Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 128

Queen

Emilia’s POV

The royal hall was so packed I could feel the heat of every body in the room. Hundreds of alphas, betas, warriors, and their mates filled the marble floor, their eyes all lifted to where I stood beside Maximus. The air smelled of pine, wine, and power.

I scanned the sea of faces… and I found him.

My father.

Alpha Gregor stood amongst the other alphas, trying desperately to blend in with the pillars behind him. His spine was rigid. His gaze stayed glued to the floor. He looked smaller than I’d ever seen him-almost like he wanted to disappear into the stones.

Good.

Let him feel the humiliation he never cared I felt.

I joined my hand with Maximus’s hand and squeezed once, soft, secret.

“I’ve got you.”

He squeezed back, then cleared his throat. The entire hall fell silent so fast you could hear a pin drop.

“Thank you for coming,” he began, his voice deep and steady, rolling like thunder over mountains. “We are here, all of us, still breathing, still standing, after the bloodiest war this kingdom has ever seen. That alone is a miracle. But we are more than survivors. We are wolves. Weare one pack. And as your king, I swear on my life I will protect you, guide you, fight for you until my last breath.”

A low rumble of approval moved through the crowd

He turned to me, eyes burning. “I have not always been the king you deserved. I have made mistakes. I have carried darkness. For that, I am sorry. But I promise you this: with my mate, my Queen, by my side-” He Lifted my hand, pressed his lips to my knuckles, and the whole world seemed to hold its breath. “-we wilt heal. We will rise stronger. We will start again.

Then he smiled, small and wicked, just for me. “Today you will witness two things. The crowning of your Queen…”

My heart slammed against my ribs. Wait-what?

I blinked up at him, mouth open. He hadn’t said a single word about this: Not one.

He kept going like he hadn’t just dropped a mountain on me. “And the judgment of the one who tried to tear everything apart.”

The massive doors at the far end of the hall groaned open. Guards

-dragged Soraya in. She looked nothing like the proud, poisonous witch I remembered. Her hair was matted with blood and dirt, her dress torn to rags. Chains clinked around her wrists and ankles. When they threw her to the floor in the center of the hall, the sound she made was half -sob, half-snarl.

Gasps rippled everywhere. A low growl rolled through the alphas.

Maximus’s voice turned to ice. “This witch has poisoned our people, murdered innocents, and tried to kill my mate. For that, she is sentenced to life in the darkest cell beneath this palace. Let her face torture and pain…”

He looked at her one last time, disgust written all over his face and without wasting a single second he flicked his hand. “Take ber away.”

Soraya screamed, thrashing as the guards hauled her up. “You’ll all burn! Every last one of you-”

A guard’s fist silenced her. They dragged her out. The doors slammed.

Silence.

Maximus turned back to me, took both my hands, and dropped to one knee.

The entire kingdom inhaled at once.

“Emilia,” he said, voice rough with feeling, “I wanted it to be a surprise.

I wanted the whole world to see what I see every time I look at you.

You are my heart. My home. My everything. Will you be my queen?

Will you rule with me? Please.”

I couldn’t breathe. Tears stung my eyes so fast I didn’t even feel them tall. The little girl who used to hide under tables so no one would hit her, the girl they called worthless, broken, ugly-she was standing here.

And the rejected daughter was about to wear a crown.

I dropped to my knees too, cupped his face, and kissed him hard through my tears. “Yes,” I whispered against his mouth. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”

He laughed, the sound raw and relieved, and kissed me again like he was starving.

The elders stepped forward. One carried a silver blade, the other the crown-delicate and fierce, and so beautiful.

“It still feels like a dream,” I whispered.

His eyes searched mine. “You’re going to be the most incredible queen.”

My throat tightened. “It’s terrifying.”

“‘ll teach you,” he promised, lips brushing my ear. “And later… I’Ll teach you other things. Dirtier things.”

I laughed, breathless. “Keep it in your pants, Your Majesty.”

“Can’t,” he growled. “You’re fucking gorgeous in that dress. And out of it, I’m betting.”

1 rose on my toes, kissed him slow and deep. “We made it,” I whispered.

“Together.”

He rested his forehead against mine. “Together. And nobody-nobody-will ever take you from me again.”

Hours later, when the moon was high and the guests were drunk on victory and wine, we slipped away.

The second the bedroom door clicked shut, my back hit the wood hard.

Maximus caged me there, mouth crashing into mine, wild and possessive. One hand pinned both my wrists above my head; the other gripped my jaw, tilting my face exactly how he wanted.

His voice was pure sin against my lips.

“Tonight I’m going to fuck you so hard, so deep, you won’t walk for days.”

My breath hitched. My body was already aching, dripping, ready.

“Promise?” I whispered.

His smile was pure predator.

“Oh, baby..I keep my promises.