Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 145

ADELE’S POV

I pushed myself to my feet slowly, my body still humming from pain, anger, and something far more confusing.

When I looked at Lucien, his eyes were no longer just angry.

They were murderous.

Dark. Sharp. Locked on Alpha Derek like he was an enemy standing on his land instead of a respected Alpha inside the King’s pal. The air around him felt heavier, thick with restrained violence, and my wolf curled uneasily inside my chest.

Alpha Derek noticed it too.

He straightened immediately and dipped his head in a respectful bow.

“Beta Lucien,” he greeted calmly.

Lucien didn’t blink.

Didn’t move.

Didn’t return the greeting.

The silence stretched, tense enough that I felt it crawling over my skin. It was the kind of silence that came right before blood spilled. I could almost hear the growls:building beneath the surface, feel the challenge hanging in the air between them.

I couldn’t do this.

Not now.

Not with my emotions already shredded beyond repair. –

I turned away from Lucien before he could say my name again. Before he could look at me like that-like I was something he owned, something he was angry someone else had touched, even though he couldn’t be bothered to touch me himself.

My gaze found Derek instead.

I forced my lips into a small smile, even though my chest ached.

“Alpha Derek,” I said softly. “Thank you. For helping me.”

He studied my face for a moment, like he wanted to say something more. Something careful. Something loaded.

“You’re welcome,” he replied simply.

I gestured awkwardly at the jacket draped around my shoulders. “..I’Il wash it and return it to you.”

He shook his head immediately. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”

I insist, I said gently.His lips twitched like he almost smiled. “Alright. If that makes you feel better.”

I nodded.

All the while, I could feel Lucien’s stare burning into the side of my face. It was intense, almost physical, like hands pressing into my skin. My wolf reacted instinctively, stirring, recognizing him, aching in a way that made my stomach twist.

But I didn’t turn to him.

I refused to give him that.

Without another word, I stepped past both of them and walked down the corridor toward my room. Each step was steady, controlled, even though my heart was racing like it wanted to tear its way out of my chest.

“Adele.”

Lucien’s voice followed me.

Low. Rough. Commanding.

I didn’t stop.

I reached my door and wrapped my fingers around the handle. My hand shook, but I forced it still.

I opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind me before I could change my mind. The sound echoed through the room, loud and final.I leaned back against the door, my forehead resting against the cool wood as my breath finally broke free. My chest heaved, lungs burning, emotions crashing over me all at once.

God, I felt so stupid.

So unbearably stupid.

Why was I doing this to myself?

Why was I forcing him to want me when he clearly didn’t?

My hands slid down the door slowly as I sank to the floor, my knees pulling to my chest. The silence inside the room pressed in on me, broken only by my uneven breathing.

I had always believed my mate would love me.

Truly love me.

I used to lie awake at night imagining him-what hed look like, how he’d smile at me, how his voice would soften when he said my name. I imagined someone who couldn’t get enough of me. Someone who touched me like / was precious, like I was everything.

Someone obsessed with me.

Not someone who flinched from me.

Not someone who avoided my gaze, who kept his distance, who treated me like a responsibility instead of a desire.My chest tightened painfully.

If Lucien didn’t want me… then I didn’t want him.

The thought felt like both a lie and a truth wrapped together.

“Adele, please. We need to talk.”

I laughed bitterly under my breath.

Talk.

We’d had plenty of chances for that.

zipped the bag shut and grabbed another one from the closet, repeating the process. My hands moved automatically now, my mind numb, my heart aching with every breath.

“Adele,” he called again, his voice rougher now. “I know you’re in there.”

I slung the strap of the first bag over my shoulder.

“Go away,” I whispered, my throat tight.

There was a pause on the other side of the door.

Then, softer. Almost broken.

“I’m sorry.”

The words punched the air from my lungs.I closed my eyes, pressing my lips together as my chest trembled. Sorry wasn’t enough. It couldn’t erase the way he made me feel invisible. It couldn’t undo the nights I spent wondering what was wrong with me.

I moved toward the door anyway, stopping just inches away. My hand hovered near the handle, my body trembling with the effort it took not to open it.

“Open the door,” he said quietly. “Please.”

I rested my forehead against the wood again, mirroring him without him knowing.

“Içan’t,” I whispered. “You don’t want me.”

“That’s not true.”

A humorless smile curved my lips.

“Then why does it feel like this?” I asked, even though he couldn’t hear me. “Why do I feel unwanted by my own mate?”

Silence answered me.

And that was all i needed.

I straightened, wiped at my eyes quickly, and grabbed my bags.

If Lucien didn’t want me, then I was done trying to make him.I was going home.

And this time, I wasn’t looking back.