Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King

Kaelen POV

The sharp, suffocating spike in her scent hit me before I even saw her, and it was completely wrong. It wasn’t the sweet, intoxicating scent she carried whenever she let her guard down. This was thick, sour, and soaked with pure, blinding terror.

At first, I thought she was sprinting through the halls just to avoid me, like she always did.

Then she rounded the corner without looking and slammed straight into my chest.

The force of the collision sent her stumbling backward, but I caught her before she could hit the floor. My hands locked around her waist, pulling her firmly back against me.

The panic pouring off her hit me like a punch.

My wolf answered with a low, possessive growl.

Her chest rose and fell in frantic gasps, and her heartbeat was pounding so hard I could feel it through her body.

I didn’t hesitate.

I released my calming pheromones, letting them wrap around her like a protective shield, pushing back against the fear threatening to consume her.

I cupped her pale face between my palms and gently tilted her chin upward until those frightened eyes met mine.

Without saying a word, I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to hers.

At first, she barely responded.

Her breathing was still ragged against my mouth, and her lips were tense with lingering panic. But little by little, my pheromones reached her. The terror clouding her mind began to fade, her rigid body slowly relaxed, and the trembling eased.

Her fingers curled into the front of my shirt, gripping the fabric tightly over my chest as though I was the only thing keeping her grounded.

A second later, almost hesitantly, she leaned into me and kissed me back.

There was nothing demanding about this kiss.

This time, it was quiet and desperate, clinging to the comfort I was giving her.

I stayed exactly where I was, giving her every bit of reassurance my presence and pheromones could offer until the panic gradually loosened its grip on her.

Only when her heartbeat settled into a steady rhythm and her breathing finally evened out did I draw back, resting my forehead lightly against hers as I searched her face for the source of the fear that had shaken her so deeply.

I lifted my head, my gaze shifting past her shoulder until it landed on Darius standing a few feet away in the hallway.

He was watching us.

His expression was unreadable, but I could see the tension beneath it.

I shot my Beta a cold warning look.

I didn’t need to say a word.

He knew exactly what it meant.

Stay out of this.

Without hesitation, I bent down and slipped one arm beneath her knees while the other wrapped around her back before lifting her effortlessly into my arms. Holding her securely against my chest, I turned and headed straight for my bedroom.

She was still too shaken to resist.

We had barely reached my door when she finally started coming back to her senses.

The moment she realized I was carrying her, her eyes widened in alarm, and she immediately began struggling against my hold.

"What are you doing?" she whispered frantically, pushing against my shoulders. "Put me down... please, put me down."

I ignored her protests and tightened my hold just enough to keep her from slipping.

Only after I stepped into my room and closed the door behind us did I finally lower her onto her feet.

The instant her feet touched the floor, she quickly backed away, putting as much distance between us as the room allowed.

The sight of her immediate retreat sent a familiar tightness through my chest.

"You were about to have another panic attack," I said quietly, keeping my voice calm as I replayed what I’d just witnessed. It was exactly like the episode she’d had in my office, the one that had left her unconscious for days.

I took a slow step toward her, my eyes searching her pale face.

"What happened out there?" I asked. "What scared you?"

Her shoulders trembled the moment the words left my mouth.

For a second, I thought she was about to spiral again.

But the lingering traces of my pheromones still hanging in the air kept the panic from taking over.

Instead, a deep blush spread across her neck and climbed into her cheeks.

She immediately looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I want to go back to my room," she said, her voice tight with stubborn determination.

My fists clenched at my sides, and my expression instantly darkened with frustration.

It shouldn’t have come to this.

I hated forcing her into a corner, but she was determined to keep shutting me out even while she was falling apart. At this point, she wasn’t leaving me with any other choice.

"You are not leaving this room until you are ready to talk," I said, my voice cold and final.

Her head jerked up, and she stared at me in disbelief, anger flashing across her face.

"What? You can’t... you can’t do that!"

The look she gave me almost shattered my resolve.

She looked so vulnerable, so desperately pleading, that every instinct inside me screamed to take it back.

My wolf clawed at the walls of my mind, furious that I was making her look at me like I was her captor all over again.

But I forced myself to stand my ground.

I couldn’t let her walk away and continue carrying whatever was destroying her from the inside out.

"I’ll have your maid bring your lunch here," I said, leaving no room for argument.

Without waiting for another word, I turned and walked out of the room, pulling the heavy door shut behind me with a decisive click.

The two guards stationed outside immediately straightened as I approached.

My gaze swept over them, and my voice dropped into a low, dangerous growl as I ordered,

"If she takes one step outside that door without my permission, every single one of you dies."