Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 73

The silence in the room was deafening.

I didn’t know how long l’d been staring at the ceiling-minutes, hours, maybe forever. Time didn’t feel real anymore. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only thing that reminded me I was still alive, still here, still trapped in this body that felt too heavy for my soul.

The bed felt too big. The room too white. Everything around me was too quiet, like the world had decided to pause while I tried to catch up with the wreckage of my life.

Just last night, everything felt perfect.

I could still feel his touch-the heat of his skin pressed against mine, the sound of his voice whispering my name like it meant something sacred. For a few stolen hours, I let myself believe it did. I let myself forget who he was, what he was, what we were.

Maximus.

The man who had made me feel things I didn’t know were possible.

And now, he had a mate.

That word alone was enough to break something inside me. I didn’t need anyone to say it again-it was already echoing in my chest, heavy and cruel.

Mates.

Not just a bond. Not just some magical connection. It was destiny. The kind of thing no one could fight or undo. No matter how much I wanted to scream or cry or pretend it didn’t matter, deep down, I knew it did.

I turned my head to the window. The light spilled through the curtains, soft and golden, painting lines across the floor. Outside, I could hear faint birdsong-distant, almost mocking. The world was still moving, still beautiful, still alive… and I was here, falling apart in a hospital bed.

Damien had teft a while ago. He said he’d be back soon, but I didn’t mind that he was gone. I needed the quiet. I needed to think-or maybe I didn’t. Thinking hurt.

I just needed to breathe.

My mind kept looping back to last night-the way Maximus’s hands had moved against my skin, the way his breath had mingled with mine, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing keeping him sane. For a few hours, I believed I was.

Now, I wasn’t sure I ever was.

pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the steady thump of my heart beneath my palm. It felt like a lie. Like my body hadn’t gotten the message that everything was already over.

How did things change so fast?

One moment, we were tangled in warmth and love-or something close enough to it that I could pretend. The next, he was standing in front of another woman, looking at her like the ground beneath his feet had Shifted.

Raina.

Her name tasted bitter in my mouth. She was beautiful, calm, graceful.

The kind of woman who didn’t need to try to be noticed-she just was.

And when she looked at Maximus, I saw something in her eyes that made my stomach twist.

Recognition.

Fate.

Something I could never compete with.

I turned away from the window and curled onto my side, facing the wall. The sheets rustled softly beneath me. My fingers clutched the edge of the blanket, pulling it closer.

The truth was simple and cruel. I didn’t want to be a part of this mess anymore. The curses, the mates, the pain-it was too much. I never asked for any of it. All I wanted was peace, a place to breathe, a reason to wake up in the morning that didn’t hurt.

But wanting didn’t change anything.

because I was already in too deep.

My chest tightened again, and I blinked back the sting of tears that threatened to fall. Crying wouldn’t fix anything. I’d cried enough in my Life to know that some wounds don’t heal with tears. Some just stay open, bleeding quietly inside where no one can see.

A faint sound broke the silence. The soft creak of the door opening.

didn’t move. I didn’t even turn my head.

“Hey,” a familiar woice said, gentle and warm.

Damien.

I heard the quiet thud of his footsteps as he walked closer. There was a faint rustle, and then the soft scent of lilies filled the air. Sweet, delicate, and pure.

“For you,” he said, his voice carrying a smile.

I turned my head slowly, and there he was-standing beside my bed, holding a small bouquet of white lilies. His dark hair was slightly messy and yet there was something effortlessly kind about the way he looked at me.

I stared at the flowers for a long moment before taking them from his hand. “They’re beautiful,” | whispered. My voice came out rough, uneven. “Thank you.”

He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, his elbows resting lightly on his knees as he looked at me. “You’re welcome,” he said softly.

I ran my fingers gently over the petals, their softness almost fragile beneath my touch. The smell brought something familiar-something peaceful.

I’ve never… received flowers before,” I admitted quietly.

He blinked, surprised. “Never?”

Shook my head. “Not once.”

He leaned back slightly, his gaze softening. “Then I’m honored to be the first,” he said with a’small smile.

tried to smile back, but it felt weak. Forced. Still, it was something.

He watched me for a while, his eyes tracing my face as though trying to read the thoughts I didn’t say out loud. Then, slowly, he reached out and took my hand in his.

His touch was warm, steady.

“Do you know what lilies represent?” he asked.

I looked at him, shaking my head.

“Grace,” he said quietly. “Beauty. And devotion.”

My throat tightened again, but not from pain this time-from something softer, something fragile.

“Devotion,” I repeated, the word strange on my tongue.

He nodded, his thumb brushing lightly against my knuckles. “Yeah. And I meant it when I chose them for you.”

I looked down at our joined hands. His touch was gentle-careful, even.

Like he was afraid I might shatter if he held me too tightly.

He leaned in a little, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I want to_be devoted to you, Emilia. I want to be your anything. I’m not perfect-l’ve got my ugly sides, my flaws-but I want to be that person you can rely on.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“For what?”

“For… being here.”

He looked at me for a long moment, his expression gentle. “Always,” he aid simply.

He stood after that, adjusting the blanket around me with surprising care before setting the lilies in a vase on the table beside my bed. The flowers looked out of place in this sterile room-too pure, too alive-but maybe that was the point.

When he turned back to me, he smiled again. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

I nodded, watching him as he walked toward the door.

And for the first time since morning, the silence that followed didn’t feel quite as heavy.

I looked at the lilies again. Their white petals gleamed softly in the light, untouched and perfect. My heart felt warm-lighter somehow.

But even then, even with that fragile peace blooming inside me,

Maximus still found his way back into my head.

His face. His voice. The memory of his touch.

No matter how hard I tried, he was still there-lingering in the corners of my mind like a ghost I couldn’t banish.

And I hated it.

I hated that he still had that power over me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push the thought away. But it was no use. His name was carved too deep inside me to erase.

told myself l’d move on. That I’d try. That maybe with time-and Damien’s kindness-l’d learn to breathe without him.

But for now… all I could do was pretend.

Pretend that I wasn’t broken. Pretend that I didn’t care. Pretend that I could still find a way to be okay.

Because even if my heart still belonged to someone else, my future was already pulling me in a new direction.

And maybe-just maybe-that was enough.

Still, as the light dimmed and the quiet settled over me again, one thought echoed through my mind, quiet but impossible to ignore.

He’s with her right now.

And no matter how hard I tried, that thought hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I turned my face into the pillow, clutching the blanket tight.

The scent of lilies filled the air, soft and sweet.

But even that couldn’t drown out the ache inside me.

Because right now the man I love belongs to someone else.