Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: 0217

Jaxen POV

"That’s it!"

I didn’t even realize I’d started growling until Elara’s shrill, panicked voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

She had stopped pacing, throwing both hands into the air in frustration. "None of this makes any sense! The Alpha King has been without a woman for years, ever since that whore of a mate left him. There is no fucking way he’d suddenly choose a cursed, exiled girl as his new Queen!"

"That’s enough," I snapped, shooting her a glare cold enough to make her freeze.

Since taking over as Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, I’d grown far more confident in myself. I finally had the power and respect I’d always known I deserved, and people treated me accordingly. If Lorelei hadn’t betrayed me, I really would’ve kept my promise to protect her from everyone who looked down on her.

She simply hadn’t been willing to wait until I had enough power to do it.

Elara flinched at my tone, but then seemed to remember that her husband was still the pack’s Beta since I hadn’t found a suitable replacement yet. Whatever fear had crossed her face disappeared almost immediately, and she straightened again.

"You know I’m right, Jaxen!" she insisted. "The Alpha King is ruthless and cold, probably worse than his father ever was. He’s not the kind of man who gets swayed just because a woman has a pretty face. So why would he choose her of all people?"

That was the exact question I’d been asking myself all fucking night.

What could the Alpha King possibly see in Lorelei that had made him so fiercely protective of her?

I’d watched the way he’d looked at her at the banquet. The way he’d positioned himself between her and me. The way his entire demeanor had changed the moment he thought she was in danger.

That wasn’t simple attraction.

There had to be something more.

"What if..." Callista’s voice came quietly from the sofa, hesitant enough that I almost missed it. "What if she seduced him?"

My blood ran cold.

I turned toward her as she slowly lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes wide with what looked like innocent concern.

"I mean, she did it before, didn’t she?" she continued carefully. "When she chose to run away with that strange man... who knows how many men she might have slept with just to clear a path for herself and get the Alpha King to notice her?"

Her words settled heavily over the room.

And for some reason, instead of anger, a bitter knot formed in my stomach.

Because as much as I hated the thought, a small, ugly part of me couldn’t stop wondering if she was right.

The mere suggestion that countless other men might have touched Lorelei made my vision go red. The thought of her willingly giving herself to other men while turning me down made my stomach twist violently. My claws lengthened before I could stop them, digging into my palms until warm blood began to pool between my fingers.

Lorelei, how fucking disgusting could you be?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify