Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 35

"You should see your face right now," the King suddenly said, breaking the thick silence that had wrapped around them. His tone was light, almost teasing. It immediately threw Fiona off.

Fiona blinked, unsure how to react. Was he joking? The tension from earlier still clung to her, and she found it hard to shake the feeling that something more sinister lay beneath his words. Her mind spun, trying to process whether the King was playing with her or if this had been his plan all along.

The King leaned back in his chair, watching her with an amused smile. "Elijah can marry whoever his wolf desires," he continued, his voice casual now as if they were discussing something trivial. "At this point, I only want him to be happy, and if the only thing that would make him happy is you, then who am I to stop him?"

Fiona felt the awkwardness settle in. She glanced at the food in front of her and, not knowing how else to respond, began to eat. The flavors were muted in her mouth as her thought

continued to race. Was the King really joking? Or was there more

to his words than he was letting on? She couldn't tell, and the uncertainty made her uneasy.

After a moment, the King's voice cut through her thoughts. "Tell me, Fiona," he said, his tone shifting back to a more serious one. "Do you know much about the Rite of Kings?"

Fiona swallowed her food quickly, shaking her head. "Not so much, Your Majesty," she admitted.

The King nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded her. "The Rite is a tradition. Only those who are ages 25-30 can join the Rite."

Fiona nodded. She was at least aware of this rule as well as some basic ones, like needing to be a son of an Alpha to join the Rite of Kings.

King Nicholas continued. "Elijah is nearly thirty, and according to the Rite of Kings, no wolf over that age can join. That is why I had to declare the Rite earlier than I would have preferred. However, winning or losing is still up to him."

Fiona frowned, uncertain. "But, Your Majesty, what exactly does this Rite entail? And why is there a possibility Elijah might lose?" She thought Elijah would surely win the Rite of Kings. She'd heard rumors that he was the strongest contender and had the highest chance of winning.

the council. Without the backing of the council, Elijah's claim to the throne is weak. He may be my son, but the

eyes widened in surprise. "But Elijah is your son, and the rightful heir,

must believe Elijah is the right leader for the kingdom. Unfortunately, as of now, only two of the twelve council members support him." "Only two?"

ambitions. Some of them question Elijah's

their marriage. He had spoken of silencing his enemies' suspicions, and now she wondered if the council had been among those casting doubt. Could they have been questioning why Elijah remained unattached at his age? Had the marriage been a necessary shield against their scrutiny

sharp gaze locked onto hers. "For now, we keep my blessing of your marriage a secret. The council must believe that I disapprove of this union. It buys Elijah time to consolidate power without the full weight of

Chapter 35

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capable, but this revelation made her see just how much was at stake. "You want them to believe you don't support Elijah's marriage to me?" "Exactly. And that's

She blinked, confused. "Me?"

more dangerous and fatal than others. Support him, no matter what. He trusts

a surge of emotions, unsure of what to say. But she didn't hesitate. "I adore

expression easing slightly as he nodded

Fiona soon started to feel at ease in the King's company. She didn't know if it was because she was now fed or the fact that she was no longer lost in the maze. All she knew was that the

always joking around. It was something that Fiona never expected from the King of

out of the maze. "I enjoyed your company, Miss Rosenthal. It was a pleasure

is all mine, Your

King pointed to his right. "I will

should know about

and, to her surprise, he suddenly reached out and patted