Chapter 145 - 0145
Lorelei POV
"Did... did you two get in trouble?" I asked nervously, my voice rising a little.
"Well..." Isaac drawled, rubbing the back of his neck. "We did fail to keep you safe from a foreign substance."
"But that wasn’t even your fault!" I protested, immediately jumping to their defense. "It’s not like either of you handed me the drink!"
At that, Isaac let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
"The Alpha argued that if it had been a fatal poison instead of an aphrodisac, you would’ve been dead right now. And honestly..." He shrugged lightly. "He’s not wrong. Negligence on that level could’ve cost you your life."
Why was he speaking like this was the most normal thing ever? But honestly, as harsh as his reasoning sounded, I couldn’t even argue with it.
It made sense in a messed-up way, but that didn’t stop a crushing wave of guilt from flooding my chest.
The horror on my face must have been obvious because Paul immediately stepped in, offering me a reassuring smile.
"Please don’t blame yourself too much, Miss. It’s only thirty lashes. Considering the circumstances, the Alpha is actually showing us mercy." He let out a sheepish laugh before adding, "Although... my back is definitely going to hate me for a while afterward."
Thirty lashes.
Because of me.
My chest tightened so painfully it became hard to breathe.
He had already been punished once before. He had only just recovered, and now this? Was this my curse finally manifesting by hurting the innocent people around me?
Then something inside me shifted, and a fierce spark of determination flared to life in my chest.
They hadn’t been punished yet.
That meant there was still time.
Maybe... just maybe... if I begged Kaelen enough, I could convince him to let it go.
"Where’s the Alpha?" I asked, straightening despite every muscle in my body protesting the movement.
"In his office," Paul replied, blinking at the sudden determination in my voice.
That was all I needed to hear.
Without another word, I spun on my heel and hurried down the corridor toward his office as fast as my sore body would allow, fully prepared to fight tooth and nail for my guards.
By the time I reached Kaelen’s office, my steps gradually slowed.
From behind the closed office doors came the unmistakable sound of someone being shouted at, followed by the muffled, pitiful sobs of a grown man. I froze just outside the entrance, every ounce of the courage I’d painstakingly built up evaporating in an instant.
Maybe this wasn’t the best time.
Maybe I should come back later when he wasn’t this dangerously angry. I could just head back to his chambers, wait for him to cool off, and talk to him when he returned.
Yes.
That sounded far more logical.
And significantly safer for my overall health.
But the moment I turned on my heel to retreat, the office door suddenly swung open.
A slightly bruised, disheveled man stepped out, hurriedly wiping the blood from the corner of his lip. Judging by his appearance, he had clearly just received both a vicious scolding and a beating.
The instant he spotted me, his eyes widened, and he immediately straightened before lowering his head in a respectful bow.
"Good afternoon, Miss Ella," he greeted nervously.
"Afternoon," I replied with an awkward nod, doing my best to slip past him and continue my very strategic, life-threatening retreat.
"Where do you think you’re going?"
The deep, rumbling voice cut through the hallway with effortless authority, bringing me to an immediate halt.
Slowly, I turned my head.
Kaelen stood beside his massive desk with his arms folded across his broad chest. His dark amber eyes were locked onto mine with an unwavering intensity that made it painfully obvious there would be no escaping this conversation.
"Didn’t you come all the way here to see me?" he asked, taking a slow, deliberate step toward me.
I reluctantly turned to face him fully, forcing myself to stand a little straighter as I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from wincing. Every tiny movement sent a sharp ache through my sore body and already aching core that made me silently curse the timing of all this.
"Come in," he said, his voice deceptively calm.
I swallowed hard before taking a slow, steadying breath.
Then, holding it, I stepped into his spacious office.
After quietly closing the door behind me, I stayed near the entrance, deliberately leaving a very generous amount of space between us.
"You shouldn’t be out of bed right now," he said, his voice dropping an octave as his eyes swept over my pale face before lingering on my unsteady stance.
It didn’t help that facing him again after everything we’d done last night was painfully awkward. And why did he look so ridiculously calm while I was standing here feeling like a flustered, overheated mess?
Fidgeting nervously with my fingers, I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"I’ve been asleep all morning. I’m... I’m fine."
He gave a slow nod, his amber eyes never leaving mine as he asked, "Have you eaten?"
With every word that left his mouth, he took another slow, measured step toward me, moving with the quiet, predatory grace of a man trying not to startle a frightened cat. Somehow, that only made my pulse race even faster.
"A little," I admitted honestly.
But a faint twitch tightening his jaw made it painfully obvious he wasn’t pleased with that answer. Even so, he kept his composure and simply gave another nod.
When he finally stopped an arm’s length away, he lowered his gaze to meet mine.
"So," he said, his voice deceptively calm, "why are you here? And don’t tell me it’s because of your guards."
My heart skipped a violent beat.
"Actually..." I trailed off, instinctively shrinking beneath his piercing gaze.
His expression darkened almost immediately, a shadow settling over his sharp features. It was as if he had expected that exact answer all along, yet hearing the beginning of it aloud still managed to irritate him.
"No."