Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King Novel

He Doesn't Want Me ADELE'S POV The moment his footsteps faded down the hall, I pressed my ear to the door, holding my breath until I was sure he was gone. Silence. Finally. I cracked the door open just enough to peek out. The corridor was empty, the morning light spilling across the floor like nothing had happened. Like my heart wasn't splintering inside my chest. I grabbed the two bags I'd packed and slipped out, pulling the door shut behind me with a soft click that sounded too loud in the quiet. I just needed to get out before he came back.

Before he looked at me with those stormy eyes and said something that would make me stay and hate myself for it. He wouldn't let me leave if he caught me. And yet he wouldn't claim me either. The thought burned hotter than anger. It burned everywhere. I started down the hallway, moving as quietly as I could. Every step pulled at the dress I'd change into, the fabric brushing against me in ways that made me bite the inside of my cheek. My body felt wrong-too hot, too tight, too sensitive.

My nipples ached, stiff and sore against the dress, and lower between my legs there was a deep, throbbing pulse that made me clench my thighs together as I walked. I sucked in a sharp breath. What the hell was happening to me? I reached the grand staircase and started down, one hand gripping the railing, the other dragging a bag. Each step down sent a jolt through my legs, friction that only made the ache worse. My skin felt like it was on fire, every brush of fabric or air sending sparks straight to my core.

I had to stop halfway down just to breathe, leaning against the wall, eyes squeezed shut. Keep moving, Adele. Just get to the door. Get home. I forced myself onward. The entrance hall was just ahead, the massive front doors within reach. Freedom. Distance. A place where I could curl up and let myself fall apart without him hearing it through the bond. I was almost there when a familiar voice stopped me cold. "Where are you going, Adele?" Emilia. I froze, one hand on the handle of my bag, the other hovering near the door. My heart slammed against my ribs. Slowly, I turned.

She stood at the bottom of the stairs in a soft blue gown that hugged her small baby bump, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes-sharp, knowing-took in everything in a single sweep: the bags, the flush I could feel burning on my cheeks. I tried to smile. It felt weak and fake. "I... I'm tired, Emilia. I'm going back home." Her face softened instantly. She crossed the hall in a few quick steps and pulled me into a hug, careful of her belly between us. She smelled like vanilla and warmth, and for a second I almost broke right there in her arms.

"Oh, Adele," she murmured against my hair, holding me tight. My mouth trembled. I couldn't stop it. The tears I'd been fighting all morning pushed at the back of my eyes, hot 1/2 25 Bonus and heavy. She pulled back just enough to look at me, hands on my shoulders. "What happened?" The words spilled out before I could stop them, raw and cracked. "He doesn't want me. He didn't show up last night. Again. I waited for him in that nightgown you sent, and he never came. It'd be better if I just leave." A tremor ran through me as I said it.

My whole body shook with it, and my body flared up sharper, crueler. My nipples tightened so painfully I had to shift my weight to keep from gasping. The throb between my legs became a relentless ache, slick and needy. I pressed my thighs together again, harder this time, trying to ease it, but it only made me dizzier. Emilia's eyes narrowed with that fierce protectiveness I loved about her. "Lucien loves you, Adele. He's just-" "No!" The word burst out of me louder than I meant, a yell that echoed off the marble walls. I clapped a hand over my mouth, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, voice shaking. "I didn't mean to yell. I just... I feel strange. So strange." I staggered a step sideways, the world tilting. My skin felt too tight, too hot, like I was burning from the inside out. Sweat gathered at the small of my back. My knees buckled slightly, and Emilia caught me instantly, her arms strong around my waist. "Adele? Adele, are you okay?" Panic edged her voice now. Another shiver ripped through me, violent and uncontrollable. I couldn't answer. Couldn't think past the fire licking through my veins, the desperate, empty ache deep in my belly.

Emilia pressed the back of her hand to my forehead, then my cheek, then my neck. Her eyes went wide. "Goddess above... you're going into heat." The words hit me like cold water and fire all at once. Heat. My first heat. Triggered now, of all times, because my body had finally had enough of waiting for its mate. Emilia's face twisted-worry, anger, fear all at once. She glanced around the empty hall, then back at me. "Where the fuck is that dumb mate of yours? He's definitely not going to like me when he sees me." I tried to laugh. Tried to say something.

But the next wave hit me harder than the last, a rolling cramp of need so intense my vision blurred at the edges. My legs gave out completely. Emilia tightened her grip, lowering me gently toward the floor as my bags slipped from my fingers and hit the floor beside us. The world spun. Colors bled together. The last thing I felt was the cold marble against my burning skin and Emilia's voice calling my name, sharp and urgent. Then everything went dark.

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