Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 170

DAMIEN'S POV

For a second I honestly thought I'd misheard her.

School.

The word echoed in my head, sharp and wrong, like a crack in glass.

"Don't get me wrong, baby," I said slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm even as my chest tightened. I could feel how fragile the air between us was. One wrong word and it would shatter. "I understand how you feel. I really do. But I don't... I don't think this is a good idea."

Her brows knit together instantly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion flashing across her face.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. I reached for her hand, wrapping my fingers around hers like I could anchor her here. Like if I held on tight enough, she wouldn't drift somewhere I couldn't protect her.

"Baby, listen to me. You'll always be worthy to me. You don't have to prove anything. Not to me. Not to anyone."

She stared at our joined hands like they were burning her.

Then she pulled away.

"No," she said sharply.

My jaw tightened.

"Rose—"

"No," she repeated, louder now. "That's not what I'm saying."

Frustration flared, hot and sudden. "Then what are you saying?"

She crossed her arms over her chest like she needed to hold herself together. "You keep talking about how you see me. About how you feel. But you're not listening to what I need."

"I am listening," I snapped back.

She laughed once, bitter and broken. "No, you're hearing—but you're not listening."

That hit a nerve.

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing once across the room. "Rose, do you have any idea what going back to school would mean for you?"

She lifted her chin. "It means I get to be something."

"You already are something," I shot back.

Her eyes flashed. "To you."

I turned toward her, my temper finally slipping. "That should be enough!"

Her breath caught.

The room went dead silent.

I immediately regretted the words—but it was too late. I saw it on her face. The hurt. The way her shoulders stiffened like she'd been slapped.

She shook her head slowly. "That's easy for you to say."

Something ugly twisted in my chest.

"I can give you everything," I said, my voice rising despite myself. "Everything you could ever want. A life of comfort. Safety. Respect. You don't need to lift a fucking finger for the rest of your life, Rose. I take care of you. I always will. What else do you want?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I'd fucked up.

Her face went white.

Then red.

Then her eyes filled with tears so fast it felt like a knife straight through my ribs.

"That's not the point!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "You don't know how it feels!"

I froze.

"You don't know what it's like to be a maid your whole life," she continued, stepping closer now, her hands shaking. "To clean other people's messes. To bow your head. To be invisible."

I swallowed hard.

"And then one morning," she whispered, her voice cracking, "you wake up and you're mated to one of the most powerful men alive."

Her tears spilled over.

"You have no idea how that feels," she cried. "To feel like you'll never be enough. Like everyone is waiting for you to fail. Like you're only here because fate decided it—not because you earned it."

"Rose—"

"No!" she sobbed. "You don't get it. You've always been strong. Feared. Respected. You didn't wake up one day and suddenly become someone important. You built it."

Each word hit harder than the last.

"I just feel like I'm borrowing your shadow," she said quietly. "And one day... everyone will realize I don't belong there."

My anger evaporated instantly, replaced by something far worse—guilt.

My voice softened. "Rose..."

She shook her head, tears streaming freely now. "I don't want to be protected forever. I don't want to just be 'Damien's mate.' I want something that's mine."

I stepped toward her again, carefully this time. "Baby, you don't have to do this to yourself."

She backed away.

"I do," she whispered. "Because if I don't... I'll never believe you when you tell me I'm worthy."

That stopped me cold.

I reached for her again—but she turned away sharply.

Her shoulders started to shake.

"Rose," I said, panic creeping in now. "Come here. Please."

She broke.

A sob tore out of her chest, raw and uncontrollable, and before I could reach her, she turned and ran.

"Rose!" I called, following her toward the door.

She didn't stop.

"Rose!" I shouted again as she yanked the door open.

She disappeared into the hallway, her sobs echoing back at me like a wound ripping wider.

I stood there, frozen.

My hands clenched at my sides.

My wolf howled in fury and confusion, slamming against my ribs, but I couldn't move. Couldn't think.

What the fuck have I done?

The office felt empty. Too quiet. Like something precious had just been torn out of it.

I stared at the door she'd run through, my chest aching, my mind spiraling.

All I'd wanted was to protect her.

And somehow... I'd just pushed her away.