Contract With The Alpha King

Chapter

18

Elijah's heart dropped the moment he entered the bathroom and saw Fiona lying unconscious on the floor. A wave of panic surged through him, but he forced himself to stay calm. He quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her, covering her vulnerable form. "Regor, don't let anyone in," Elijah ordered sharply, his voice laced with urgency. He could feel his wolf stirring inside him. howling with anger and frustration. The sight of Fiona like this, so helpless, ignited a fury within him that he struggled to contam.

His hands trembled slightly as he checked her pulse, relief washing over him when he found it steady. But questions swirled in his mind. Who had done this? Why? His jaw clenched as he fought to keep his emotions in check.

Elijah's eyes darkened. He knew this was no accident. Luckily, his wolf had been very aware. It immediately sensed Fiona's distress and urged him to come. Someone had targeted Fiona, and the thought made his blood boil. He would find out who was responsible, and they would pay dearly for this. But first, he had to ensure Fiona's safety. With a deep breath, Elijah gathered her in his arms, his grip firm but gentle. "Sta with me, Fiona," he whispered, his voice barely audible. Then he took her to the bed, laying her down slowly.

However, before he could examine her further, the door opened Alpha Leonard walked in with his daughters and Beta.

"Your Highness." Alpha Leonard frowned as his gaze landed on Fiona in the Prince's arms. "May I know-

"Out!" Elijah hissed, his usually calm gray eyes now darker, almost black. Seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Alpha

"Your Highness, you are in-

"Get out!" Elijah said, his voice a mixture of his normal human tone and something that made Alpha Leonard's skin crawl He blinked, looking at Elijah before once again turning his gaze toward Fiona. Then he quickly gestured for the others to leave the room. Elijah watched as Alpha Leonard and the others left, his fury barely contained. Once the door closed behind them, he immediately called for Regor. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last,

Regor entered quickly, sensing the urgency in Elijah's demeanor. "Your Highness?" he asked, his voice tense.

-Who was guarding the place!" Elijah demanded, his tone sharp.

Regor hesitated for a moment before answering. "Our best men were on watch. They didn't see anything unusual. No one entered or left the premises without our knowledge."

Elijah's jaw tightened. "And the Crimson Howler's Pack-what did you find?"

Regor shifted uncomfortably. "We didn't find anything suspicious. The pack seems.. normal. No unusual activity since we

left."

Elijah's eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing, but before he could speak, Regor hesitated, then asked, "Your Highness, do you think this attack was aimed at Fiona? Could she have been the real target?"

Elijah's expression darkened as the realization settled deep within him. The pieces were falling into place, and the truth was far more disturbing than he had initially thought. They wanted everyone to believe he was the target-after all, he was the Prince. It was the obvious assumption, the one that would mislead anyone watching. But as he reflected on the events, he knew it wasn't the case.

It was Fiona. She was the one they were after all along.

The Poison Claws-that was the first sign. Elijah replayed the minent in his mind, the instant when the werewolf had lunged, not at him, but at Fiona. The intent was clear, unmistakable. That attack wasn't meant for him. The poison they used on her was different, more potent, and more targeted. The attack on the safe house, on the other hand, felt like a diversion, a way to push them toward safety, to drive them right into the trap.

Then there was the second attack-when Fiona was alone. If he were the true target, why go after her when he wasn't even there! It didn't make sense unless she was the intended victim from the start. They had been using him as a distraction, counting on everyone to assume he was the one in danger.

Elijaly's thoughts spiraled as he stood over Fiona, his mind a whirlwind of realizations and regrets. He had never planned to offer her a marriage contract. That decision had come from desperation, a need to find someone who could be useful, someone who wouldn't expose his secrets to the other Princes.

Fiona had been an ideal candidate-an outsider, yet deeply connected within the werewolf community. Someone who would do everything that he asked her to do just for him to save her. And most importantly, she was a member of the Rosenthal Family. He didn't want to believe it, but the truth was there, staring him in the face.

The Rosenthal family was one of the oldest in the werewolf community. However, they had always been loyal to the Crimson Howlers pack, not the palace. That loyalty made them powerful allies or formidable enemies. Fiona, as a Rosenthal, was the key to understanding and perhaps even influencing that loyalty. She had the information, the connections he needed. That's what made her so valuable.

Her ability to heal was a surprise, but what surprised him even more, what he hadn't anticipated-what he hadn't even considered-was the potent attraction between them.

It was undeniable, a force that pulled at him with a strength he hadn't experienced before. And then there was the most startling revelation of all: his body's reaction to her. He wasn't impotent. The condition that had plagued him, that had driven him to desperation, wasn't real. It was her. Fiona had awakened something in him, something he had thought lost

forever.

a means to an end. She He couldn't ignore it any longer. The truth was that Fiona was more than just a tool, more than just a had become something more, something he hadn't expected and wasn't sure how to handle. -Who would have thought that the Rosenthal Family would..." Regor's voice interrupted his stuporExclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

Elijah turned to face him, his expression grim. "There's a reason why the Rosenthal Family never established themselves outside of the Crimson Howlers pack. Every Rosenthal who tried to leave... died. It's a curse, or at least that's what they want everyone to believe. But I think it's something more sinister,"

Regor's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't voice the questions that were clearly swirling in his mind. He simply nodded. absorbing the weight of Elijah's words.

Elijah looked back at Fiona, lying unconscious on the bed, and his anger deepened. He never imagined the Rosenthals would act so quickly, with such ruthlessness, the moment they left the pack. They weren't even afraid of him, a Royal. The audacity of it made his blood boil, but it also made him wonder-what were they hiding?

Once again, his thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He quickly gestured for Regor to open it. The one who walked in was Eliza, one of Alpha Leonard's daughters.

"Your Highness, a healer is here to examine Miss Fiona Eliza said, her voice soft. Somehow, this made Elijah even more irritated. He glared at her.

"I do not remember asking you for a healer, Elijah said coldly.

In response, Eliza lowered her gaze. "I did not mean to disrespect you, Your Highness, but this is just something that I thought of. As a sign of goodwill"

"Leave!" Elijah ordered. "Do not let anyone near the house for the next twenty-four hours"

"Yes, Your Highness, Regor said as he led Eliza ol

Again, he looked at Fiona. What kind of secrets were the Rosenthal Family so desperate to protect that they'd risk everything to kill Fiona, a member of their own bloodline?

And if they knew Fiona could heal, what lengths would they go to then?

Elijah clenched his fists, the questions burning in his mind. What was Fiona worth to them?

63

Rosenthal Clan House

The study was dark, the only light coming from the flickering candles that cast long, dancing shadows across the room. The air was thick, almost suffocating, as if the very walls were closing in on the secrets they held. Seated at a large, ornate desk was Lord Rosenthal, his face partially obscured by the gloom. His eyes, however, burned with a cold fury as he read the report in front of him. "How hard is it to kill one woman?" Lord Rosenthal's voice was low, but it carried the weight of his anger. He looked up, his gaze cutting through the darkness to the man standing opposite him.

The man shrifted uncomfortably, then spoke. "Your Lordship, the Prince intervened. He saved Fiona and was struck by the poison claws. However, he... recovered almost immediately. They've since traveled to the neighboring pack

Lord Rosenthal's eyes narrowed, disbelief and anger flashing in them. "Impossible," he muttered. "That poison was meant to kill, not merely wound. Only a healer of our caliber could neutralize it, and only a Rosenthal could do so. Fiona has no such ability. She was never trained to heal."

He slammed the report onto the desk, the sound echoing through the still room. "Something isn't right. The Prince should have been incapacitated, if not dead. And yet, he's still alive, still moving. This isn't natural."

Lord Rosenthal's gaze bore into the man before him. "I want answers. Investigate everything. Find out how the Prince survived and what role Fiona played in this. If there's more to her than we know, I want to know it."

The man bowed his head, understanding the gravity of the command. "Yes, Your Lordship. We'll uncover the truth."

As the man left the room, Lord Rosenthal remained seated, his mind racing with possibilities. If Fiona had somehow developed the ability to heal... no, it couldn't be. But if it were true, if she had that power, the consequences would be far more dangerous than he had anticipated.