Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 69

My stomach twisted. The air felt electric, alive with danger.

Damien stepped closer behind me, his hand brushing my shoulder in a silent claim. Maximus’s eyes followed the movement like a predator tracking prey. I could almost see the restraint slipping from his body, the beast inside him clawing to break free.

“Stop,” I whispered again, but it came out weak.

Maximus took another step forward. The ground seemed to tremble with the weight of his power. “Reject him,” he said again, lower this time, almost like a plea.

“I said stop!” I shouted, but it didn’t break the tension-it only cracked it wider.

Maximus’s eyes burned into mine. “You don’t understand what he’s done,” he said, voice shaking now, not with fear, but with rage barely contained.

“I don’t care!” I shouted back, tears burning behind my eyes. “You’ll destroy each other!”

Damien let out a bitter laugh. “He’s already destroyed everything else, Emilia. What’s one more thing?”

Maximus’s head snapped toward him, and in that moment, I could feel his fury like a physical force pressing against my skin. His claws glinted, half-formed, trembling

“Enough!” I yelled. “Both of you, stop it!”

But they weren’t listening anymore.

Damien’s arm circled around my waist again, pulling me back slightly. ! could feel the tremor in his hand, the adrenaline rushing through him. ” You see, Emilia?” he whispered, his tone soft now, almost sad. “He wants to take everything from me. He always has.”Damien-

“No.” His grip tightened. “I lost my crown. I lost my home. I won’t lose you too.”

I swallowed hard, my eyes darting back to Maximus. His expression was carved from stone, but his eyes-his eyes were breaking.

He looked at me like a man standing on the edge of a cliff, about to • jump and praying l’d tell him not to.

“Reject him,” he said one more time, barely above a whisper.

I felt the words in my bones. I felt the command in my blood, in the strange, invisible bond that tied me to him. My body wanted.to obey, but my heart rebelled.

Shook my head slowly. “You don’t mean that,” I whispered.

His eyes darkened. “I do.”

“Then tell me something,” I said, my voice trembling but steady enough to cut through the air. “If you find your mate… if she stands before you… will you reject her too?”

*****

What do y’all think his answer will be?

For a moment, it felt like time forgot how to move.

Maximus’s gaze locked with mine, steady, and unreadable, but I could feel something behind his eyes-something heavy, buried deep, clawing to be seen. He didn’t speak, didn’t blink. Just looked at me like he wanted me to understand something without words.

I waited.

My chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, every nerve in my body stretched thin. I wanted to say something-anything-but before could he finally turned away from me and faced Damien.

” Iwant a duel,” he said, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through air, “Whoever wins… can have her.”

My stomach dropped.

Damien stared at him for a second, then laughed—a hollow, mocking sound that echoed down the hall. “A duel?” he repeated, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable, brother.”

He stepped forward slightly, his arm brushing mine as if to remind Maximus that I was standing beside him. “She’s already mine,

Maximus. The sooner you accept it, the better. I don’t need to fight for what’s already mine.”

He smirked. “You, on the other hand… need to wake up.”

The air between them thickened. Maximus’s jaw tightened; his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. The muscles in his arms flexed, and for a second, I thought he might actually hit him.

I could feel my pulse in my throat.

A sharp ache bloomed in my chest as I looked at Maximus. The way hishands trembled, the way his breathing deepened —it wasn’t just anger.

It was pain.

But that only made it worse.

So, he wasn’t willing to reject his own mate… but he wanted me to reject mine?

The realization burned.

He wanted me to cut ties with Damien, to throw away something sacred, while he clung to his own bond like it was untouchable.

Because for him, I wasn’t sacred. I was just…. convenient. The woman his beast accepted enough to fuck. The one who could give him an heir.

I swallowed hard. The hurt stung like acid in my veins.

Before either of them could say another word, I forced myself to smile

-small, shaky, but enough to hide the storm brewing inside me. “… I’Il go take a shower,” I murmured, stepping back. “And change out of this shirt.”

Damien turned to me, his expression softening a little. “Sure,” he said, his voice dropping low. “TIl see you around, okay? Don’t run away from me.”

I nodded quickly, not daring to look at Maximus. If I did, I might break.

So, I turned and walked away. My steps were uneven, my legs trembling with every movement. I could feel their eyes on me-the weight of two men tearing each other apart while I was caught between them like a rope ready to snap.

As I reached the end of the hallway, I heard Damien’s voice behind me, sharp and warning. “Don’t you dare follow her.”

And then Maximus’s reply-low, furious, and final. “Fuck off.”I didn’t stop to hear more. I pushed the door open and slipped inside the room, my breath coming out in uneven bursts. The moment it shut behind me, I pressed my back against the wood and squeezed my eyes shut.

My heart hurt. Goddess, it hurt so much.

I tried to breathe, but every inhale felt heavy, like I was pulling in shards of glass.

For a few seconds, the silence held. Then-

The door opened.

I didn’t even need to turn to know who it was. His scent filled the air-wild, powerful, and unmistakable.

“Emilia,” Maximus said quietly.

But I couldn’t. Because if I did, I knew I’d break.,

I took a shaky breath and whispered, “It was just a yes or no question, Maximus.”

He stilled.

My voice was soft but steady. “Will you reject your mate?”

Silence.

The kind that stretches and strangles.

“Emilia, you have to understand-“”No,” I interrupted, taking a step back. “I don’t have to understand anything.”

He tried to reach for me again, but I pulled away sharply, turning my back to him. “I won’t be with someone who won’t choose me.”

He didn’t respond. I could hear his breathing-heavy, uneven, almost like a growl threatening to escape.

“For whatever reasons you don’t want to lose your mate,” I said, my voice trembling, “I’m sure Damien feels the same way about me.”

When I finally turned to look at him, his expression gutted me. The power, the pride-all of it was gone. He looked… broken.

And that hurt even more.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “But I can’t do this anymore.”

He shook his head slowly. “You don’t mean that.”

” I do,” I said, the words catching in my throat.

He took one step closer. I took one back.

My eyes blurred, but I forced the words out anyway. “You’ll have your child,” I whispered. “That’s the least I can do for you.”

He froze. His eyes widened, confusion flashing across his face like lightning.

I swallowed hard, tears spilling down my cheeks. “But please,” I said, my voice breaking completely this time, “leave me the fuck alone.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

For a moment, | thought he might fight back-say something cruel just to hurt me back. But he didn’t. He just stood there, staring at me like the ground had been ripped out from under him.

And then, without another word, he turned and walked out.

The door closed softly behind him.

And I finally let myself fall apart.

My knees gave out, my body trembling as I slid to the floor. The tears came fast, unstoppable, shaking my whole body as I pressed my palms to my face. I didn’t even know what I was crying for anymore-Maximus, Damien, myself, or the twisted mess we’d all become.

All I knew was that I felt used.