Chapter 217 - 0217

Jaxen POV

"That’s it!"

I didn’t even realize I’d started growling until Elara’s shrill, panicked voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

She had stopped pacing, throwing both hands into the air in frustration. "None of this makes any sense! The Alpha King has been without a woman for years, ever since that whore of a mate left him. There is no fucking way he’d suddenly choose a cursed, exiled girl as his new Queen!"

"That’s enough," I snapped, shooting her a glare cold enough to make her freeze.

Since taking over as Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, I’d grown far more confident in myself. I finally had the power and respect I’d always known I deserved, and people treated me accordingly. If Lorelei hadn’t betrayed me, I really would’ve kept my promise to protect her from everyone who looked down on her.

She simply hadn’t been willing to wait until I had enough power to do it.

Elara flinched at my tone, but then seemed to remember that her husband was still the pack’s Beta since I hadn’t found a suitable replacement yet. Whatever fear had crossed her face disappeared almost immediately, and she straightened again.

"You know I’m right, Jaxen!" she insisted. "The Alpha King is ruthless and cold, probably worse than his father ever was. He’s not the kind of man who gets swayed just because a woman has a pretty face. So why would he choose her of all people?"

That was the exact question I’d been asking myself all fucking night.

What could the Alpha King possibly see in Lorelei that had made him so fiercely protective of her?

I’d watched the way he’d looked at her at the banquet. The way he’d positioned himself between her and me. The way his entire demeanor had changed the moment he thought she was in danger.

That wasn’t simple attraction.

There had to be something more.

"What if..." Callista’s voice came quietly from the sofa, hesitant enough that I almost missed it. "What if she seduced him?"

My blood ran cold.

I turned toward her as she slowly lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes wide with what looked like innocent concern.

"I mean, she did it before, didn’t she?" she continued carefully. "When she chose to run away with that strange man... who knows how many men she might have slept with just to clear a path for herself and get the Alpha King to notice her?"

Her words settled heavily over the room.

And for some reason, instead of anger, a bitter knot formed in my stomach.

Because as much as I hated the thought, a small, ugly part of me couldn’t stop wondering if she was right.

The mere suggestion that countless other men might have touched Lorelei made my vision go red. The thought of her willingly giving herself to other men while turning me down made my stomach twist violently. My claws lengthened before I could stop them, digging into my palms until warm blood began to pool between my fingers.

Lorelei, how fucking disgusting could you be?

I’d offered you a way out. I offered to make you my mistress and save your life, and you still had the nerve to refuse me. You had nearly harmed my unborn child because of your jealousy, yet you supposedly had no problem giving yourself to multiple men, probably older, disgusting men, just to survive?

The thought made my blood boil.

Even if I eventually took you back, things would be different this time. You’d have to crawl on your knees before I’d even consider letting you back into my bed.

"It still doesn’t make any sense," Elara muttered, shaking her head as she continued pacing. "She’s beneath him. If the Alpha King wanted a woman, he could have anyone. Every influential woman in the empire would beg to stand beside him. Women like Lady Beatrice. So why her?"

Why her?

Lorelei was undeniably beautiful, but so were dozens of noblewomen who came from powerful families and carried respectable bloodlines. Why would the Alpha King choose a girl who had been condemned to death by her own pack?

Unless...

He didn’t know.

My thoughts suddenly shifted.

What if Lorelei had lied to him about her past?

Lying to the Alpha King was a serious crime, one that could easily be punished by death. But she’d already faced execution once and somehow survived it. Maybe she wasn’t afraid of risking it again.

It was the only explanation that made sense to me.

Except even that didn’t completely add up.

Slowly, Callista pushed herself to her feet, gripping the arm of the settee for support as she steadied herself. She lowered her head, and when she spoke, her voice was so soft and pitiful that it immediately drew both our attention.

"It’s just a theory, but..."

She hesitated, nervously biting her lower lip before finally looking up.

"Lorelei is the cursed twin. That night she was supposed to be executed, she was already so weak that she should’ve barely been able to stand, yet she still managed to escape." Her voice dropped even further. "What if there’s more to her than we think?"

Elara stopped pacing.

"What are you saying?" she demanded, and even I raised a dark brow, watching as the woman who always seemed so fragile carefully pieced her thoughts together.

Callista took a deep, unsteady breath. "You saw how the Alpha King defended her. How angry he got, how he kissed her right in front of everyone, and then acted so possessive the entire night. He barely let her out of his sight, so we couldn’t even get close enough to approach her..."

The image of Lorelei pressing her lips against the Alpha King flashed through my mind again, and my claws dug deeper into my palms. Blood dripped steadily onto the carpet, but I barely noticed. My chest rose and fell heavily as I fought to keep my anger under control.

It felt exactly like that moment when I’d first seen the video of her in bed with another man.

Like I was being cheated on all over again.

"Get to the point,"