Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 218

LUCIEN’S POV

The walk back to our bedroom felt like the longest damn hallway in the palace. My hand was wrapped around Adele’s, her fingers warm and steady against mine, but my mind was a whirlwind.

The slap I’d walked in on-Naomi on her knees, Adele’s eyes blazing with fury-should have been the highlight of my shitty day. Seeing Adele stand her ground like that, fierce and unyielding, had stirred something primal in me.

My wolf approved, growling low in satisfaction. But now, with every step, the weight of that envelope in my pocket grew heavier.

The DNA results. Positive. Andrea was mine. A son I never knew about, from a night I barely remembered. How the hell was I supposed to drop this on her after everything?

After hoping this was all a lie.

We pushed through the door, the familiar scent of our space hitting me.

I let go of her hand, closing the door behind us with a soft click that echoed too loud in my head. The room felt smaller, the air thicker, like it was waiting for the storm to break.

Adele turned to me, her eyes searching mine in the soft light. She crossed her arms loosely, tilting her head.”What is it?”

I sighed, heavy and ragged, rubbing a hand over my face.

The words stuck in my throat, but I forced them out. “The DNA test is out.”

Her expression shifted-subtle, but I caught it. A flicker in her eyes, a stight tightening of her lips. She studied me for a beat, like she was reading every line on my face. ” Judging by your expression,” she said quietly, “it’s positive.

The room went still. I couldn’t speak at first. Just stood there, the weight of it pressing down. My heart hammered so hard I thought she could hear it. Finally, I nodded-slow, reluctant, like admitting defeat.

She blinked once, then said, “Okay.”

Okay? The word hung there, simple and flat, like we’d just decided on dinner. I stared at her, confusion crashing through me like a wave.

That’s it? No explosion? No tears? I’d braced for the hurt to carvè lines into her face, for the betrayal to flash in her eyes. Hell, I’d spent the whole walk here rehearsing apologies, explanations, begging if I had to. But this… this calm? It threw me off balance.

“Okay?” I echoed, my voice rougher than I intended. ”

That’s it?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer,unfolding her arms. Her scent wrapped around me-calming, intoxicating-and before I could process it, her hands slid up my chest, wrapping around my neck

Her fingers tangled in the hair at my nape, pulling me down slightly. Instinct took over; my hands found her waist, gripping the soft curve of her hips, holding her close. But my mind raced. What was this? Comfort? Or the prelude to something worse?

“Darling…” she murmured, and my heart skipped a beat at the endearment. It was soft, intimate, like a secret between us. Her eyes locked on mine, steady and intense, drawing me in.

swallowed hard, my thumbs tracing small circles on her sides through her shirt. “Adele-”

“Did you forget we marked each other last night?” she continued, her voice low, almost a whisper. “Which means we’ll accept each other’s flaws and mistakes.”

The words hit me square in the chest. Last night-the heat, the passion, the way our wolves had bonded completely. It felt like a lifetime ago, but the fresh marks on our necks throbbed in reminder. I searched her face, Looking for the crack, the hidden pain. But she held my gaze, unflinching.

“You have a child with another woman,” she said, matter-of-fact, but there was an edge to it now. “Which wasn’t your fault. According to her, you were drunk. So the child…

“Good,”she said simply, her lips curving into a small smile.

We stood there like that, wrapped in each other, the room silent except for our breaths syncing up. Her hands around my neck, mine on her waist-it should have felt like resolution. Like we’d dodged a bullet.

Relief tried to settle in, warming my chest, making me want to pull her to the bed and lose myself in her,celebrate that she wasn’t running.

But doubt crept in, slow and insidious. Was this too easy?

Too calm? I’d expected fire-yelling, tears, maybe even her pulling away. Instead, this quiet acceptance. It unnerved me. They say the calm always comes before the storm. And men should be wary of women when they’re calm-because it means they’re planning something.

Plotting in that quiet space where anger simmers below the surface.

What was she planning?

The question gnawed at me, turning the warmth in my veins to ice. Was she really okay with Andrea? Or was this the start of something bigger—a resentment building, a wall going up brick by brick? Would she look at the boy and see Naomi? See my mistake staring back at her?

My hands tightened on her waist again, almost involuntarily, like I could hold her here forever and keep the storm at bay. But the not-knowing…it was scarier than any fight. Scarier than the hurt I’d braced for.

I pulled back slightly, searching her eyes again. They were soft now, that intensity banked like embers waiting for wind. “Adele-”

She shushed me with a finger to my lips again, her smile widening just a fraction. Too calm. Too composed.

And in that moment, the tension twisted tighter, leaving me hanging on the edge, wondering what came next.