only a narrow strip of black fabric secured around my waist. Afterward, they dipped their hands into a bowl filled with thick, cool charcoal paste and carefully painted dark ceremonial symbols across my chest, shoulders, arms, and back.

When the preparations were complete, they led me into the ritual chamber.

The room was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by dozens of thick black candles whose flames danced across the ancient stone walls. At the center of the chamber rested a massive hollowed stone tub, wisps of steam curling lazily from the clear water.

Kalu was already waiting beside it, dressed in nothing more than a pair of loose, low-slung dark trousers.

Standing beside him was Princess Nala.

A short length of sheer fabric was wrapped securely around her hips, while her chest was concealed beneath her thick, waist-length white braids and layers of heavy golden chains draped across her collarbones.

A thin black veil covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her glowing golden eyes visible through the dim candlelight.

I walked toward the bath, following a ritual I had gone through countless times over the years.

Stepping over the stone ledge, I lowered myself into the steaming water until it reached my chest, allowing the heat to settle over my skin.

Kalu moved to the edge of the tub and slowly closed his eyes. A low, rhythmic chant rolled from his lips in an ancient language that had long been forgotten by most of the world. With one swift motion, he drew a small silver blade across his palm before holding his bleeding hand above the water.

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