Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114: 0114

Lorelei POV

I was so anxious I could barely lift my head. To think I hadn’t even greeted them properly, even after Skye had spent the last thirty minutes drilling proper etiquette into me. Still... they didn’t seem to mind, right?

Even though my gaze remained fixed on the empty plate in front of me, I could still feel four pairs of eyes resting on me.

Kaelen’s was easily the heaviest.

"You look really beautiful tonight," Darius whispered beside me.

I lifted my head to look at him.

"Thank you," I whispered back, forcing a small smile.

I knew that if there was a chance Kaelen was the enemy, then there was also a chance Darius was involved.

Yet I still felt strangely at ease around him.

Maybe it was because I wasn’t sleeping with him. I didn’t carry the crushing weight of expectations that came with giving myself to a man, especially one who had already hurt me once before.

I only saw Darius as a friend, if that was even the right word for whatever this was, and somehow, he had become a source of comfort.

Would I be hurt if it turned out Darius had been involved in the betrayal?

Yes.

But compared to Kaelen...

The thought of Kaelen being involved made something inside my chest ache in a way I couldn’t even begin to explain. It wasn’t just pain. It was deeper than that. Sharper. The kind that settled beneath my ribs and refused to leave.

Maybe that was why every instinct inside me wanted to disappear. My body was desperately trying to protect itself before it was given another reason to break.

My gaze drifted toward the head of the table only to find Kaelen already looking directly at me.

His amber eyes were darker than usual, filled with an expression I had never seen on him before. His jaw was locked so tightly that the muscles flexed beneath his skin, and one hand rested on the table, clenched into a white-knuckled fist.

"Since the woman has finally arrived," Princess Nala said, cutting through the suffocating silence.

My gaze immediately shifted to her.

"What is it we are waiting for?" she continued with a faint smirk. "Let us eat."

She leaned slightly toward her brother, the smile on her lips growing just enough to reveal her amusement. He was already looking at me with that same quiet, unreadable expression.

Even sitting across the table, the royal witch twins were every bit as breathtaking as they were intimidating.

"Let’s eat," Kaelen said flatly.

As if on cue, the maids stepped forward in perfect unison, uncovering the silver platters one after another. The rich aroma of savory sauces, roasted herbs, and perfectly seasoned meats immediately filled the dining hall.

"Try this. You’ll like it," Darius whispered.

He picked up the serving spoon and carefully placed a generous portion of slow roasted honey glazed venison onto my plate.

I took a small, hesitant bite before my eyes lit up with surprise.

"It’s really good," I murmured.

Darius’s smile widened, warmth softening his features.

"It’s my favorite dish here."

"You have really good taste," I said with a quiet laugh.

Little by little, the tension wrapped around my chest began to loosen.

I knew it.

I knew sitting beside Darius would help me relax.

Unfortunately, that fragile sense of peace didn’t last very long.

Clank.

The loud, deliberate sound of Kaelen setting his glass down on the table made me flinch, and every conversation around the table died instantly.

"There is a reason I invited you to join us for dinner tonight," Kaelen drawled, his voice dropping into a low, commanding register as those piercing amber eyes settled on me.

My stomach tightened, and every bit of the nervousness I had just managed to shake off came rushing back.

Why was he looking at me like that?

Had I done something wrong?

Was I supposed to say something instead of simply eating?

But how was I supposed to know? This was my first time dining in a formal hall surrounded by foreign royalty.

All I could do was hold his intense gaze while I waited for him to continue.

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