Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 87

MAXIMUS' POV

"Your Majesty, stop looking at me like that—it wasn't me," Lucien said, his voice steady but tense. "I promise."

He raised both hands slowly, palms open in surrender. The flickering firelight danced across his face, throwing uneasy shadows across the room.

For a long second, I didn't say anything. I just stared at him—watched the tiny twitch in his jaw, the controlled rise and fall of his chest. I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I needed to believe him. But after what Soraya had said... how could I be sure anymore?

"Your Majesty," Lucien said again, more carefully this time. "I swear it wasn't me in that forest."

I sighed and dragged a hand down my face, feeling the start of a headache throb behind my eyes. The fire crackled, low and uneven, and the air in the room felt thick, heavy—like the walls themselves were listening.

"Somehow," I muttered, pushing myself up from the chair, "some strange shadow managed to get into my palace. Into my palace, Lucien. And now I can't even tell who's real and who's not."

I began pacing across the floor, my boots striking the marble with hard, sharp sounds. My thoughts were spinning, my mind fighting to piece everything together.

Soraya was still sitting across the room, her fingers trembling against her lap. I turned toward her.

"How do we stop them?" I asked, my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the silence.

She lifted her head slowly, her eyes glimmering like glass under the firelight. "I already told you, my King," she said. "But you wouldn't listen."

"Then tell me again," I snapped.

Her expression hardened. "Those shadows can't be destroyed unless we destroy the source. Milandra is the source. She's their leader. If we kill her, we kill them all."

I stared at her, my chest tightening. "You're asking me to kill Emilia."

"That's not what I'm saying," she said quickly, shaking her head. "If we're lucky, we can separate Milandra's spirit from her body—remove it without harming Emilia."

I took a step closer, my voice rough. "And if she's not lucky?"

Soraya went silent. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes dropping to the floor. The only sound was the low, rhythmic crackle of the fire.

The quiet stretched until it felt like the air itself was suffocating me.

Finally, she spoke—softly. "Then we lose her."

My jaw clenched. I turned away, facing the flames, their orange light reflecting in my eyes like blood.

"You're risking everything, my King," Soraya said after a long pause, her tone almost pleading. "Soon, those shadows won't just be in this palace. They'll start slipping into the packs—corrupting, killing, spreading fear. Let's manage this while we still can. Before it becomes too late."

Her words sank into me like ice.

I didn't move for a while. The fire popped. The room smelled of smoke and cold air.

Finally, I said quietly, "Leave me. I need to think."

Soraya hesitated, her face full of something between fear and pity. Then she nodded, stood, and bowed deeply. "As you wish, my King."

The sound of her footsteps echoed as she walked toward the door. She opened it slowly, then turned back once, her eyes meeting mine. "Please... don't wait too long."

Then she was gone.

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving a thick, heavy silence behind.

I leaned against the desk, breathing out slowly, trying to steady my pulse.

Lucien was still standing there, watching me carefully.

After a long moment, he said quietly, "What do we do now?"

I didn't answer immediately. My thoughts were scattered—half on Soraya's words, half on the memory of that shadow in the forest.

When I finally looked up at him, he flinched slightly at the sharpness in my eyes.

"For the Goddess's sake, Your Majesty," he muttered, exasperation creeping into his tone. "I told you—I'm not a spirit. You can stop glaring at me like I'm about to grow horns."

I didn't respond.

He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "One thing I know for sure—you'll never give up Emilia. No matter what anyone says or does." He paused, shaking his head. "And that's a disaster waiting to happen."

My eyes narrowed.

Lucien held up his hands defensively. "I'm just saying the truth. You'd burn this whole kingdom down for her—and right now, it feels like we're already standing in the flames."

I shot him a cold look, and he instantly went quiet.

The room fell still again.

Then, suddenly, his phone rang.

The sharp sound cut through the silence like a blade.

Lucien frowned and pulled it from his pocket. The screen glowed faintly in the dark. He glanced at the name, then answered quickly.

"This is Beta Lucien," he said.

I watched him carefully.

His voice stayed calm at first, but as the seconds passed, his expression began to shift—tightening, darkening.

"Yes," he said slowly. "I'm listening... wait—what?"

He turned slightly away, pacing to the corner of the room. "Are you sure?" His voice dropped lower. "How long ago did it happen?"

I straightened in my seat, my instincts prickling.

He said nothing for a few seconds, just listened. Then finally, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Understood. Bring her here tomorrow. I'll inform the King."

He ended the call and stood there for a moment, silent.

When he turned back to me, his face was pale.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Alpha Green," he said, his tone grim. "She sounded panicked."

I frowned. "What did she say?"

He took a breath. "She's bringing a case here tomorrow. Something's happened in her pack."

"What kind of case?"

Lucien's jaw tightened. "Two separate incidents. Both... strange."

He swallowed, his eyes flicking toward the fire as he spoke. "In the first one—a man killed his son. The wife claims she saw it with her own eyes. But the man swears it wasn't him."

I felt my stomach twist.

Lucien continued. "In the second—another man set his mate on fire. The witnesses saw it happen, but he swears he didn't do it either."

The words hung heavy in the air.

I could hear the faint crackling of the fire, the distant whistle of the wind outside. My pulse thundered in my ears.

Lucien's eyes met mine. "She's coming tomorrow to beg for your help."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I felt it—the sharp, cold realization cutting through me like ice.

If those people were telling the truth... if they truly hadn't done those things themselves...It meant the shadows weren't just in my palace anymore.

They were already spreading.

Infiltrating the packs.

Killing people.

The silence between me and Lucien deepened until it was almost unbearable.

He took a slow breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "If it's true... we...we don't have time."