Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 138

"I" Elise hesitated, her voice faltering. She glanced behind her as if expecting Fiona to suddenly appear and end

her life. "I meant "

"Now, why would Lady Fiona hurt the next leader of the Rosenthal Clan?" the Queen asked, her voice laced with

feigned concern. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for, and she wasn't about to let it slip away. She

stepped closer to Elise, her movements deliberate. Seeing this, Elise quickly stepped back, but the Queen didn't

seem to care. She pressed on, her tone almost soothing. "You are the next generation, the one who will lead the

Rosenthal Clan soon. | believe Lady Fiona wouldn't dare hurt you. So, please... tell us what happened so we can

help." "She is right, Lady Elise," the King added, his voice steady and commanding. "What exactly happened?"

"Go on, sister..." Fiona's voice rang out, making Elise jump. She instinctively moved behind her father's back, her

breathing quickening. "Tell them everything."

"Why are you here?" Elise demanded, clutching the scarf covering her arm. Her fingers pressed against the

fabric, searching for any sensation, but there was nothing. That absence only deepened her dread-she didn't

know what was happening, and that uncertainty terrified her. She needed her father's help, and she needed it

quickly. "Aren't you scared that the King, the Queen, and everyone here will see just how evil you are?"

"Dear sister..." Fiona said with a soft sigh, her tone almost pitying. "I really don't understand what you're talking

about. Earlier, you cinto the resting quarters to ask why the Envoys wanted to see me. When | told you |

didn't know, you started shouting, insisting that you're going to becthe next Clan Head and that it is my

responsibility to tell you what | know. And now?" Fiona snorted, her gaze sharp and cutting. "You're actually

trying to frme in front of everyone?"

"You may be the next heir of the family, but let's not forget-this isn't the pack house anymore. This is the palace,

where the King and Queen of the werewolves preside. You may have your way withthere, but here? This is

not the place for such behavior." "You"

"Fiona! How dare you speak to your sister like that?" Thomas barked, his finger stabbing the air toward her.

"Accusing the next clan head of something as vile as bullying her own sister? Have you no shame?"

Fiona tilted her head, her gaze sharp as it flicked between Elise and her father. "And what about Elise?" she

countered, her voice steady. "Is she not trying to frme right now? Are you saying it's acceptable for her to

accusefalsely, but I'm forbidden from defending myself?" She met her father's glare head-on, her calm

demeanor an unspoken challenge.

Thomas's face darkened as he stepped closer to Fiona, his hand gesturing sharply toward her. "You have no right

to speak about your sister this way," he said, his voice cold. "Elise is the future of the Rosenthal Family. She

doesn't need to franyone-especially not you."

"Then explain her accusations," Fiona said calmly. She met his glare without flinching. "She says | poisoned her.

Why would | do such a thing? What could | possibly gain from harming her?"

The Queen interjected, her lips curling into a faint smile as she stepped forward. "That is an excellent question,

Lady Fiona," she said. "Lady Elise, why would you believe your sister would poison you? What motive could she

possibly have?"

Elise stiffened, her fingers tightening around the scarf as she glanced at the Queen. Her gaze darted to the

assembled crowd, their eyes sharp with curiosity and judgment. "Because..." she began, her voice faltering for a

moment. "Because Fiona knows curses." A murmur rippled through the room. The council members exchanged

looks, their expressions ranging from confusion to unease.

"Curses?" The Queen's smile faltered slightly, though her curiosity only seemed to deepen. "That is quite the

accusation, Lady Elise. Are you saying that Lady Fiona has learned witchcraft?"

"Yes!" Elise said, her voice growing more confident. She stepped out from behind her father. "What she-what she

did towasn't poison but a curse! There are things even our healing abilities cannot undo, and curses like this

are one of them. Fiona must have learned them. That's why she left our family. She wanted to study dark magic."

Fiona's eyes widened slightly, genuine surprise flickering across her face. She opened her mouth to respond, but

before she could, Carissa, who had been standing nearby, stepped forward.

"Only witches who have embraced darkness would know such things," Carissa said, her tone grave. She crossed

her arms as her sharp gaze settled on Fiona. "Curses like that cat a cost. They're not something an ordinary

healer could create."

Another council member nodded in agreement. "Dark magic is rare, but it exists. And those who use it are often

consumed by their own power. If Lady Fiona truly knows such things, then her very presence here is a threat."

The Queen tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Lady Fiona," she said. "If what your sister says is

true, then this is a matter of grave concern. Only the most wicked of witches would resort to curses. Such

practices are... unnatural. Dangerous." "Lady Elise," the King interjected. "You have made a serious accusation. If

you claim that this is a curse created by your sister, then you must provide proof. Words alone are not enough."

Elise faltered, her confidence

wavering as she met the King's unyielding gaze. "This-" she swallowed. "Of course, | have proof your highness. Il

simply didn't want to show it to everyone. After all, believe this is still something that someone from the

Rosenthal Family did.

The Queen raised an eyebrow, her fan flicking open with a practiced motion. "Lady Elise... please" she asked.

"Without further evidence, how can we be certain that Lady Fiona is the one responsible? How would we know if

it was really a curse?"

"Your Majesty," Fiona finally said, addressing the King, "I have nothing to hide. If Lady Elise believes | am

responsible, then let her present concrete proof. Let her show us how |, a healer who has been training for mere

months, could create something so... sophisticated." Elise's face burned with frustration. She glanced around the

room, searching for support, but the council members" expressions remained neutral, their judgment withheld.

Carissa stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied Elise's arm. "If this is truly a curse," she said, "then it

should respond to magical detection. Shall we test it?"

Elise's eyes widened in alarm. "No!" she said quickly, pulling her arm close to her chest. "I... | just need my

father's help. He can undo this. | don't need anyone else interfering."

Lord Rosenthal frowned deeply, his gaze shifting between Elise and Fiona. "Elise," he said, his voice low, "if this

truly is a curse, then why did you wait until now to speak of it? Why didn't you tellthe moment it happened?"

"| was scared!" Elise snapped, her voice rising. "Scared of what Fiona might do next! She's dangerous, Father.

You know she is. She's always been unpredictable."

The Queen's gaze flicked to Fiona, her smile returning as she observed the tension. "Unpredictable, indeed," she

murmured. "But Lady Elise, accusations without proof can lead to consequences far worse than fear. Be certain

of what you claim." Elise's breathing quickened as she realized the precariousness of her position. Her eyes

darted to Fiona, who stood silently as she smiled at Elise. Why was the woman so calm? The dark veins should

be enough to prove a curse!

"Then prove it," the King said, his voice final. "If this is truly a curse, we will examine it. If not... we will address

the consequences of your false accusations."

Elise's grip tightened on her scarf. Like many werewolves, she wasn't well-versed in witches or curses. As a

healer, she had read about curses and understood their dangerous nature. However, she wasn't entirely sure if

what Fiona had done wa truly a curse or simply poison. Her confidence stemmed from a calculated assumption:

mentioning the word "curse" would unsettle the crowd and shift the narrative in her favor. After all, none of these

people truly knew what a curse looked like.

It was a gamble—a dangerous one. Who would have thought they would demand proof? As the next clan head of

the esteemed Rosenthal Clan, her word alone should have been enough! She pursed her lips, her gaze locking

with the King's piercing eyes. Her mind raced. She needed to act quickly, to regain control of the situation before

it spiraled beyond her grasp.

"Since you demand proof, please

excuse me," she began, her tone measured but laced with feigned reluctance. "I hadn't intended to show this, as

| wished to keep it private. After all, Fiona is still my sister." She paused deliberately, allowing tension to build.

"However... letshow you what Fiona has done to me!"

Without hesitation, Elise unraveled the scarf. She held her arm up, her eyes scanning the room to gauge every

reaction.