Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 141

Emilia's POV

The royal hall was so packed I could feel the heat of every body in the room. Hundreds of alphas, betas, warriors, and their mates filled the marble floor, their eyes all lifted to where I stood beside Maximus. The air smelled of pine, wine, and power.

I scanned the sea of faces... and I found him.

My father.

Alpha Gregor stood amongst the other alphas, trying desperately to blend in with the pillars behind him. His spine was rigid. His gaze stayed glued to the floor. He looked smaller than I'd ever seen him—almost like he wanted to disappear into the stones.

Good.

Let him feel the humiliation he never cared I felt.

I joined my hand with Maximus's hand and squeezed once, soft, secret.

"I've got you."

He squeezed back, then cleared his throat. The entire hall fell silent so fast you could hear a pin drop.

"Thank you for coming," he began, his voice deep and steady, rolling like thunder over mountains. "We are here, all of us, still breathing, still standing, after the bloodiest war this kingdom has ever seen. That alone is a miracle. But we are more than survivors. We are wolves. We are one pack. And as your king, I swear on my life I will protect you, guide you, fight for you until my last breath."

A low rumble of approval moved through the crowd.

He turned to me, eyes burning. "I have not always been the king you deserved. I have made mistakes. I have carried darkness. For that, I am sorry. But I promise you this: with my mate, my Queen, by my side—" He lifted my hand, pressed his lips to my knuckles, and the whole world seemed to hold its breath. "—we will heal. We will rise stronger. We will start again."

Then he smiled, small and wicked, just for me. "Today you will witness two things. The crowning of your Queen..."

My heart slammed against my ribs. Wait—what?

I blinked up at him, mouth open. He hadn't said a single word about this. Not one.

He kept going like he hadn't just dropped a mountain on me. "And the judgment of the one who tried to tear everything apart."

The massive doors at the far end of the hall groaned open. Guards dragged Soraya in. She looked nothing like the proud, poisonous witch I remembered. Her hair was matted with blood and dirt, her dress torn to rags. Chains clinked around her wrists and ankles. When they threw her to the floor in the center of the hall, the sound she made was half-sob, half-snarl.

Gasps rippled everywhere. A low growl rolled through the alphas.

Maximus's voice turned to ice. "This witch has poisoned our people, murdered innocents, and tried to kill my mate. For that, she is sentenced to life in the darkest cell beneath this palace. Let her face torture and pain..."

He looked at her one last time, disgust written all over his face and without wasting a single second he flicked his hand. "Take her away."

Soraya screamed, thrashing as the guards hauled her up. "You'll all burn! Every last one of you—"

A guard's fist silenced her. They dragged her out. The doors slammed. Silence.

Maximus turned back to me, took both my hands, and dropped to one knee.

The entire kingdom inhaled at once.

"Emilia," he said, voice rough with feeling, "I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted the whole world to see what I see every time I look at you. You are my heart. My home. My everything. Will you be my queen? Will you rule with me? Please."

I couldn't breathe. Tears stung my eyes so fast I didn't even feel them fall. The little girl who used to hide under tables so no one would hit her, the girl they called worthless, broken, ugly—she was standing here. And the rejected daughter was about to wear a crown.

I dropped to my knees too, cupped his face, and kissed him hard through my tears. "Yes," I whispered against his mouth. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

He laughed, the sound raw and relieved, and kissed me again like he was starving.

The elders stepped forward. One carried a silver blade, the other the crown—delicate and fierce, and so beautiful.

They spoke in the old tongue first, then in words we could all understand.

"Stretch forth your right hands."

Maximus went first. The blade kissed his palm. Blood welled instantly, bright red against his skin. He didn't even blink.

Then me. The cut stung, sharp and clean. I hissed. He squeezed my fingers in warning—Don't pull away.

The elder pressed our bleeding palms together.

The second the blood touched, fire shot through my veins. Every nerve lit up like I'd been struck by lightning. Pleasure and power and him—everything that was Maximus—poured into me. My knees buckled.

He caught me instantly, arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. His lips brushed my ear. "I've got you. Breathe, baby."

"I'm okay," I gasped, but my voice shook. "I just... I feel everything. Too much."

He smiled, dark and filthy. "Tonight you'll feel even more. I promise."

Heat flooded me, pooling low and wicked. I swallowed hard and tried to stand straight while the elder lifted the crown.

"By the eyes of the Moon Goddess and all who bear witness, I crown you, Emilia, Queen and Mother of all werewolves."

The weight of it settled on my head—cool metal, warm magic. Power hummed through my bones like I'd swallowed the moon herself. I felt every heartbeat in the hall. I was seen. I was home.

The elder raised his staff. "All hail the King and Queen!"

The roar that answered shook the walls. Fists pounded chests. Wolves howled. My father—Alpha Gregor—stood somewhere in the back, face gray, trying to shrink into the floor. Rosella was still locked below. And I was here. Crowned.

Maximus leaned close. "Aren't you supposed to wear your crown too?"

He smirked. "Nah. Tonight is yours, my queen. Nothing looks better on me than watching you shine."

He bowed—actually bowed—to me, then yanked me into him and kissed me like he wanted to devour me in front of the entire kingdom. I kissed him back just as hungry. The cheering got louder.

Later, when the music started and the wine flowed, I slipped the crown off so I could move. Maximus pulled me onto the dance floor, hands low on my hips, guiding me slow and close.

"I can't believe it's over," he murmured against my temple. "I finally have you. All of you."

"It still feels like a dream," I whispered.

His eyes searched mine. "You're going to be the most incredible queen."

My throat tightened. "It's terrifying."

"I'll teach you," he promised, lips brushing my ear. "And later... I'll teach you other things. Dirtier things."

I laughed, breathless. "Keep it in your pants, Your Majesty."

"Can't," he growled. "You're fucking gorgeous in that dress. And out of it, I'm betting."

I rose on my toes, kissed him slow and deep. "We made it," I whispered. "Together."

He rested his forehead against mine. "Together. And nobody—nobody—will ever take you from me again."

Hours later, when the moon was high and the guests were drunk on victory and wine, we slipped away.

The second the bedroom door clicked shut, my back hit the wood hard. Maximus caged me there, mouth crashing into mine, wild and possessive. One hand pinned both my wrists above my head; the other gripped my jaw, tilting my face exactly how he wanted.

His voice was pure sin against my lips.

"Tonight I'm going to fuck you so hard, so deep, you won't walk for days."

My breath hitched. My body was already aching, dripping, ready.

"Promise?" I whispered.

His smile was pure predator.

"Oh, baby...I keep my promises."

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Warning: the following chapters are extremely explicit; be warned.