Reborn:I Chose the Cursed Wolf Prince

Chapter Two-The Cursed Prince Answer

The silence stretched like a blade.

I stood before Prince Kael Draven, my heart pounding so loudly I was certain everyone in the ballroom could hear it. My hands trembled slightly at my sides, but I kept my chin raised. I would not look away. I would not show weakness.

Not now. Not ever again.

Kael studied me with those dark, unreadable eyes. His face revealed nothing—no shock, no amusement, no anger. Just cold, calculating stillness.

Then he spoke.

"Lady Aurelia."

His voice was low, rough like gravel wrapped in silk. It sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"Have you lost your mind?"

I almost laughed. Almost. Because honestly? Yes. Maybe I had. But insanity was better than the blind trust that had killed me the first time.

"No," I said evenly. "I've never been more clear-headed in my life."

Kael's jaw tightened. "You don't know me."

"I know enough."

"You know rumors." His eyes flickered with something dark. "You know whispers. You know what people say about me—the curse, the madness, the blood. And yet you stand here and offer yourself to me like a sacrifice."

I met his gaze without flinching. "I'm not a sacrifice, Prince Kael. I'm a choice."

The crowd around us had grown deathly quiet. I could feel their eyes boring into my back—the nobles, the servants, the guards. Somewhere behind me, I knew Lucien was watching. I could almost feel the heat of his glare.

But I refused to turn around.

Kael stepped closer. He was taller than I remembered, broader, more intimidating up close. The shadows from the balcony fell across his sharp features, making him look half-beast, half-man.

"Let me understand this clearly," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for me. "The Prime Minister's daughter—the jewel of Valoria—walks away from her kingdom's crown prince and proposes to the cursed wolf of Draven. In front of the entire court."

"Yes."

"Why?"

I opened my mouth to answer—

And then I felt it.

A hand closing around my wrist.

THE CROWN PRINCE'S INTERVENTION

"Unhand her."

Lucien's voice cut through the silence like a whip.

I turned my head slowly. He was standing beside me now, his golden hair gleaming in the candlelight, his blue eyes blazing with barely concealed fury. His grip on my wrist was tight—too tight.

"Lady Aurelia is clearly unwell," Lucien said, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "She's been under tremendous pressure lately. Her father's political duties, her mother's illness... it's all been too much. She doesn't know what she's saying."

I yanked my wrist free.

"I know exactly what I'm saying."

Lucien's smile faltered. "Aurelia—"

"Don't." My voice was cold, colder than I had ever spoken to him. "Don't pretend you care. Not after what you did."

His eyes widened. Confusion flickered across his handsome face—and for a moment, I saw the boy I had once loved.

But then I remembered the wine.

I remembered the poison.

I remembered the way he walked away while I choked on my own blood.

And the love died all over again.

"Lady Aurelia," Lucien said carefully, his voice low and measured, "whatever you think you know—whatever you think happened—I can explain. You're not yourself right now. Please. Let's talk privately."

I laughed.

I actually laughed.

The sound startled even me—bitter, broken, utterly devoid of warmth. Every noble in the ballroom flinched.

"Explain?" I repeated. "You want to explain?"

Lucien's expression darkened. "Aurelia—"

"Save your explanations for someone who still cares."

I turned away from him—away from the golden prince who had destroyed me—and faced Kael once more.

My future.

My choice.

My only hope.

Kael had been watching the exchange with cold, calculating eyes. He hadn't intervened. He hadn't defended me. But he also hadn't looked away.

"You asked why," I said quietly.

He tilted his head. "I did."

"Because I'm tired of choosing the wrong men." I lifted my chin higher. "Because I've seen what happens when I trust the pretty ones. Because you—" I paused, searching for the right words. "You're different. You're not pretending to be something you're not. Everyone fears you. Everyone whispers about you. But I don't see a monster. I see a man who's been betrayed by everyone around him."

Kael's eyes flickered. Something shifted in his expression—almost imperceptible, but I caught it.

"Betrayed," he repeated slowly.

"Yes." I held his gaze. "And I know what that feels like. I know what it's like to have everyone believe the worst of you. I know what it's like to stand alone while the world condemns you."

Silence.

Then Kael did something I didn't expect.

He smiled.

It was a small smile—barely a curve of his lips. Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.

But it was real.

"You're interesting, Aurelia Vale," he said. "I've never met a woman who looks at me the way you do."

I swallowed. "Is that a good thing?"

He stepped closer. Now we were inches apart—close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, close enough to see the flecks of silver in his dark eyes.

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I'm curious to find out."

I held my breath.

"So," I whispered. "Is that a yes?"

THE PROPOSAL FALLS

Kael looked at me for a long, long moment.

Then he looked past me—at Lucien, who was still standing there, his face a mask of barely controlled rage. At the nobles who were watching with bated breath. At the servants who were pretending not to stare.

"Marriage," Kael said slowly, testing the word on his tongue. "To the daughter of Valoria's Prime Minister. To a woman who walks away from her own crown prince in front of the entire court."

"I know what I'm asking."

"Do you?" His eyes searched mine. "Do you know what it means to marry me, Aurelia? I'm not a prince of fairy tales. I'm a cursed wolf. My own people fear me. My father barely tolerates me. My brother hates me. The werewolf kingdom sees me as an abomination."

"I don't care about any of that."

"You should." His voice hardened. "You should care. Because if you marry me, you become part of my world. And my world—" He paused, something dark flickering in his eyes. "My world is dangerous. People will try to use you to get to me. They'll try to destroy you to break me. Are you prepared for that?"

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

Kael studied me for another long moment. I could see the war in his eyes—suspicion, curiosity, and something else. Something I couldn't quite name.

Then he spoke.

"Very well."

My heart stopped.

"Wait—" Lucien stepped forward, his voice sharp. "You can't be serious. Draven, this is absurd. She's the Prime Minister's daughter. She can't just—"

"She just did."

Kael's voice was flat, final. He didn't even look at Lucien.

"Aurelia Vale." He reached out and took my hand—warm, rough, surprisingly gentle. "I accept your proposal."

The ballroom erupted.

Whispers. Gasps. The sound of fans snapping shut and gowns rustling as nobles scrambled to process what had just happened.

I barely heard any of it.

All I could feel was Kael's hand wrapped around mine—strong, steady, anchoring me to this moment.

I was no longer the woman who died alone on a cold marble floor.

I was no longer the fool who had trusted the wrong man.

I was Aurelia Vale.

And I had just changed everything.

AFTER THE BALL

The ride back to my family's estate was silent.

I sat in the carriage across from my father, who hadn't spoken a single word since we left the palace. His face was pale, his eyes fixed on the window, his jaw tight.

I knew he was angry.

I knew he was confused.

I knew he was probably terrified.

But I also knew that he loved me—and that eventually, he would understand.

"Aurelia," he finally said, his voice strained. "Tell me you didn't mean it."

I met his eyes. "I meant every word."

Father closed his eyes. He looked older than I remembered—grayer around the temples, deeper lines around his mouth. My heart ached for him.

"Lucien was supposed to be your future," he said quietly. "The engagement was—"

"I know what it was." My voice softened. "I know you arranged it to strengthen the family. I know you thought you were protecting me. And I love you for it."

He opened his eyes. "Then why—"

"Because I know what happens to women who marry Crown Prince Lucien," I said.

My father stared at me.

"I know things, Father. Things I can't explain. But I need you to trust me." I reached across the carriage and took his hand. "I can't marry him. I won't. If I do, I'll die. We'll all die."

Something flickered in his eyes. Fear. Confusion. And then—dawning realization.

"You know something," he said slowly. "Something about the future."

I nodded.

He didn't ask how.

He didn't question me.

He just nodded—and squeezed my hand.

"Very well," he said quietly. "Then we will make this work."

THE NEXT MORNING

I woke to a letter on my desk.

It was sealed with black wax—the crest of House Draven pressed into it.

My hands trembled as I broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.

Inside, written in sharp, elegant script:

Lady Aurelia,

As of this morning, I have formally notified the Council of our engagement. My father is... displeased. My brother is furious. The court is in chaos.

I trust you are pleased with yourself.

The wedding will take place in three weeks. I have requested a quiet ceremony—small, private, away from the prying eyes of those who wish us ill.

I'm sure you understand.

Do not make me regret this choice.

— Prince Kael Draven

I read the letter three times.

Then I smiled.

Three weeks.

Three weeks until I became the Cursed Wolf Prince's wife.

Three weeks until I stepped into a werewolf kingdom that feared me before I even arrived.

Three weeks until everything changed—again.

I folded the letter carefully and tucked it into my drawer.

Then I turned to my mirror and looked at my reflection.

Seventeen years old. Blue eyes. Silver-touched hair. The face of a girl who had died once and was determined never to die again.

"Three weeks," I whispered to myself. "I can do this."

I would do this.

Because this time, I was choosing my own fate.

And I would never let anyone take that away from me again.