Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171: 0171

Lorelei POV

My mind was still reeling from how strangely Darius had acted as I made my way back down the quiet corridor toward my room.

Even though he had apologized, the desperate way he had buried his face against my neck was completely out of character for him. I shook my head, forcing myself not to overthink it as I pushed open my bedroom door, eager to finally tell Skye the news about her freedom.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed when I walked in, and the moment I told her she was free, she simply stared at me with wide eyes, as though she couldn’t understand what I had just said.

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head repeatedly. "You’re joking. You have to be joking. And it’s really not funny."

"Why would I ever joke about something like that? You’re no longer a maid here. You really are free, Skye," I replied softly as I walked over to her.

I sat beside her and explained everything that had happened, including my conversation with Kaelen and how he had decided to release her from her sentence.

She listened without saying a word, but as my words slowly sank in, tears filled her brown eyes. Despite how weak she still was, she quickly got to her feet, stumbled slightly, and threw her arms around my neck.

"What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?" she sobbed against my shoulder, her voice breaking as she held onto me. "Thank you... thank you so much, Lorelei. God, I wish I could repay you. I wish I could actually make it up to you."

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her just as tightly.

"You staying alive is more than enough of a gift for me, Skye. I just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you behind alone in this place."

The second those words left my mouth, Skye went completely still in my arms.

She slowly pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks as her brows knitted together in confusion. "Wait... what do you mean, leaving me behind?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and began explaining the rest of the meeting, telling her how Kaelen had made the firm decision to set all the innocent women free, including me.

"We’ll both be leaving this estate together in a few days," I said, forcing a reassuring smile despite the ache in my chest. "Just like... just like I’ve always wanted."

She stared at me for a moment, clearly seeing through the smile I was trying so hard to maintain. Skye knew me well enough to notice the slight tremor in my voice and the heartbreak I couldn’t completely hide from her. She knew I wasn’t nearly as happy about leaving as I was pretending to be.

Instead of saying anything, she simply leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me again, holding me tightly as though she could somehow take away the pain I was trying so desperately to hide.

****

"Skye, this is Raven, my savior, the one I told you so much about," I said as I introduced them, the three of us standing outside in the courtyard while the cool night air surrounded us.

Raven’s face immediately lit up at my words, making me chuckle softly before I turned toward Skye. "And Raven, this is Skye, my friend and resident troublemaker."

I expected a sharp comeback from her the moment the word troublemaker left my mouth, but instead, her entire face turned red. She awkwardly lowered her head before suddenly bending into such a deep bow that I almost laughed.

"Miss... Miss Raven... it’s, um..."

"Oh, there’s absolutely no need for formalities with me," Raven cut in, stepping forward and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "A friend of Lorelei’s is a friend of mine. Besides, didn’t you just wake up from being poisoned? You shouldn’t be bowing to anyone."

"Ah..." Skye murmured, still struggling to meet Raven’s blue eyes.

Maybe it was because she knew from everything I’d told her that Raven was an enforcer and a powerful female Alpha in her own right, or perhaps it was simply her instinct as someone who had spent so long as a captive, but she still seemed nervous around her.

Even as Raven extended her hand, Skye hesitated for a moment before finally taking it, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Your friend is really shy, Lorelei," Raven teased, shooting me a playful smirk as Skye nervously fidgeted with her fingers.

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