Chapter 139 - 0139
Lorelei POV
Drugged?
As the words echoed in my head, the last traces of color drained from my face.
At the same time, tiny beads of sweat began forming across my forehead while my entire body felt as though it had been set on fire from the inside out.
"W... what?"
"It’s a powerful aphrodisiac," Paul said, his voice tight as he wrapped an arm around me to keep me standing. "That bastard spiked your drink. We need to get you somewhere private immediately before it fully takes effect."
It was at that exact moment that Isaac returned, casually dusting off his knuckles.
The instant his eyes landed on my pale, sweat-soaked face and the way I was barely able to stay on my feet, his expression changed.
"She was drugged," Paul said without hesitation.
"What?" Isaac’s head snapped toward me, genuine shock flashing across his face. "How the hell did that happen? I was watching her the whole time."
"So was I," Paul replied grimly, keeping an arm firmly around my waist to steady me. "This had to be planned."
At that, Isaac’s brows drew together as the pieces fell into place. The next second, his expression darkened into something downright murderous.
Slowly, his head turned toward the bar, his eyes locking onto the handsome bartender who had served me the Midnight Orchids.
The bartender must have realized he’d been caught because the glass shaker slipped from his hands and shattered against the floor as he spun around and bolted for the back exit.
He never made it.
Isaac moved with terrifying speed.
In two long strides, he vaulted over the bar, grabbed the bartender by the back of his shirt, and slammed him face-first onto the counter with enough force to make the entire bar shake.
A sickening crack echoed through the air, and before the man could even cry out, Isaac hooked a thick forearm around his throat and pinned him there, cutting off his air.
"How much did he pay you?" Isaac growled, every word dripping with fury. "How much was your pathetic life worth to drug her?"
The bartender clawed frantically at Isaac’s arm, desperately trying to pry it away, but Isaac didn’t budge.
"P... please!" he choked out, his eyes bulging in panic. "I didn’t have a choice! He’s a powerful man! He threatened me!"
"A choice?" Isaac’s grip tightened even further, his voice dropping into something terrifyingly calm. "I’ll give you a choice."
With that, he leaned closer until his lips were almost against the bartender’s ear.
"How do you want to die tonight? Quick and painless... or slow enough that you feel every bone in your body break?"
While all of this was happening, my own condition was getting worse.
My breathing turned fast and uneven while the room spun violently around me, my thoughts scattering in every direction.
The unbearable heat burning beneath my skin only continued to grow, spreading through my body like liquid fire.
"You have to get her out of here. Now," Isaac ordered, forcefully slamming the semi-conscious bartender onto the floor behind the counter. He turned to Paul, his expression grim as his jaw clenched. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we have to inform the Alpha immediately."
The moment Kaelen’s name was mentioned, Paul’s grip around my waist tightened.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. "Fuck... we’re as good as dead."
"Do you really have to do that?" I whined, tugging restlessly at the plunging halter neckline of my dress, desperately trying to fan cool air against my burning skin. "I feel... I feel fine now."
"It’ll only be a matter of minutes before the drug fully takes effect," Paul warned, reluctantly guiding my unsteady steps away from the bar. "And with a dosage this concentrated, there’s a very high chance it’ll force you straight into heat."
What?
Pure panic slammed into me.
I had never gone into heat before in my entire life, and now it was about to happen in the middle of a crowded nightclub?
"What is going on here?"
The unmistakable, commanding voice belonged to Nala.
She emerged from the VIP corridor, the burgundy velvet of her dress slightly rumpled, making it obvious she had just finished whatever business she had been handling with her man. Her sharp golden eyes swept over my flushed face before dropping to Paul’s broad arm wrapped securely around my bare waist.
"Uhm..." Paul stammered, his breathing turning uneven as he visibly stiffened beneath her regal, lethal gaze. "Her... her drink was spiked, Your Highness. I’m trying to get her somewhere safe right now."
"Spiked?" Nala repeated, every trace of warmth vanishing from her voice, replaced by something terrifyingly cold. "How does a woman beneath your protection come to this?"
"I failed my job," Paul admitted, lowering his head in shame without loosening his hold on me. "I didn’t watch her closely enough. Please forgive me."
Nala let out a sharp, humorless scoff.
"Four warriors, and not one worthy of the title. To speak truth, I expected little, yet somehow you have offered even less."
But the instant her gaze returned to my trembling body, the icy edge in her expression melted into genuine concern. She stepped closer and pressed the back of her cool hand against my clammy forehead, only to pull it away a second later.
"A portion of this blame belongs to me as well," she muttered under her breath, a rare flicker of guilt flashing across her golden eyes. "Do not stand there staring at her. Take her upstairs to one of the VIP suites. Lock the door. We will speak after she breathes safely again."
She turned toward Isaac, her expression twisting into a cruel, predatory snarl as her eyes blazed a brilliant gold.
"Is this the brave soul who thought himself worthy enough to lay a hand on a woman under my protection?" she asked, staring down at the half-conscious bartender pinned beneath Isaac’s iron grip, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
"No, Your Highness," Isaac replied, giving the man’s throat a brief, merciless squeeze to silence another whimper. "He’s just the rat who was paid to spike her drink."
"Then there is another?" Nala mused, one perfectly arched brow lifting higher as a sinister smile slowly spread across her face. "Good. Lead me to him. I have a curiosity to satisfy, and I believe every bone in his body holds an answer."
With a curt nod, Isaac yanked the whimpering bartender to his feet by the collar before shoving him forward, forcing him to lead the way toward the back exit where Julian had been dragged.
Meanwhile, Paul didn’t waste another second. Supporting most of my weight, he tightened his grip around my waist and hurried me toward the private staircase, practically carrying me as my legs grew weaker with every step.
By the time we reached one of the locked VIP suites a few agonizing minutes later, the drug had completely taken over.
My thoughts had dissolved into a hazy, feverish blur, and every inch of my skin burned with unbearable sensitivity. Even the brush of my dress against my body sent shivers racing through me.
"Kiss me," I pleaded breathlessly, throwing my arms around Paul’s neck and pressing myself against his broad chest.
Paul immediately turned his face away.
His hands shot to my wrists, gripping them firmly as he tried to pry me off without hurting me.
"Miss, please... try to control yourself," he said through gritted teeth as he stumbled backward until his back hit the heavy door behind him.
His entire body had gone rigid. Every muscle was visibly tense as he fought to keep me at arm’s length while desperately holding on to what little composure he had left.
"It’s barely been a week since I recovered," he groaned, his face flushing a deep crimson. "Do you really want to get me beheaded by the Alpha King?"
But I couldn’t bring myself to care.
All I wanted was for the unbearable burning heat inside me to go away.