Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169: 0169

Kaelen POV

"Lorelei has been through a lot."

Those were Raven’s exact words before Lorelei arrived, her voice unusually heavy as we discussed releasing the innocent women who had been trafficked here.

"It’s not my place to tell you the details, but just know she has suffered so much, more than you could ever imagine. So whatever decision you make, please, Alpha... put her first."

Her words immediately took me back to the night I had watched Lorelei cry in her sleep.

After everything the healer had told me, it was impossible not to realize just how much she must have suffered before she ever came to this estate, and knowing that only made the guilt over how I had treated her feel even fucking worse.

I felt like shit.

And that was exactly why I was doing this.

Telling Lorelei I was letting her go was probably the hardest thing I had ever done. It felt like I was ripping myself apart from the inside, but I kept reminding myself that it was for her own good. Still, no matter how many times I told myself that, the guilt wouldn’t fucking go away.

I had already arranged enough money and a secure estate far away from here to make sure she would never have to worry about her future again, but somehow, it still didn’t feel like enough.

I wanted to give her something else, anything that might make up for even a fraction of the damage I had caused her. That was why I had asked her directly if there was anything else she wanted.

"There is one thing I want," she said, her tone suddenly serious.

My posture straightened immediately. "What?" I asked, and despite my best effort, there was a faint edge of eagerness in my voice.

"I want you to give Skye her freedom, too."

The words hit me like a slap.

I quickly forced my disappointment back behind the blank expression I had perfected over the years and stared at her. Beside her, even Raven turned toward Lorelei in visible surprise.

What she was asking for was not a small thing. Maids who were brought here to serve out criminal sentences were never simply allowed to walk free, especially not without completing the terms of their punishment.

As if sensing my hesitation and fearing I would refuse, she quickly rushed to explain herself, her voice filled with desperation. "If I leave, there will be no one here to protect her. She was treated horribly before I arrived, and I’m terrified that the moment I’m gone, everything will start all over again. She’s... she’s become such a huge part of my life, and I can’t just leave her behind. So please, Alpha..."

Fuck.

Hearing that formal title come so easily from her lips, without even a second thought, hit me harder than it should have.

Her voice dropped into a quiet whisper, but she never looked away. She kept her eyes locked onto mine, refusing to back down even though I could see the desperation written all over her face.

"Grant me this. Let Skye be free."

Under normal circumstances, I would have shut that request down immediately. Skye was still considered a criminal, and if I simply granted her freedom, every other maid in the estate could start thinking they deserved the same treatment.

But Lorelei was now my exception.

"Okay," I said quietly.

It was an old tradition that had been going on for centuries, one where the packs gathered under the full moon to reaffirm their loyalty to the throne and, at least in theory, remind everyone that we were supposed to be one united territory.

These days, it was mostly an excuse for Alphas to show off their wealth, exchange fake smiles, and kiss each other’s asses while pretending they weren’t secretly plotting against one another.

And because I was the Alpha King, I had the pleasure of hosting the entire fucking thing every year.

A bitter sigh escaped me as I leaned farther back into my chair.

Just a few weeks ago, I had actually been looking forward to it.

I had imagined bringing Lorelei with me as my guest. I had even commissioned a dress from one of the best designers in the territory, secretly imagining what she would look like standing beside me beneath the moonlight.

Now, that dress was probably going to sit untouched in some closet while the woman I had bought it for prepared to leave my life.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh and dragged a hand over my face.

What the hell had I been thinking?

In a few days, Lorelei would be gone, and I would be right back where I had always been.

Alone.

Just me, my crown, and Darius standing beside me while I pretended I didn’t give a damn.