Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 136

Adele’s POV

I pushed open the door to my room and stopped dead.

The scent hit me first-warm buttered toast, fresh strawberries, and the dark, smoky bite of coffee. A silver – tray sat on the little table beside my bed, steam curling from the cup like it had only just been set down. And there, perched on the edge of the mattress like he belonged there, was Lucien.

My mate.

He was dressed in a black shirt with few buttons open, sleeves shoved up to his elbows, dark hair messy like he’d dragged his hands through it a hundred times. The morning light cut across his sharp cheekbones and made the brown in his eyes look almost violent.

He looked up when I stepped inside. For one heartbeat the room was perfectly still. Then his gaze dragged over me-slow, deliberate, like he was memorizing the way my dress clung to me-and something raw flashed across his face before he locked it down.

I folded my arms under my breasts and lifted my chin.”

What are you doing here?”

His jaw flexed. “You didn’t come down for breakfast.”

A laugh scraped out of me, sharp and humorless. “Like you care.

He stood so fast the mattress springs groaned. Two long strides and he was close enough that I could feel the heat rolling off him, smell the cedar and storm that always clung to his skin. His voice dropped to that low, frustrated growl that made my knees want to fold.

“Adele.”

Just my name. Nothing else. But the way he said it-like it hurt him-sent a shiver racing down my spine.

I lifted my brows.

“What?”

His throat worked. The muscle in his cheek jumped. “I- don’t want you to get sick. Eat something. Please.”

The please cracked something open inside my chest, but l refused to let him see it. I took one deliberate step closer until there was just a little space between us.

“I’m not a child, Lucien. You don’t have to bring me breakfast in bed. Stop pretending you care when we both know you don’t.”

His eyes flared brightly. “What the hell are you talking about? You’re my mate. Of course I care.”

The words hit me like a slap and a caress at the same time.

I laughed again, softer this time, and watched his pupils blow wide.

Really? I whispered.

“Eat your breakfast,” he rasped, voice shredded. “Ive got work.”

He turned toward the door.

But this time I didn’t feel the familiar crush of rejection.

This time I felt the crack in his armor-wide enough to slip a blade through. He hadn’t pushed my hand away. He hadn’t told me to stop. He’d let me touch him, let me feel exactly how much he wanted me, and then he’d run because he was terrified of what came next.

Victory-small, vicious, and sweet-bloomed hot in my chest.

He yanked the door open, shoulders rigid, every line of his body screaming control held together by fraying thread.

I smiled at his retreating back, slow and sharp.

“You can run, Lucien,” I whispered to the empty room, “but you can’t hide.”

Tonight i was coming for him.

And when midnight struck, I was going to make my beautiful, broken wolf beg.