Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 134

Chapter 134: 0134

Lorelei POV

"Well, I..." I stammered, completely at a loss for words.

The truth was, I didn’t know.

From the very beginning, Raven’s plan had been for me to disappear, assume a new identity, and build an entirely new life in hiding. I was never supposed to face my past. I had buried that part of myself the very day I rejected Jaxen. How could I possibly stand before him again? Or anyone else from my old life?

Nala slowly shook her head, reading the answer written all over my face before I could even speak it.

"You are not running," she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You are merely allowing fear to choose your path. That ends tonight. You are coming with me whether it pleases you or not."

My eyes widened.

"But..."

Nala raised a slender hand, silencing me before I could protest.

"I do not know how your people taught honor, or if your wounds have stripped you of your manners," she said, her voice completely devoid of its usual theatrical warmth. "But where I come from, a promise is a thread. Once placed in another’s hand, it is not meant to be cut whenever it becomes inconvenient. I have kept my word to you. Why, then, do you choose to abandon yours to me?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out.

Because she was right.

She still hadn’t told Kaelen about my lie. If she decided I couldn’t be trusted, it would take only a single conversation with him to ruin things for me.

At that thought, my shoulders sagged in defeat.

Releasing a long, miserable sigh, I lowered my gaze and whispered, "Fine. I’ll go."

The change in her was immediate.

The icy sternness vanished from her face as though it had never existed, replaced by a radiant smile that lit up the entire room.

"Now those are words worth hearing," she exclaimed happily. "Come. Sit beside me."

Before I could react, she reached for my hand and practically pulled me onto the plush daybed beside her.

"You should feed your body before we spend the evening poisoning it with questionable liquids tonight," she said with a playful grin.

Then she leaned toward the fruit platter, picked up a bright, oddly shaped starfruit, and pressed it into my hand. I accepted it awkwardly while her guards stepped forward and quietly began serving food for both of us.

****

I couldn’t tell if Kaelen was genuinely happy about my decision when I walked back into his office to break the news.

Only a few minutes ago, I had insisted I didn’t want to go. Now that I had suddenly changed my mind, his expression remained unnaturally calm. He agreed without hesitation, but the restless tapping of his fingers against the desk and the slight crease between his brows betrayed what he was really feeling.

Darius again insisted that I take two additional guards with us. Earlier that day, I had thought the idea was completely absurd, but now, knowing my mother was somewhere in the city, I welcomed the extra protection.

Leaving the estate was a huge risk.

But it was one I had to take if I wanted to keep my promise to Nala.

Out of the two dresses Darius had bought for me, I chose the sleek black bodycon mini dress.

It featured a plunging halter neckline with a daring cutout across the front, held together by nothing more than a few delicate straps. Paired with matching black strappy heels, the outfit felt bold without crossing into anything overly revealing.

Skye had also gone out of her way to style my hair, sweeping it into a polished vintage topknot. A few carefully curled tendrils framed my face and neck, drawing attention to the open halter neckline in a way that somehow looked elegant rather than dramatic.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify