Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Chapter 5: 0005

Lorelei POV

Crash!

The jug slipped from my fingers, shattering against the floor.

Hot soup splashed over my bare feet, scalding my skin, but I barely felt it.

The room went deathly quiet.

All I could hear was my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Jaxen.

My Jaxen.

No.

No, she was lying.

Liar.

The word screamed inside my head so loudly I thought it might escape my lips.

Liar. Liar. Liar.

But I couldn’t speak.

Jaxen wouldn’t do that to me.

There had to be some mistake.

"You stupid girl!" Harlan roared, crossing the room in three long strides. Before I could react, his palm slammed against my cheek.

My head snapped sideways, and fresh blood filled my mouth where my teeth cut into my lip, but I bit back the pain.

"Look at what you’ve done!" he spat, gesturing to the mess at my feet.

He was furious with Callista, but taking his anger out on me was easier.

"Clean this shit up and get your filthy self out of here."

My hands shook as I dropped to my knees and began gathering the broken shards, each piece digging into my fingers like tiny knives.

I gathered everything into my apron before rushing toward the door, but I didn’t leave.

How could I?

It was my mate they were talking about, and I wanted to hear Callista get proven wrong.

I pressed myself against the slightly opened door and listened.

"How could you get pregnant?!" my father shouted. This was the most furious I had ever seen him. "Do you have any idea what this looks like? You aren’t even mated. You aren’t even married. The entire pack will talk. My name will be dragged through the mud."

Callista sobbed loudly in my mother’s arms, each cry piercing through me like a needle.

"I’m sorry, Papa," she cried, her voice trembling. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen."

My mother murmured something too soft for me to hear as she stroked Callista’s hair.

Jaxen had already been called the moment Callista made her announcement, but until he arrived, my father couldn’t stand still.

He paced back and forth across the dining room, his boots striking the floor in an uneven rhythm that matched my heartbeat.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

I counted each step, pressing my palm flat against the wall to ground myself.

Then, without warning, he grabbed one of my mother’s favorite vases and hurled it against the floor.

It shattered instantly.

Everyone, including me, flinched, and Callista’s sobs hitched mid-cry.

"Harlan!" my mother gasped, her hand flying to her chest.

"What?!" he yelled back, spinning toward her. "What do you want me to say, Elara? That I’m pleased? That I’m proud?"

"I’m not saying you should be pleased," my mother replied carefully as she rose from her chair, keeping one hand on Callista’s shoulder. "But don’t you think you’re overreacting? Just a little?"

"Overreacting?" Harlan laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Our unmarried daughter is pregnant, and you think I’m overreacting?"

My mother’s jaw tightened.

She glanced down at Callista before looking back at my father.

"I know she made a huge mistake," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "But look at the bright side. Jaxen is the father."

Those four simple words felt like a hard blow to my chest.

I pressed my back harder against the wall to stop the sob rising in my throat.

Harlan stopped pacing, and Callista sniffled loudly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"But she still got pregnant," Harlan muttered, though the rage had already started draining from his voice.

"And she will be Luna," my mother cut in. ƒrēewebnovel.com

My entire body went rigid, and my chest clenched so tightly I could barely breathe.

Tears finally spilled down my face, and I lowered my head further, pressing my forehead against the cold stone wall as if I could disappear into it.

"That’s right," Harlan said again, louder this time. "Jaxen is the Alpha’s heir. In two weeks, he’ll become Alpha. And if Callista carries his child..."

"She’ll be Luna," my mother finished for him softly. "And we’ll be the grandparents of the future Alpha."

Luna.

That word was supposed to be mine.

Jaxen had promised it to me.

"You’ll stand beside me as Luna. Not as a maid. Not as the cursed twin. But as mine."

Those were his words.

Had he lied?

Was everything a lie?

While I was spiraling, praying this was just another one of Callista’s schemes, my wolf stirred restlessly, and I turned just in time to see Jaxen walking toward the dining room.

His expression was neutral, carefully blank, the way he always looked in public.

His gaze landed on me, and he must have seen the tears still clinging to my lashes and the fresh red mark on my cheek.

But to my horror, he looked away just as quickly.

That felt like another stab to my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.

He was probably upset because of the accusations.

That had to be it.

I watched him push the door open further and step inside. With a small bow, he greeted my parents.

"Beta Harlan. Lady Elara."

"Jaxen." My father’s voice was guarded. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

But before my father could say more, Jaxen slowly dropped to his knees.

"I was drunk and in heat," he admitted, his voice remaining calm. "It was out of my control."

"No," I breathed. freēwēbnovel.com

"But I take full responsibility," Jaxen continued, staring at the floor. "And I will marry Callista. If I must."

My knees buckled instantly.

No.

No, no, no.

I screamed internally, not daring to make a sound.

This had to be a dream.

Jaxen wouldn’t do this to me.

He couldn’t.

Please, Moon Goddess.

Please tell me I’m trapped in a nightmare.

I pinched myself hard, then harder when nothing changed.

"Well, I guess that settles it," my father said as he settled back into his chair. "We should begin the wedding preparations as soon as possible. Preferably before your coronation. That way we can contain this information and make Callista your Luna as you become Alpha."

"I agree," Jaxen said simply.

And I could no longer hold back the sob that escaped my throat.

"Please, rise," my father said, waving a hand dismissively. "All is forgiven. I’m proud to have you as my future son-in-law."

Callista let out an excited squeal as Jaxen rose to his feet. Then she rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him, but he stood frozen in place.

My mother rose from her chair and crossed over to Jaxen, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Welcome to the family," she said warmly. "You’ve made us very happy."

That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

The last thing I could take.

Unable to stomach another second of their celebration, I pushed myself off the floor and sprinted toward a secluded corner of the gardens, then collapsed beside a tree.

"Why?" I whispered as ugly tears streamed down my face. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Why couldn’t I have anything for myself?

Was this also my curse? To always be unhappy?