Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 111

DAMIEN'S POV

I stopped outside the door, my hand resting on the handle, and for a long moment, I couldn't move.

The wind was cold against my skin, sharp enough to sting. My mind was a mess. I didn't even know why I'd come back here. I'd been gone since yesterday—hiding in the human town, drowning in my own bitterness, pretending I didn't care anymore.

But I did.

Goddess, I cared too much.

I'd told myself I was done. That Emilia could do whatever she wanted. That she'd made her choice when she let Maximus mark her. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face—the way she looked at me, the guilt, the pain. It tore at me until I couldn't breathe.

I leaned my forehead against the door and sighed. My chest felt hollow. My throat burned. For the first time in a long time, I didn't know what I wanted—to go in or to turn around and keep pretending I didn't give a damn.

But then something in me hardened.

No.

I wasn't going to let Maximus win again.

Not this time.

He'd taken enough from me—my parents' trust, my throne, my peace—and now Emilia. I clenched my fists until my knuckles went white. He wasn't taking her too.

With a deep breath, I pushed the door open.

Warm air hit my face. The faint scent of lavender and pine drifted through the hall. Home.

Rose appeared almost immediately, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes widened the second she saw me. "Master Damien!"

I gave her a small nod. "Rose."

She hurried toward me and took my coat before I could say a word, fussing like she always did. "You've been gone since yesterday. We were starting to worry—"

"Where is she?" I cut in.

Rose froze. Her hands stilled on my coat. She didn't look at me.

My pulse jumped. "Rose," I said, my voice tight. "Where is Emilia?"

She hesitated. "She... she left."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Left?"

Rose swallowed. "Yesterday morning."

I stared at her. "What do you mean, left?"

"I haven't seen her since yesterday morning," Rose said quietly, wringing her hands. "I tried calling you, but you weren't answering."

I frowned, pulling my phone from my pocket. Sure enough—missed calls. Several of them.

I cursed under my breath. "Damn it."

My heart pounded in my chest, heavy and uneven. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to think. Emilia could be anywhere. But one thought refused to leave my mind, whispering like poison.

Maximus.

No.

No, she wouldn't go back to him. Not after everything.

Would she?

I clenched my jaw. "She wouldn't," I muttered to myself. "She wouldn't go to him."

But the doubt wouldn't die. It clawed at the edges of my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I turned toward the door again, anger rising inside me. I couldn't sit here doing nothing. I needed to find her. To make sure she was safe. To make sure she hadn't gone back to—

My thoughts stopped dead.

The moment I opened the door, I froze.

There, standing in the doorway, was a white wolf.

Fur was stained with dirt and dried mud. Her golden eyes looked dull, tired. Despite being covered in dirt the faint scent of jasmine and vanilla reached my nose.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Emilia..." I whispered. "Is that you?"

Her ears twitched. A weak voice echoed faintly in my head. 'Damien...'

Before I could even react, her legs gave out.

"Emilia!"

I rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground. She was heavy in my arms, trembling, her breathing shallow. Her fur was cold and matted, her body limp.

"Rose!" I shouted. "Help me!"

Rose came running, her eyes going wide when she saw the wolf. "Oh my—"

"Get the door!" I barked, tightening my hold on Emilia.

Together, we carried her inside. Her wolf whimpered softly, a sound so small and broken it made something twist painfully inside me.

We laid her down carefully on the floor, and I dropped to my knees beside her, brushing the dirt from her fur. "What happened to you?" I murmured.

"Is this her first time shifting?" Rose asked in surprise.

"I don't know." I whispered.

I ran a shaky hand over her fur, and she whimpered again. My heart clenched. She looked so fragile like this, so helpless.

I tried to reach her through the bond, but there was nothing. Just silence.

"She's cold," I said quickly. "We need to get her warm."

With Rose's help, I lifted her again and carried her to the bathroom. The effort made my muscles burn, but I didn't care. I couldn't let her stay like that.

When we reached the shower, I gently lowered her onto the floor. She was covered in mud and leaves, her white fur dull and dirty.

I turned on the warm water and began to wash her.

Slowly, carefully.

I cleaned every inch of her, rinsing away the dirt and blood. Rose brought towels, and I used them to dry her off, running my hands through her fur until it was soft and clean again.

She looked peaceful now, but she still hadn't moved.

Why wasn't she shifting back?

I'd never seen anything like it.

"She's breathing," Rose said softly behind me. "That's a good sign."

I nodded. "Yeah."

But my chest still hurt.

When we finished, I picked her up again and carried to the room. I laid her gently on the bed and pulled a thick blanket over her. Her fur gleamed faintly under the light—pure white now, like snow.

She looked beautiful.

And it broke me.

I stood beside the bed, folding my arms across my chest. My eyes stayed fixed on her still form.

"Why aren't you changing back?" I whispered. "What happened out there, Emilia?"

She didn't move. Didn't even twitch.

The silence pressed down around me, heavy and suffocating.

I thought about all the things I'd said to her. The way I'd yelled. The pain in her eyes before she walked out that night. Guilt clawed at me, sharp and merciless.

I'd wanted to hurt her because I was hurting. I'd told myself I didn't care what she did—but now, seeing her like this, I realized I'd been lying.

I cared more than I could ever admit.

"Wake," I said quietly, my voice breaking. "Please."

I stood there for what felt like hours, just watching her breathe. The rise and fall of her chest was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Every time she whimpered in her sleep, my chest tightened a little more.

Rose brought a tray of water and tea, setting it down beside me. "You should rest, sir," she said softly. "You've been standing there for hours."

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving her."

Rose hesitated, then nodded. "I'll be outside if you need anything."

When she left, the room fell quiet again. Only the sound of Emilia's soft breaths filled the air.

There was something about her presence, her scent—jasmine and vanilla—that calmed me.

I brushed a hand over her fur gently. "You always drive me insane, you know that?" I said softly. "You break me, heal me, destroy me, all at once."

A weak sound came from her throat.

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. I missed you too."

Time blurred after that. Minutes, maybe hours passed. I didn't move. I just sat there, listening to her breathing, hoping she'd open her eyes.

Then came the knock.

Loud. Sharp. Impatient.

I frowned, glancing at the door. "Who the hell—"

I stood up quickly, not wanting to wake her, and crossed the room. The knocking came again, harder this time.

"Alright, alright," I muttered, pulling the door open.

Rose stood there, her face pale, her hands trembling slightly.

"Rose?" I frowned. "What is it?"

She opened her mouth but hesitated, her eyes flicking toward the hall, fear flashing across her face.

"Rose," I said firmly. "Talk to me."

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "Sir..."

"What?"

Her voice came out in a whisper, shaking.

"The king... he's at the door."