Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 137

Chapter 137: 0137

Lorelei POV

After the first song ended, I could finally feel the alcohol beginning to settle in, leaving my head pleasantly light, though I was still nowhere near drunk. I pulled away from the stranger with a polite smile and a small nod.

Without missing a beat, he turned his attention to another woman as the heavy rhythm of the next song filled the club.

"I need to use the restroom," I said to Paul, raising my voice just enough to be heard over the music.

He nodded immediately and stepped ahead of me, using his broad frame to clear a path through the packed dance floor so I could walk through without being jostled. Since it was the women’s restroom, however, he stopped outside and let me go in alone.

After finishing, I stood at the sink, washing my hands before leaning closer to the mirror.

The dim lighting softened my reflection, while the alcohol had left my eyes a little brighter than usual. A quiet laugh escaped me.

I had literally just danced with another man.

If Kaelen had been here to see that, he would have been absolutely furious.

The ridiculous thought made me pause.

A strange ache twisted in my chest as an even more ridiculous realization quietly surfaced.

I almost wished he had been here.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, the image of Nala shoving that man onto the leather couch flashed through my head.

Only this time, it wasn’t Nala and the stranger.

It was Kaelen and me.

Heat rushed straight to my face.

"Oh, Moon Goddess."

I quickly shook my head and dried my hands, desperately trying to erase the embarrassing thought before it could settle any deeper.

The second I stepped back into the hallway, I found Paul standing exactly where I’d left him, guarding the entrance with his usual stoic expression.

"Don’t you think this looks a little creepy?" I asked as I walked over to him, noticing several women shooting him wary looks as they walked past.

Honestly, could I even blame them?

It was a nightclub, and there was a huge, intimidating man standing ramrod straight outside the women’s restroom like a bodyguard guarding classified government secrets. His presence alone was enough to make anyone think something suspicious was going on.

Paul blinked, clearly caught off guard by my comment. But the moment he followed my gaze to the women walking past with uncomfortable expressions, realization dawned on him.

His posture immediately stiffened.

"I... I didn’t think about that," he admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I’ll keep a little more distance from now on."

With that, he took several steps back into the main hallway, giving the restroom entrance a much less intimidating amount of space.

I simply shrugged before walking past him and making my way toward the main bar.

Sliding onto one of the tall leather stools, I rested my elbows against the polished counter, and the bartender turned to me.

He had sharp, attractive features and messy dark hair. For the briefest second, something about the line of his jaw reminded me of Kaelen, making my eyes linger on him a little longer than they probably should have.

"What can I get you?" he asked with an easy smile.

"Your best alcoholic drink," I replied, leaning forward slightly.

I didn’t even have a single cent on me, but I figured Paul could easily cover whatever I ordered.

The bartender’s smile widened as his eyes briefly swept over my outfit.

It was a strange way to start a conversation. Did people actually open with, I’ve been watching you, at clubs? Then again, with the pleasant buzz of alcohol humming through my system, I couldn’t bring myself to care enough to question it.

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