Lorelei POV

"The kids made me do it."

Those were Kaelen’s first words to Darius as he walked back into the private lounge reserved for the high-ranking members. It wasn’t nearly as large as the Empire Estate, but it was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into making it comfortable for them.

Kaelen had already changed out of his muddy clothes and into a fresh grey T-shirt. He was casually drying his damp hair with a white towel draped over his shoulders.

I stood awkwardly off to the side, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, genuinely wondering why I was even allowed in this room in the first place.

"Yeah, sure. I believe you," Darius replied with a heavy scoff.

Surprisingly, Kaelen didn’t fire back.

Instead, his attention immediately shifted to me.

The sudden intensity in his dark amber eyes made my chest tighten, and I quickly lowered my gaze to the floor.

"Good morning, Alpha," I greeted softly.

"Morning," he replied.

His voice was barely above a whisper, completely stripped of its usual commanding edge.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode into the adjacent room, quietly closing the door behind him.

The second he disappeared from sight, I let out a sharp breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I already knew he was avoiding me, but did he really have to make it that obvious? The thought stung far more than it should have. It felt like a physical slap to the face.

"Sorry you have to be here." Darius’s voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. "The staff is still preparing your guest room, so it’s going to take a little while before you can unpack."

"That’s fine," I said, giving a small shrug to show I didn’t mind. "But... how long are we actually staying here?"

"Just two days at most," Darius replied as he walked toward a small bar counter tucked into the corner of the lounge. He reached for a dark wine bottle and pulled it from the shelf. "If you didn’t bring enough clothes, don’t worry. We can always go out and get you some."

"No, it’s okay. I packed enough," I said, watching him pour the rich red liquid into a glass.

Then lifted the bottle slightly toward me, raising an eyebrow in a silent question but I quickly shook my head.

"I don’t drink," I said, stumbling slightly over the words.

Maybe it was because Kaelen was only in the next room and, with his Alpha senses, he could probably hear every word of our conversation, but I suddenly felt far too awkward.

"Also... isn’t it a little early to be drinking?"

Darius let out a low chuckle at that before taking a small sip. "We have a very long day ahead of us, Ella. There’s a whole schedule of activities planned for the kids. Crafts, games, storytelling, a massive capture-the-flag match, and a few other things."

"Sounds like a lot of work," I replied, a small teasing smile appearing on my face.

"It is," Darius agreed, raising his glass in a mock toast. "So this drink is just an early reward to prepare myself for the chaos."

His words made me laugh softly, and some of the tension in my shoulders eased.

But my gaze instinctively drifted back toward the closed door Kaelen had disappeared through, and the small laugh quickly died in my throat.

"Hi, I’m Emily. Nice to meet you."

The girl introduced herself the second I stepped into the guest room where I would be staying, her hand already stretched out toward me.

"Hi," I replied, taking her hand and offering a polite smile. "I’m Lorelei... I mean, Ella."

Dammit.

I bit the inside of my cheek as my heart gave a nervous flutter.

I had almost slipped up and used my real name.

"Are you also a volunteer?" Emily asked, tilting her head with friendly curiosity.

"Uhm..." I drawled, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "Well, I actually came with the Beta."

Instantly, Emily’s eyes widened and a loud gasp escaped her lips as she practically bounced in place.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "You’re the woman everyone has been talking about!"

I blinked, completely caught off guard and my stomach immediately dropped.

Everyone?

Talking about me?

That could not possibly be a good thing.

"What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

But Emily quickly waved her hands in the air to reassure me. "Oh, it’s nothing bad! It’s just... everyone is completely surprised. The Beta hasn’t brought a woman with him to this event in so long, and honestly, we’re all shocked the Alpha hasn’t scared you off yet."

Those words made me bite my lip to hold back a laugh. If only Emily knew the truth, that it was actually the other way around. For reasons known to absolutely no one, I was somehow the one scaring the formidable Alpha King off.

"We are just good friends," I said firmly, wanting to nip any rumors in the bud. I didn’t want anyone misinterpreting Darius’s genuine kindness toward me as something romantic, especially not when I was sleeping with the Alpha. How scandalous would that be if word got out?

Emily only nodded, though the knowing smirk on her face showed she was clearly not convinced. "Well, whatever you say. You can get changed if you want, but we will be going downstairs soon to help prepare lunch for the kids," she said, turning away from me to reach for her own small suitcase on the opposite bed.

It was at that exact moment that I remembered my shadow.

I turned back toward the door, pulled it open, and found Paul still standing rigidly in the hallway with my bags held firmly in his hands.

"Are you really going to stay by my side every single time?" I couldn’t help but ask, eyeing my luggage.

"Alpha’s orders," Paul said professionally, offering a small smile. "And don’t worry about me, miss. As a guard, this is exactly what we are trained to do."

I let out a quiet sigh and took my bags from him.

Well, I wasn’t really worried about him or his comfort. I was more worried about the fact that my every movement was being actively monitored.

Having Paul glued to my side was going to severely restrict me if I eventually decided to survey the perimeter for an escape plan.

From what I had seen on the drive in, this orphanage was surrounded by acres of thick, open fields.

In one way or another, those lands had to lead out of this territory and beyond the borders. It was just a shame Skye wasn’t with me today.

Without her, I had absolutely no intention of escaping yet. For now, I just had to bide my time, play the part of the cooperative guest, and keep my eyes wide open.