Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 223

DAMIEN’S POV

The phone felt like a live wire in my hand. Leon’s voice-calm, casual, like he had any right to be calling me-made my wolf snarl so loud I tasted blood.

“Be fast,” I snapped. “I don’t have time.”

A soft chuckle came through the line. “I know your fiancée is pretty and all growled-low, dangerous, the sound vibrating through the speaker.

“Watch it.”

“Chill, man,” he said quickly, almost laughing. “I’m not trying to step on toes. I just…heard she had a fall today during PE. Twisted her ankle pretty bad. I was gonna check on her after class, make sure she was okay, but then I saw her getting into this strange guy’s car.”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Strange guy?” I repeated, voice dangerously quiet.

“Yeah. Black. Tinted windows. Looked official, but…! don’t know. Something felt off. She got in, the car pulled away, and that was it. I didn’t think much of it at first, but I’m kinda worried now. I tried calling her number but it didn’t go through. Is she home yet?”The question hit like a punch to the gut.

Another man worrying about my mate.

My responsibility

My everything.

The thought of some college kid-Leon, of all people-checking on her, thinking about her safety, made my skin crawl. That was my job. Mine.

Silence stretched between us. Thick. Heavy.

I hated that I needed anything from him. Hated that he might actually have something useful.

Finally, I forced the words out. “She’s not home.”

Another pause.

“Do you happen to know where she is?” I asked, trying to be as calm as possible.

“That’s why I’m calling you,” he said, voice dropping lower, more serious. “I got a really bad feeling about that dude who picked her up. So I took a photo of his plate number.”

The room tilted.

My breath stopped.

“Say that again.”

“I took a picture of his car. The license plate. Thought itmight be useful if… you know. If something was wrong.

My heart was hammering so hard I thought it might crack my ribs.

“Send it to me.”

“Why?” Leon asked, suddenly cautious. “Is everything okay? Is Rose doing okay?”

I growled again-deeper this time. “Just send it.”

A beat. Then: “Fine. Sent it. Call me when she’s home safe, yeah?”

Not a chance in hell. I wasn’t going to call some guy and say hey my fiancee is home you can call her now.

Not happening.

But for now… had to be nice because what if the picture he took is the only way I could find my mate.

“Fine,” I ground out through clenched teeth.

The line went dead.

I opened the message immediately.

Three photos.

Close-up of the rear plate. Clear. Sharp. Black BMW, tinted windows.

Who had that kind of access?

Who knew how to scrub campus systems clean?

Someone inside. Someone close.

Salvatore?

Scarlett?

Or someone new-someone we hadn’t seen coming?

I couldn’t lose my mate. I don’t know what I’d do if anything were to happen to her.

Think positive Damien. I scolded myself. She’ll be fine, she’ll return to me in one piece.She has to.

My wolf howled inside me, desperate, frantic. I could feel him clawing at my skin, begging to shift, to hunt, to tear the city apart untit we found her scent.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

I had to stay human. Had to think.

Minutes dragged like hours.

Matte’s shoulders suddenly stiffened.

He paused.

Turned slowly.

His face was pale.

“Found it.”