Chapter 144 - 0144
Lorelei POV
My head felt like it had been run over by a truck.
Every inch of my body ached, and I meant every single inch, as I sat alone in Kaelen’s bedroom.
Slowly, I tried to push myself off the bed and get my bearings, but the moment my feet touched the floor, my knees gave out beneath me.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I stumbled forward, grabbing the edge of the bed for support before I could hit the ground.
My legs felt like jelly, and my head pounded with a relentless, rhythmic ache that made even standing upright feel impossible.
Just as I was struggling to pull myself back to my feet, the bedroom door swung open, and Skye walked in, pushing a food cart.
The moment she saw me half-crouched on the floor, barely able to hold myself up, her eyes widened.
"Oh my Goddess!" she shrieked, abandoning the cart without a second thought and hurrying over to me, slipping an arm around my waist to help me up.
"I’m fine," I lied weakly.
The words sounded ridiculous even to my own ears as I practically collapsed against her, letting her guide me back onto the bed.
Once she was sure I was sitting comfortably, she returned to the food cart and wheeled it beside the bed.
"Talk about perfect timing," Skye said with a grin as she lifted the dome covering one of the dishes. "I finally catch Sleeping Beauty the moment she wakes up."
A rich, savory aroma instantly filled the room as steam curled up from the bowl of soup beneath the lid.
The smell alone eased the pounding in my head ever so slightly.
"The Alpha King had the kitchen make this hangover soup just for you," Skye explained as she set the bowl in front of me. "He insisted you drink it while it’s still hot."
As she spoke, she laughed softly.
"This is actually the fourth bowl I’ve brought you today. The first three ended up getting cold while you were still passed out."
"Fourth...?" I echoed, blinking at her through the haze in my head. Then a quiet groan escaped me as I dragged a shaky hand through my tangled hair. "How long was I asleep?"
"Well, it’s already a few minutes past three in the afternoon," Skye said casually.
My eyes flew wide open in absolute horror.
"Three?!" I gasped, completely stunned. How the fuck had I been asleep for that long?
Skye shot me a sly, knowing look.
"Well, it seems pretty normal, considering what you and the Alpha were up to..." she said, her voice trailing off into a mischievous chuckle.
Trying to piece everything together, I searched my hazy memories, only to hit a blank wall. I looked up at her nervously.
"How did I even get back here? The last thing I remember was... being at the club."
"Last night? Girl, you were brought back here this morning," Skye corrected, wiggling her brows while my jaw dropped.
"This morning?!" I whispered, utterly mortified. My mind instantly started conjuring the worst possible scenarios of how I must have looked while being carried through the estate.
"The Alpha literally ordered every guard and every male staff member to stand at attention with their backs to the wall when he brought you through the main entrance," Skye said excitedly, clearly enjoying every second of the gossip.
"You were wrapped up in his huge blanket, fast asleep in his arms. That’s all anyone on the estate has been talking about today. Some of the maids are even whispering that you must’ve had the witch cast some kind of spell on him to make him treat you like this."
The more she spoke, the more horrified I became.
Heat rushed into my face until my cheeks burned bright red. I buried my face in my hands, gripping my hair as I silently wished the floor would crack open and swallow me whole.
"Although it seems you’re the only one he treats nicely," Skye continued with a dramatic sigh. "He spent the entire morning terrorizing everyone, from the guards outside his chambers to the people in his office, and even the kitchen staff. It was honestly terrifying. We were all exhausted."
She pouted before resting her cheek against my shoulder, and despite my overwhelming embarrassment, a soft, breathless laugh escaped me.
A few minutes later, Skye helped me sit up against the headboard so I could slowly sip the hot hangover soup. It worked wonders, gradually clearing the heavy fog clouding my brain. But as my mind sharpened, every single vivid memory from last night came rushing back with it.
Oh, Goddess.
It all crashed into me in horrifying detail, from squirming in bed with Kaelen and shamelessly begging him to literally be rough with me, to practically throwing myself at Paul while completely out of my mind from the aphrodisiac.
This was so fucking embarrassing.
How was I ever supposed to look Paul in the eye again? I wanted to crawl back under the covers, lock myself inside this room forever, and pretend none of it had ever happened.
But the tiny rational voice in the back of my mind reminded me that the very least I owed him was a proper, sincere apology.
After changing into the fresh clothes Skye had brought me, I took a deep breath. My body still ached terribly, but I forced myself to leave Kaelen’s chambers.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to go far before I spotted Isaac and Paul standing together farther down the hallway.
The moment I saw them, a small, grateful smile instinctively tugged at my lips. It disappeared just as quickly as my brain so helpfully replayed the memory of me practically trying to jump Paul’s bones.
I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
Neither of them, however, looked like they were holding any of it against me.
"How are you feeling now, Miss?" Paul asked as he stepped forward, his usual gentle smile resting on his face.
"Better," I answered, the word coming out as little more than a squeak as I rubbed the back of my neck.
Paul’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
"That’s good to hear. I was really worried about the state you were in last night. It’s a very good thing the Alpha arrived when he did. Please, you must forgive us for not doing our job properly."
Hearing him apologize so sincerely while Isaac bowed his head beside him only made the guilt twisting in my stomach even worse. My face burned so hot I was certain it had turned crimson.
"No... no, I should be the one apologizing," I stammered, nervously wringing my hands together. "Look what I put both of you through just because I wanted to go out and have a little fun. I’m just grateful that neither of you got seriously hurt because of me. I’m so, so sorry."
The second those words left my mouth, the two guards exchanged a quick, loaded glance that immediately made my stomach sink.
"Did... did you two get in trouble?"