Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 86

MAXIMUS' POV

"What about Milandra?" I demanded, stepping closer.

Soraya's chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. Her face was pale, her eyes darting toward the forest behind her as if she expected something to crawl out of the shadows.

"I was in my room," she whispered, voice trembling. "When I felt it. Her shadows—they're beginning to awaken."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"What do you mean by her shadows?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. "They're her loyal servants," she said shakily. "Creatures of dark magic bound to her soul. They would do anything for her. Even in death."

A chill ran through me, sharp and biting.

Her eyes suddenly flicked around the forest. She froze, her breath catching. "One was here."

My muscles tensed instantly. "What?"

She turned to me so fast her coat almost slipped off her shoulders. "My King... were you here with anyone?"

I frowned. "Yes. Lucien. He was with me earlier."

Her face drained of all color. "We need to return to the palace. Now."

Her voice carried an urgency that made my instincts flare.

I wanted to question her, to demand an explanation, but the wind shifted then, carrying with it a faint, strange scent—one that didn't belong to either of us. Metallic. Foul.

It slithered through the trees, brushing past my skin like something alive.

"Fine," I muttered, my jaw tightening. "We'll talk inside."

Soraya nodded quickly, her hands trembling as she clutched her coat tighter.

We started walking back toward the palace. The forest was silent except for the crunch of frost beneath our boots. I could feel her fear without her saying another word. It clung to the air between us, thick and heavy, like smoke after a fire.

The closer we got to the castle, the more my unease grew. Something felt wrong. Off-balance.

As we neared the gates, Soraya spoke again, her voice low and urgent. "If her shadows are already coming back... we need to summon her spirit and lock it away before it's too late."

I stopped walking.

Her words hit me like thunder. Summon her spirit.

I knew what that meant.

"No," I said firmly.

"My King—"

"I said no."

She moved in front of me, blocking my path. "You don't understand! If Milandra rises again, nothing will stop her. Not even you."

My jaw clenched. "I know what it means to summon her spirit. Do you think I've forgotten?"

Her eyes filled with desperation. "Then you know why we can't hesitate!"

I said nothing. The silence between us was sharp enough to cut through.

She threw her hands up, her patience snapping. "My King, you're being unreasonable! Your life is at stake—the entire kingdom is at stake! Are you going to throw that all away for—"

"Watch your tone," I said darkly.

The words came out colder than the wind.

Soraya stiffened instantly, her lips pressing together. "Forgive me, my King," she murmured, bowing her head. "I spoke out of fear. I'm just... worried."

I said nothing. The truth was, I understood her fear. But fear wasn't going to make me choose between Emilia and the world tonight. Not when I was barely holding myself together.

We continued the walk in silence. The palace loomed ahead.

When we reached the front steps, the guards bowed quickly and opened the doors.

Soraya followed me down the long marble corridor, her footsteps echoing behind mine.

We turned the final corner and entered my office.

I sank into the chair behind my desk, the wood creaking beneath my weight. The room was dim, lit only by the fire in the corner. Soraya sat opposite me, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her coat.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The fire crackled, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls.

I leaned back, rubbing a hand over my face. "Start from the beginning. What exactly did you feel?"

She hesitated. "It was faint at first. A pulse... like a heartbeat deep in the ground. Then I felt the darkness stirring. Her energy is old—familiar. It's like the air itself remembers her."

Her eyes flicked to the window. "If the shadows are awakening, she's close to returning. We must prepare for—"

A knock cut her off.

Three sharp raps against the door.

I straightened instantly.

"Enter," I called.

The door swung open—and there he was. Lucien.

The firelight caught his face, sharp and composed as ever. But the moment I saw him, my jaw clenched.

My mind flashed back to the forest—to the feel of my hands slamming him against a tree, to the anger burning through me like wildfire.

"What do you want?" I asked coolly.

Lucien stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I've been looking all over for you, my King," he said. "Where have you been?"

I frowned, my patience thinning. "What do you mean? You were with me some minutes ago."

He blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "What?"

Soraya stiffened in her seat.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, irritation edging into my voice.

Lucien looked from me to Soraya, then back. "I haven't seen you since you ran off to see Emilia. I came to your room, but you weren't there. The guards said you'd gone into the forest alone."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

My pulse slowed, every muscle in my body going rigid.

Soraya's chair scraped back slightly. "That's what I was trying to tell you," she whispered, her eyes wide.

I turned toward her slowly. "What do you mean?"

Her voice trembled. "Milandra's shadows—they can take the form of anyone. Anything. They're shapeshifters of pure darkness. And if one was with you in the forest..."

The realization hit me like a blade to the chest.

Then she said it—quietly, like speaking the words too loud might bring them to life.

"...it means they're already inside the palace."

The room went still.

The flames in the fireplace flickered violently, throwing wild shadows across the walls.

A deep, unnatural chill swept through the air, snuffing out the faint warmth that had lingered.

Lucien's eyes stared at me in confusion. Soraya's breath caught, her eyes darting toward the corners of the room like she expected something to emerge from the dark.

My heartbeat thundered in my chest, slow and heavy.

Because if she was right... then the shadow that had stood beside me in the forest—the one I'd mistaken for Lucien—had followed me home.

And it could be anywhere.

Anyone.

Even now.