Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

"You're lucky he didn't ask the King to end your pathetic little life," Thomas snapped as he glared at the still-shaken Elise. Despite the humiliation, Elise refused to meet his gaze, clutching her arm as though the weight of everything was still pressing against her.

"What were you thinking?" Thomas demanded, his brows furrowing deeper.

It was a good thing Elijah didn't actually ask his father to make them leave. However, Elise was no longer allowed to meet Fiona. She needed to stay away. Luckily, this doesn't include Thomas.

"What you did drag us all down, Elise," Zach's voice interrupted her stupor. "What if they punished you? Or asked us to leave?"

Elise said nothing, her silence heavy. Even if she wanted to snap at Zach, she couldn't. Instead, she looked down at the pristine skin of her arm, her thoughts spiraling. Finally, she spoke, her voice sharp. "Did you know?"

Thomas frowned. He straightened slightly, narrowing his eyes. "Did I know what?"

Elise turned her head, meeting her father's gaze. Her eyes burned with a mixture of anger and desperation. "Did you know that Fiona is more powerful than me?"

Thomas's expression darkened. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his tone hushed, as if someone else might overhear their conversation.

Elise's fingers twitched as she held her arm tighter, the memory of the dark veins flashing in her mind. "I'm talking about what Fiona did," she said. "She touched my arm, and there was poison. Just her touch-it wasn't even a spell, not something I could feel her casting. It was instantaneous."

"That's impossible," Thomas said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "Fiona doesn't have that level of control or power. If it was poison, you would have been able to counteract it." He thought about how Fiona had harmed her own body with that poison. When he touched Fiona back then, it had been immediately clear to him that there was poison inside her body. However, it was a poison she had consumed herself. Was it possible she created that poison to harm her own organs? Impossible. How could someone have that kind of control? Even he wasn't capable of doing something so dangerous.

couldn't!" she snapped. "I didn't feel symptoms-not pain, not numbness, nothing-but I knew. I knew it was poison. I could identify it. I could

closely. "If you didn't feel any symptoms, then it wasn't poison," he said.

shot back. "I've studied healing for more than five years. I know what poison looks like. I've dealt with toxins that could drop a wolf twice my size. But this-this was different. It

toxic-it was dark. It felt alive like it wanted to kill me. It wasn't trying to weaken me or paralyze me like a

shifted, skepticism flickering across his

made it wanted me to feel helpless. And I did. I knew it could kill me if I didn't run to you. That's why I came straight

jaw tightened. He

as he considered

You're trained. You've

back to her. "If what you're saying is true," he

"We can't let her keep this power unchecked," she said. "She's already manipulated everyone. She's already trapped me in her games. If she's

thoughts. "We'll deal with this. But not here.

to the floor. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "But we have to act soon. Before she gets any

he said. "But for now, you need

jaw but said nothing, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. She knew he was right, but it didn't make the bitter taste of defeat any easier to

Zach frowned