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.
My brows knitted together in fond amusement as I gently nudged Skye with my shoulder. "I promise you she’s not. She’s just a little intimidated by you. You know, with your whole female Alpha aura and all that."
"Intimidated by me?" Raven chuckled, clearly amused by the idea.
Skye finally shot me a quick, embarrassed glare, making me bite back a smile.
"There’s really no reason to be intimidated by me," Raven assured her warmly. "I don’t bite. Well, unless I really have to. And if Lorelei told you so much about me, she should have also mentioned that I’m actually extremely chill."
"She... she actually did," Skye admitted, her posture relaxing a little.
"See? There’s nothing to worry about." Raven folded her arms, looking between the two of us with an easy smile. "So, what do you plan to do once you actually leave this place?"
I leaned in slightly at the question, equally curious to hear what Skye had to say.
With a faint, breathy laugh, she shook her head. "Honestly? I have no idea. I’m still processing the fact that my freedom is actually real. I haven’t even been able to think that far ahead yet." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice softening. "But there has been one thing I’ve always wished for, ever since I was a little girl."
My brows knitted together in surprise. We had spent countless late nights talking about everything, yet she had never mentioned this dream to me before.
"Which is...?" Raven prompted, noticing her hesitation and giving her an encouraging smile.
Skye let out a heavy exhale, a faint blush creeping up her neck before she finally admitted, "Opening a small coffee shop."
"A coffee shop?" Raven and I both blurted out at the same time.
Immediately, Skye raised her hands as though she needed to defend herself, her cheeks turning even redder as she rushed to explain. "I mean, it’s nothing huge or grand. Just a quiet, cozy little place where people can sit and talk. Somewhere warm where people can relax. It just seemed like a comfortable way to earn a decent living, you know?"
Raven studied her for a moment, and the amusement in her eyes slowly softened into a genuine smile. "I think that’s a really wonderful dream, Skye. And honestly, with a few strings pulled, that could easily become a reality."
Her eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, she simply stared at Raven. "Are you... are you saying...?"
Raven nodded confidently. "Once we officially leave this estate and get you settled, I can take care of the arrangements and funding for you."
"Oh my goodness..." Skye covered her mouth with both hands, her voice trembling as she struggled to process what she had just heard. "I... I can’t believe this."
Despite the sadness that still lingered inside me, I couldn’t help but smile. Somehow, I could believe it. This was the same woman who had risked everything and gone against our entire pack just to save my life, so helping Skye start a new life was hardly surprising.
"Thank you... thank you so much, Miss Raven!" The tears returned to Skye’s eyes as she immediately started lowering herself into another deep bow.
Before she could even bend her knees, Raven caught her by the forearms and gently pulled her back up, laughing softly. "Alright, alright, enough with the bowing. It’s just what I do."
The rest of the night passed in a pleasant blur. Once Skye became more comfortable around Raven, their conversation began to flow so naturally that there were moments when I didn’t even need to join in.
They talked, laughed, and gradually became so engrossed in each other’s company that I found myself simply watching them with a small smile.
It warmed my heart to see two people I cared about so deeply, each from completely different Chapters of my life, getting along so well.
And I allowed myself to simply enjoy the moment without thinking about anything else.
While they were in the middle of sharing another laugh, I noticed a tall figure walking alone in the distance toward the eastern gardens. Even from where I stood, I immediately recognized him by the way he carried himself. There was something naturally commanding about Prince Kalu that made him easy to recognize, even from afar.
At first, I decided to look away and leave him alone. It was already late, and ever since the ritual, he had mostly kept to himself while recovering. It made sense to give him some space.
But just as I was about to turn my attention back to Raven and Skye, a single word suddenly came to mind.
"Vekhara."