Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 53

Emilia's POV

The beast growled and the sound of the growl nearly ripped the air apart.

Low. Deep. Brutal.

It wasn't just a sound—it was a force, a vibration that shook my bones and made the hair on my arms stand on end. The chains clattered violently as the beast lunged forward, its massive body straining against the iron, black eyes burning with a hunger that made my blood run cold.

I froze in the doorway, my hand still on the knob, heart pounding against my ribcage so hard I thought it would break free.

Goddess, what the hell was I doing here?

The beast roared again, so loud it rattled through the chamber walls and echoed into my chest. My instincts screamed at me to run, to get as far away from this monster as possible. But my feet didn't move. My legs refused to listen. My stupid, reckless curiosity rooted me in place.

His wrists were bleeding—thick, dark blood streaming down his furred arms as the cuffs cut deep with every violent tug. The scent of iron coated the air, sharp and suffocating. The chains rattled louder, a horrible, metallic chorus to his fury.

"Calm down," I whispered before I could stop myself, my voice small and trembling. "Please... you're hurting yourself."

The words sounded ridiculous the moment they left my mouth. What was I thinking? Talking to him like he was some wounded animal? Like he could even hear me through the haze of bloodlust and rage?

But still, I said it. Still, I stood there.

His chest heaved, fur rising and falling like the rolling of a storm. His black eyes locked on me, pupils blown wide, glowing faintly in the silver light that leaked through the barred window.

"You're going to rip your wrists apart if you keep fighting like this," I whispered again, my voice shaking but steadier than before. "Please... just calm down."

It was stupid. It was insane. And yet some strange part of me couldn't stop. Maybe I was more reckless than I thought. Or maybe, deep down, I didn't fear him the way I should.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sand, and forced my feet to move. One step. Just one.

The chains screamed as the beast jerked forward, his snarl so vicious it sent a shockwave of terror ripping down my spine. His teeth—long, gleaming fangs slick with saliva—snapped together so close I swore I felt the gust of it on my face.

I froze again. My chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths, but strangely... the fear didn't consume me. It was there, yes, but something else pulsed beneath it.

Something strange. Something steady.

I didn't feel like prey.

Not exactly.

I took another step.

The beast growled so loud it shook the walls, his massive body straining harder against the chains. My instincts screamed to retreat, but then—

He stopped.

Just like that.

The snarl died in his throat, breaking into heavy, labored breaths. His black eyes narrowed, unblinking, locked onto me with such fierce intensity it rooted me where I stood. His nostrils flared once, twice, as if pulling something from the air.

Smelling me.

The sound of his breathing changed, deepening, thick with something I couldn't understand. A shiver crawled down my spine as realization struck—he wasn't just looking at me. He was sensing me.

And whatever it was he smelled, it made him pause.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, but I took it as a chance. My body moved before my brain caught up, dragging me closer, step by foolish step.

The air grew heavier the nearer I got, thick with heat and blood and power. The sheer size of him towered over me even in chains, his shadow swallowing me whole. His fur was black as midnight, gleaming faintly where the moonlight touched it. His body was monstrous, every muscle carved in brutal sharpness beneath the thick coat. His jaws were massive, his fangs glinting like ivory daggers, his claws long enough to tear through stone.

This was no wolf. No ordinary beast.

And I was walking straight into his cage.

My hand trembled as I lifted it. Stupid. So stupid. But I did it anyway. I reached toward him like I'd done that night, fingers stretching toward his face. His black eyes tracked me, unblinking, his chest still heaving with those strange, heavy breaths.

And then—

Pain.

White-hot, searing pain tore through my arm before I even realized what happened. His claws slashed out faster than my eyes could follow, slicing deep into my flesh. The force of it sent me flying backward. My body slammed into the stone wall with a sickening crack, air bursting from my lungs.

A scream ripped out of me before I could stop it, raw and broken. My vision blurred, hot tears stinging my eyes as blood poured down my arm, staining my sleeve, dripping onto the floor.

"Ahhh—shit!" I gasped, clutching at the wound, the sting of torn flesh unbearable.

The beast roared, louder than before, the sound echoing off the walls like thunder. His fury filled the room, shaking it down to its foundation. He thrashed against the chains harder, muscles bulging, veins straining, his fangs snapping in the air like he was desperate to sink them into my throat.

I staggered to my feet, clutching my bleeding arm, breath coming in ragged gasps. My legs trembled beneath me, threatening to give out, but somehow I stayed standing.

He was angrier now.

Furious.

And I knew—it was my fault.

I shouldn't have touched him. I shouldn't have come here.

The chains screamed under the force of his thrashing, and then—

A cracking sound split through the room like lightning.

My stomach dropped as my eyes snapped to the source.

One of the chains.

The thick iron cuff around his right wrist yanked free from the wall, stone and dust raining down as the beast jerked his arm forward with a guttural roar.

The world froze.

My blood ran cold, breath locking in my chest. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to run, but I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe.

The beast stood taller now, one massive arm free, claws curling as he slammed it against the floor, gouging deep into the stone. His black eyes burned brighter, locked on me with such intensity it made my knees weak.

He was still chained by one arm. Still bound. But the look in his eyes told me it wouldn't last.

And when that final chain snapped—

I knew I'd be dead.