Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Lorelei POV

"A little more to the left," I said, tilting my head as I studied the massive velvet canopy bed frame the workers were carefully maneuvering into place. "No, wait. Actually, maybe a little more to the right. Yeah, right there. Perfect."

I let out a satisfied sigh when the bed finally settled into place, the deep emerald velvet catching the afternoon sunlight streaming through the tall windows.

I’d originally thought I’d just stand around and watch while they worked, but somehow, over two hours had passed with me practically directing the entire operation.

I’d helped decide where everything went, had old furniture removed, shifted a few things around, and changed tiny details that probably wouldn’t have mattered to anyone else until the room finally looked exactly the way I wanted.

Now, my bedroom was easily ninety percent finished.

And honestly?

I loved it.

"I think that’s it for the bedroom," I said, turning toward the interior designer with a tired but genuine smile. "What do you think?"

Margot, the sharp-eyed woman overseeing everything, clasped her hands together as she looked around the room approvingly. "I think it’s coming together beautifully, Lady Lorelei. You have excellent instincts. Most of our clients don’t really know what they want until they see it in front of them, but you’ve known exactly what you wanted since the first sketch."

A warm flush spread across my cheeks at the unexpected compliment.

"Well... thank you," I replied, a little awkwardly as I glanced around again.

The plush velvet curtains framed the tall windows perfectly, the warm cream walls made the room feel softer, and the lamps I’d personally picked out cast a gentle glow across everything. Even the little details I’d been so annoyingly particular about somehow fit together perfectly.

At least, they did to me.

For the first time, I had a space that actually felt like mine.

Not a room I’d been assigned.

Not somewhere I was expected to sleep.

Mine.

"Okay, I think I’ll head out now," I said after another few minutes, just as my stomach let out a quiet growl that immediately reminded me I hadn’t eaten lunch yet.

Margot smiled politely before giving me a small bow. "We’ll handle the final touches from here and make sure everything comes out exactly to your taste."

"I trust you." I smiled back.

With that, I turned and gestured for Isaac to follow me. He immediately fell into step behind me as we walked out of the room, and the moment we stepped through the door, I spotted Paul waiting outside.

"Where are we heading, Miss... I mean, Lady Lorelei?" Paul asked the second I stepped into the corridor.

I chuckled softly at his almost-failed attempt to correct himself before answering. "I’m starving."

"In that case, I’ll head toward the kitchen and have your meal brought directly to the Alpha’s chambers," Paul suggested quickly, but I immediately shook my head.

"No, I need a change of environment," I said.

Just the thought of being cooped up inside Kaelen’s chambers all alone already made me feel suffocated.

I knew that even if I tried not to, the silence inside those four walls would eventually pull me right back into the dark memories of everything that had happened so far. Right now, more than anything, I didn’t want to be left alone with my thoughts, especially when those thoughts kept circling back to Jaxen.

As if he’d somehow read my mind, Isaac spoke up quietly. "What about the North Pavilion?"

Paul’s face immediately lit up at the suggestion. "Yes! The North Pavilion is perfect. It has a private terrace overlooking the lake, and it’s usually very quiet and peaceful."

A lake?

My brows furrowed slightly as I looked at him. How on earth was there an entire lake hidden somewhere within the estate grounds?

Still, it was outdoors and far enough away from the oppressive walls of the main mansion, which was exactly what I needed, so I nodded. "Okay, let’s go there."

Isaac took the lead, guiding me down the corridor while Paul headed off toward the kitchen to have my lunch prepared.

A few minutes later, Isaac led me through a narrow stone pathway tucked behind a thick wall of climbing ivy.

The farther we walked, the quieter everything became, until the path eventually opened into a beautiful, secluded terrace overlooking a remarkably calm, glassy body of water.

It was obviously man-made. The perfectly shaped edges and crystal-clear water made that pretty obvious, but that didn’t make it any less breathtaking. Ancient trees towered around the lake, their long branches swaying gently in the crisp afternoon breeze while sunlight danced across the surface of the water.

A small marble table surrounded by wrought-iron chairs sat near the water’s edge, and a few yards away, a sparkling swimming pool caught the afternoon light.

My eyes immediately went to the pool before I took a small step farther away from it.

I couldn’t swim, so getting anywhere near the edge was definitely not happening.

"This place is really beautiful," I admitted softly as I took a seat at the marble table. I deliberately chose the chair farthest from the water, just to make sure there wasn’t even the slightest chance of me accidentally slipping in.

Isaac smiled, a small hint of pride showing on his face. "I knew you’d like it," he said. "Not many people know about this place. It’s tucked away so well that most of the staff probably forget it’s even here. I even heard it was Lady Seraphina’s favorite..."

His voice suddenly trailed off, and his eyes widened slightly as he realized what he’d just let slip.

That made my heart clench. I didn’t need him to finish the sentence because my mind had already done it for him.

Seraphina. Kaelen’s runaway mate.

She used to love this place.

For a moment, I looked around the terrace again. Isaac had said only a few people knew about it, yet everything around us was still perfectly maintained. The grass was neatly trimmed, the flowers were blooming, and not a single part of the terrace looked neglected.

So someone still came here.

Maybe Kaelen did.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!