Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 125

Maximus’s POV

How does breathing work again? Because looking at Damien I seem to have forgotten how to.

Damien stood there watching me. Same blue eyes as mine. Same broad shoutders. Same sharp jaw. Same person that had once watched over me…then watched me fall apart.

He didn’t speak.

I didn’t either.

Emilia’s hand tightened around mine gently. When I turned to her, she gave me a small, warm smile. One that told me she understood everything without a single word.

“ll give you two some privacy,” she whispered.

I shook my head, instinctively wanting her close, but she only squeezed my fingers again and stepped away before I could protest. As she walked past Damien, she offered him a kind smile.

He smiled back.”

Then she moved down the hall, far enough to give us space-but not so far she couldn’t see us if we needed her. That alone steadied my lungs.

Silence fell again.

Heavy. Thick. Years of distance pressed between us.

Damien looked at me like he was searching my face for something he had lost. His jaw clenched once. He exhaled sharply.

“I should’ve been a better brother,” he said quietly. “I should have-“He didn’t finish.

Because I stepped forward without thinking, grabbed him, and pulled him into a tight, desperate hug.

For a second, Damien froze.

Then.his body softened, and his arms wrapped around me just as tightly-tike he had been waiting years for this moment and was afraid I might disappear if he held too lightly.

“Damien,” I whispered, my voice cracking, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

His grip tightened.

I pushed through the lump in my throat. “I’ve been nothing but an ass to you. I was unbearable. I wouldn’t blame you for keeping your distance.”

He swallowed hard. “I’m your older brother. I shouldn’t have given up on you.”

“You didn’t give up on me,” I said, pulling back enough to look at him. ” gave up on myself. I pushed you away. I shut everyone out.”

His eyes softened with something like pain. “Maybe. But I still should’ve tried harder.”

We stood there, just breathing each other in, two grown men carrying years of unspoken things. When we finally broke the embrace fully, Damien let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

“I can’t deny,” he said, a smile tugging his lips, “you were a little unbearable.”

I groaned. “Do not start.”

“Oh, I will start.” He smirked. “You had anger issues and threwtantrums like they were sport.”

“Hey,” I hissed, glancing over at Emilia, “don’t be loud. My mate might hear you and think I was weak.”

Damien went silent.

He just stared at me for a long second.

And then I saw it—the warmth in his eyes. The pride. The relief. The love. All the emotions that had been buried for too long.

A tight breath escaped me.

“Thank you, Damien,” I said quietly. “For not walking away. For still being here.”

He pressed his lips together, looking like he was fighting emotion he refused to show.

“God,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face, “I feel like a weight of a thousand years has finally been lifted off my chest.”

A small laugh escaped me.

He laughed too.y

The sound echoed through the hallway-soft, disbelieving, tired, but real. Emilia turned toward us at the sound, and when she saw us smiling like idiots, she broke into a gentle smile of her own.

Damien followed my gaze, saw her watching, and smirked.

Then-because he was still the same damn brother—he reached over and ruffled my hair like I was five years old.

I jerked back immediately. “Stop it.”

“I have my little brother back,” he said proudly.I swatted his hand away. “Emilia is watching.”

He only chuckled and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Maximus.”

The words hit deeper than he knew.

Before I could respond, he turned and walked down the hallway, his steps lighter than I had seen in years.

I stood there watching him leave-my brother, my blood, a piece of me I thought was gone forever-until he disappeared around the corner.

Only then did I turn back to Emilia.

She was smirking.

“So,”

she teased, arms crossed, “you used to throw tantrums?”

groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “It’s not like that.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Mm-hmm.”

“Emilia,” I said, following her as she began to walk away, “listen-it wasn’t how he made it sound.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she laughed softly.

“It wasn’t tantrums,” I insisted.

“Of course not,” she said, absolutely not believing me.

“I was training,” I said firmly. “Intense training. Warrior training. My beast was driving me fucking crazy back then.”

She shot me a playful look over her shoulder.

I cursed Damien under my breath.”Emilia,” I sighed, catching up to her, I swear, it wasn’t tantrums.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Emilia-”

She laughed harder, walking away while I tried to defend myself.

Thanks to Damien.

But still…I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything…my mate teasing me, my brother walking away with a weight lifted from his soul, and me stuck in the hallway trying to explain myself like a fool.

A warm, peaceful, ridiculous moment.

After a lifetime of war.

Damien’s POV

By the time reached my house, dawn was slowly creeping into the sky

-soft streaks of pink brushing against the fading night. I paused outside my front door, hand still on the knob, and let out a long breath.

Maximus.

My brother.

My stubborn, reckless, infuriating brother…

We were okay.

I never thought l’d live to see the day.

I leaned my forehead against the wooden door and closed my eyes. My chest felt light-almost too light. Like I’d been carrying a boulder for years and someone had finally lifted it off my back.

Our parents… Goddess, they would’ve been so proud.

I inhaled deeply-

And froze.

A scent.

Her lips parted. “So. you’re not going to reject me?”

I cupped her cheek, thumb brushing her skin. “Never.”

A small, nervous smile tugged her lips-and something warm spread through my chest.

She was breathtaking.

How had I lived under the same roof with her and never realized she was mine?

Goddess truly had a sense of humor.

I pulled her tightly into my arms, burying my face in her hair, letting her scent sink into every part of me. Roses and lilies. Sweet and calming. Perfect.

My perfect mate.

I kissed her forehead, unable to stop myself. And for the first time in a long while, peace settled over me.

She slowly pulled away, cheeks flushed. “I-I’ll go prepare you a bath.”

i smirked. “Will you be joining?”

Her eyes widened and she blushed harder. “Master Damien..”

My brows furrowed. “You don’t need to call me that. I don’t even know why you started calling me that in the first place.”

I leaned down, bringing my lips close to her ear, and whispered:

“Unless you like when I’m your master.”

Her breath hitched so sharply I felt it.Before she could recover, I caught her chin gently and kissed her.

Slow. Deep. Hungry.

She tasted sweet-like warm honey-and I savored every second, kissing her like I’d been starved for her my whole life without knowing it.

When I finatly pulled back, her lips were slightly parted, her cheeks warm, her breathing unsteady.

I took her hand in mine.

“Starting right now,” I said, voice low, “you’re not permitted to lift a single damn finger to work.”

“But-”

“No buts.” I pulled her closer. “You’re my mate, Rose. And you’ll be treated as such.”

She looked down shyly, her eyelashes brushing her cheeks. She was so cute I almost groaned.

Keeping her hand in mine, I guided her farther into the house toward the stairs.

“Damien?” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Will you… will you take me to the human town one day? The one you always go to? I’ve always wished I could go.”

I stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning to face her fully.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.

Then I added with a playful smirk:

“Just so you know, the men you’ll see there are not as hot as me.”

She shook her head shyly, voice barely audible. “I don’t want to look at anyone but you.”

A slow grin spread across my face.

“Good.”

I bent down and kissed her again-sweet, soft, lingering-her hands gripping my chest lightly as I held her close like she was something precious I had finally found.

And this time…she kissed me back with no fear. No hesitation. No doubt.

Just us. Just the start.

Just destiny.