Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237: 0237

Kaelen POV

"I strangled her."

The words left my mouth, and everything went completely still.

My pulse immediately started hammering against my ribs, the reality of what I had just admitted hitting me all over again. Darius, meanwhile, choked on his drink. He coughed violently before slamming his glass onto the table, his entire expression changing in an instant.

Every trace of amusement vanished from his face.

His posture stiffened as his gray eyes locked onto mine, and the look in them was so cold and sharp that I barely recognized him.

"You did what?" he demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerously low whisper.

His hands curled into tight fists against the table, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was clenching them. I could see the anger building in him, but he was clearly doing everything he could to keep it under control.

I lowered my head, staring at the little bit of amber liquid left in my glass. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. The guilt sitting in my chest felt unbearable, burning through me every time I thought about what I had done.

"I had another relapse," I admitted quietly, my voice almost getting lost beneath the low hum of the lounge. "I could see Morwenna. I could hear her talking to me, whispering right in my ear. Then she was suddenly standing right in front of me, laughing in my face. I just... I lost control and attacked her."

Even saying Morwenna’s name brought everything rushing back. The memories of my past came at me all over again, ugly and violent, sending a cold shiver down my spine. I took a slow breath, forcing down the bile rising in my throat before I finally looked up.

Darius looked like he was seconds away from losing it.

If I weren’t his Alpha King and his closest friend, I honestly wasn’t sure he would’ve stopped himself from grabbing me by the throat right there.

"She’s... she’s fine, though," I quickly added. "She isn’t hurt. She’s..."

"She’s not fine!" Darius snapped. "You almost killed her!"

His voice echoed through the quiet lounge before he caught himself.

He grabbed the bottle and poured himself another drink, but his hands were shaking so badly that some of the liquor nearly spilled over the rim. He downed the entire glass in one go before slamming it onto the table.

"Damn it, Kaelen."

He dragged a hand down his face, breathing hard as he tried to get his anger under control.

"Fuck!" he finally growled, shaking his head in frustration.

I went completely quiet, staring down at my drink. The amber liquid shimmered under the dim bar lights, barely moving. My own reflection stared back at me from the surface, warped and distorted, looking like a monster barely keeping itself together.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, and the shame sitting inside me was so heavy that I couldn’t bring myself to look at my best friend.

A few seconds passed, stretching into what felt like minutes. Eventually, I forced myself to put the mask back on. The same one I had worn through the worst years of my life. I straightened in my seat, lifted my chin, and forced my expression to go cold and unreadable, even though every part of me wanted to keep staring at the table and hide like a coward.

Darius raised a brow, but I continued before he could say anything. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

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