Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 154

LUCIEN'S POV

The King had been staring at me for the past five minutes.

He wasn't even hiding it or pretending.

Just full-on, assessing, quiet observation like he was waiting for me to crack.

I stood at attention in front of his desk, hands clasped behind my back, spine straight, jaw tight. The office smelled faintly of Jasmine. The tall windows let in pale afternoon light, but it did nothing to ease the pressure building in my chest.

Maximus finally leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes never leaving my face.

I sighed.

Slow. Controlled. Tired.

"Is there something you want, Your Majesty?" I asked.

One brow lifted.

"There it is," he said mildly. "You always get this way when you're cornered."

I didn't respond.

He studied me for another heartbeat, then shook his head with a quiet chuckle.

"Lucien," he said, voice softening. "What's bothering you?"

Nothing.

That was the answer that leapt to my tongue. The lie I'd perfected. The shield I wore every day.

"Nothing is bothering me, my King," I said evenly.

He smirked.

Of course he did.

"My wife told me about your... strained relationship with Adele."

The words hit harder than I expected.

Emilia.

Of course she'd noticed.

My jaw tightened. "With respect, Your Majesty—"

Maximus raised both hands in surrender. "I know. I know. I shouldn't meddle in your personal affairs."

He paused, then leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk.

"But you're more than my beta," he continued quietly. "You're my friend. You're my brother. And I want to see you happy."

Happiness.

The word felt foreign. Dangerous.

"I am happy," I said automatically.

He didn't buy it.

"Then why are you shutting your mate out?"

The room went still.

Dead silent.

My wolf stirred uneasily under my skin.

"You know why," I said.

Maximus exhaled slowly and dragged a hand through his dark hair. The motion was familiar—one I'd seen him do countless times when he was frustrated.

"That was in the past, Lucien," he said. "You can't keep punishing yourself for something that no longer defines you."

"It does," I snapped before I could stop myself.

He didn't flinch.

"No it doesn't."

I looked away, staring at the wall behind him. Solid. Unchanging. Easier than meeting his eyes.

"You think this is simple," I muttered.

"I think you're terrified," he said calmly.

My hands curled into fists behind my back.

Maximus stood, walking around the desk until he was standing directly in front of me. Close enough that I couldn't avoid him now.

"You're not going to throw away your future because of an ugly past," he said. "Not when your mate is standing right in front of you, bleeding from your distance."

I swallowed.

Images flashed through my mind before I could stop them.

Adele's confused eyes.

The way her shoulders slumped every time I pulled away.

The need in her voice when she whispered my name like a prayer.

"It's not that simple," I said hoarsely.

He tilted his head.

"Didn't you learn anything from me and Emilia?"

That got my attention.

He stepped back slightly, giving me space—but not relief.

"You have to talk to her."

"She deserves better," I said.

"She deserves you," he shot back. "The real you. Not this wall you've built."

I clenched my teeth.

"And don't forget," Maximus added, his voice shifting, turning serious, "the full moon is coming in three days."

My heart skipped.

Once.

Hard.

The room tilted.

Heat flared beneath my skin, sharp and sudden. My wolf surged forward, restless, alert.

Maximus watched my reaction closely.

"You know what that means," he said quietly. "She'll go into heat."

I said nothing.

Because I didn't know what to say.

"What are you going to do then?" he asked.

The question echoed in my head.

What was I going to do?

Lock myself away?

Leave the territory?

Pretend the bond didn't exist while my mate burned and suffered?

I stood there, frozen, my mind racing, my chest tight.

Maximus sighed.

"Think about it," he said. "Before you lose her."

I nodded stiffly. "I'll... go check on the patrol team."

He gave me a long look but didn't stop me.

"Lucien," he called as I turned for the door.

I paused.

"You don't have to fight this alone."

I didn't trust myself to answer.

I left.

The moment the door closed behind me, my composure shattered. My heart slammed against my ribs, loud and frantic. My breathing turned shallow as I paced the corridor, boots echoing against stone.

Three days.

Three damn days.

How had I not thought about it?

The heat.

The bond.

The way her body would ache for me.

For only me.

My hands trembled.

Was that why Adele had been so needy lately?

Why her scent had changed—richer, warmer, intoxicating?

Was that why she'd looked at another man today?

Trying to provoke me. Trying to get something from me when I refused to give her anything at all.

The memory hit me hard.

Her mouth under mine.

Her body arching when I touched her.

The way she whispered please like she trusted me with something fragile.

And I'd walked away.

Again.

I slammed my fist into the stone wall.

Pain flared, sharp and grounding.

"Fuck," I breathed.

Three days.

If I stayed away, she would suffer.

If I gave in, I might not be able to give her what she wants.

Because the truth—the thing no one knew, the thing I'd buried so deep it nearly swallowed me—

Was that I wasn't afraid of wanting Adele.

I was afraid I wouldn't be enough for her.

I leaned my forehead against the wall, eyes closed, breathing hard.

In three days time Adele will go into heat.

What will you do, Lucien?

What will you do?