Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Chapter 96

EMILIA'S POV

His fangs sank into my neck.

The pain was sharp, searing, like a blade slicing through me. I screamed, my voice tearing through the room, raw and desperate.

My body arched against him, caught between the agony and the heat still pulsing through me. His grip tightened, his teeth buried deep, and I felt the warm trickle of blood down my skin. The mark. He was marking me. Claiming me. Binding me to him in a way that could never be undone.

His body shuddered against mine, a guttural groan escaping his throat as he came, his hips jerking with the force of it. For a moment, the world was nothing but heat and pain and the overwhelming weight of him. My mind spun, dizzy with the mix of pleasure and terror. My hands clawed at his shoulders, trying to push him away, but my strength was fading, swallowed by the storm inside me.

Something snapped.

A surge of energy exploded from me, wild and uncontrollable. It wasn't just anger—it was power, raw and untamed, bursting out like a dam breaking. Maximus's body flew backward, ripped from mine as if an invisible hand had yanked him. He crashed against the far wall, the impact shaking the room. Wood splintered, and he slumped to the floor, his chest heaving.

I clutched my neck, my fingers slick with blood. My heart hammered so fast I could barely breathe. "What...what have you done?" I whispered, my voice shaking, barely audible. The mark burned, a throbbing pulse that felt alive, like it was sinking into my soul.

Maximus staggered to his feet, his eyes wide, flickering between black and blue. "Emilia..." he rasped, his voice broken, raw with guilt and something deeper—fear. He took a step toward me, his hand outstretched, but I flinched back.

"Don't," I spat, my voice sharp despite the tremble in it. My eyes stung with tears I refused to let fall. I scrambled off the bed, my legs shaky, my body screaming in protest. My dress was gone, torn somewhere in the chaos, so I grabbed my coat from the floor, yanking it on with trembling hands. The fabric felt too thin, too fragile against the storm raging inside me.

"Emilia, wait—" he started, but I didn't let him finish. I couldn't. I couldn't look at him, couldn't stand the weight of his gaze or the mark pulsing on my neck. I ran for the door, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor. The air outside hit me like a slap, sharp and icy, stinging my face as I stumbled into the night.

The forest swallowed me. The cold bit at my skin, but I didn't care. My neck throbbed, blood seeping through my fingers as I pressed them against the wound. The mark. His mark. My chest tightened, panic clawing at me. What did this mean? What had he done to me? My legs burned as I ran, branches snapping under my feet, the wind howling in my ears. Every step felt heavier, like the mark was pulling me back to him, tying me to him even now.

I tripped, my knees hitting the f

ground hard. Pain shot through me, but it was nothing compared to the fire in my neck. I gasped, my breath clouding in the air, and then—something shifted. The world blurred, and for a split second, I wasn't in the forest anymore.

Snow stretched out before me, endless and white, stained with dark patches of blood. A little girl stood there, no older than nine, her dress torn, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her eyes locked onto mine, wide with terror. A low, guttural growl rumbled through the air, and I turned to see it—a massive beast, its fur black as night, its eyes glowing with a hunger that stopped my heart. It bared its fangs, its muscles coiling as it prepared to charge.

I blinked, and I was back in the forest, the cold air burning my lungs. My hands shook as I pushed myself to my feet, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break my ribs. What was that? A memory? I didn't know, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving. I had to get to Damien's house. He was my mate. My true mate. Not Maximus. Not this mark burning into my skin.

I ran faster, the trees blurring around me. My neck pulsed with every step, a constant reminder of what Maximus had done. The cold air stung my face, but I didn't care. I needed safety.

The house came into view, its windows glowing faintly in the dark. My legs felt like they might give out, but I pushed forward, stumbling up the steps to the door.

I shoved it open, slamming it shut behind me as I leaned against it, gasping for breath. My chest heaved, my body trembling from the cold and the adrenaline and the mark that wouldn't stop burning. I pressed my hand to my neck again, wincing at the sharp sting. Blood coated my fingers, warm and sticky.

I was safe. I was here. I could figure this out. I could—

The door burst open.

My heart slammed against my chest, my breath catching in my throat. I spun around, expecting Maximus, his eyes blazing, his hands reaching for me. But it wasn't him.

It was worse.

Damien stood in the doorway, his broad frame filling the space. His eyes met mine, sharp and piercing, and for a moment, the world stopped.

His nose twitched, sniffing the air, and I saw the exact moment he smelled it—the blood, the mark, Maximus's scent on me. His face changed, the warmth in his eyes replaced by something dark, something dangerous. The bouquet of flowers he'd been holding slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a soft thud.

His eyes turned gold and a low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest, shaking the air between us.

My blood ran cold, my legs rooted to the spot. The mark on my neck burned hotter, like it was mocking me, screaming Maximus's claim even as Damien's gaze pinned me in place.

His growl grew louder.

I backed away, trembling. "Damien..." I whispered.

But it was too late. His beast had already seen the mark.