Contract With The Alpha King by Brey Mitchylle

Chapter 111

"I think | know why he wanteddead," Fiona said, biting her lower lip. She had just finished telling Elijah what

happened with the Rogue King. It was tto share her thoughts after that encounter.

For the longest time, she wondered why her father would send assassins to kill his own daughter. Was it just

because of a long-standing promise made during the war? How could a father just simply kill his own blood

because of something like that? She was certain it wouldn't be that simple.

And she was right.

"You think it has something to do with your blood?" Elijah asked, frowning.

"It has to be. | mean... the poison inside the Rogue King? It's something I've never seen before," she said, pacing

the room with a serious expression. "What if... what if the Rosenthal Family is secretly selling their blood, and

somehow people are using it as an ingredient for potent poison? Poison that only a Rosenthal could heal? But

since all members of the Rosenthal Family are inside the pack, no one else could heal them."

Fiona stopped pacing and looked at Elijah. "What if the reason my father wanteddead is because he didn't

wanthealing all the people poisoned by our blood?"

She pieced together fragments of memories and observations that had long seemed insignificant. Turning to

Elijah, her brows furrowed in thought, she said, "Think about it. Ever since we were young, my family-the

Rosenthal Family-has been asked to give blood." Elijah leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "What do you

mean?"

Fiona pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to steady her thoughts. "It was part of our ‘awakening,’ the ritual

where we were tested to see if we'd receive the blessing of the goddess. They always made it seem sacred,

important. But... | never questioned where the blood went afterward. None of us did. We just assumed the clan

heads used it to determine if we were worthy."

"And you think that blood is being used for something else?" Elijah's expression darkened, his jaw tightening.

"I'm certain of it," Fiona said firmly. "Looking back, the amount of blood they took wasn't insignificant. And it

wasn't just a one-tthing. Every few years, they called us back for more testing. They claimed it was to

monitor our progression or to see if one of us would awaken or suddenly receive the goddess's blessing."

Elijah straightened, his gaze fixed on her. "And you think this has something to do with the poison in the Rogue

King?"

Fiona nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. "The poison in his system-it's not ordinary. It reacts to my blood.

It's alive, almost as if it was designed to respond to a Rosenthal's healing ability. What if this poison was created

using our blood? And what if the reason my father wantsdead is because I'm out here, healing people, and

undoing whatever plan they've been working on?"

Elijah stepped forward. "Why would your father, or the Rosenthal Family, do something like that? What could

they gain from poisoning people?"

"Power. Influence. Control," Fiona sighed, frustration bubbling beneath her calm exterior. "Think about it-if people

across the packs were poisoned by something only a Rosenthal could heal, they'd becdependent on us.

They'd have no choice but to cto us for help."

"And yet, here you are, healing people outside of their control," Elijah said. "That would make you a threat."

"Exactly," Fiona resumed pacing. "If I'm out here proving the poison can be undone, it breaks whatever leverage

they have. And it's not just the poison-it's the secrecy. If word got out that the Rosenthal Family is involved in

something like this, it would ruin them. Silencingis easier than risking exposure."

He frowned. "But that still doesn't make sense,"

Fiona stopped pacing and looked at him as he continued.

"The Rosenthal Family has been inside the pack for decades. If they were using this poison as leverage, they

would have already spread the word about a poison only a Rosenthal could heal. Instead, they've stayed inside

the Crimson Howler Pack, refusing to socialize with other packs. If they wanted influence and power, they would

have acted long ago."

"You're right," she admitted. "I've thought about this over and over, and it doesn't add up. If they had the power

to leverage this poison, why stay hidden? Why isolate themselves like hermits?" Since childhood, she had been

raised to be wary of strangers, people who only wanted to use them. They were taught to avoid their kind.

"It's as if they're preparing for something, not exploiting the power they already have," Elijah said.

Fiona's expression hardened, her mind racing as pieces of a larger puzzle began to shift into place, "What if

that's exactly what they're doing?" she said, her voice low. "What if this has never been about power in the

traditional sense? What if they're waiting for the right moment? Gathering

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Chapter 111

resources, allies, or... perfecting something."

Elijah's jaw tightened. "Perfecting what? The poison?"

©

"Maybe," Fiona said, shaking her head. "Or something worse. My blood-our blood-it's not just about healing or

hurting. It's.... rare. If they've been keeping us secluded, controlling every aspect of our lives, it could be

because they're preparing for a larger plan."

She stopped, her breath hitching as a new thought struck her. "What if it's not just the packs? What if that's why

the Lycans wanted me?" Her hands balled into fists. "They've always had their own secrets, their own

experiments with bloodlines and abilities. If they knew what Rosenthal blood could do..."

Elijah stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "You think the Lycans wanted you for this? To use your blood?"

Fiona met his gaze, her eyes sharp with realization. "They sawas... valuable. And if the Lycans know, what's

stopping the vampires from finding out?"

Elijah's brow furrowed as her words sank in. "You think the vampires would cafter you?"

The war was always said to have started because of a love triangle-a rivalry between two men from different

factions over one woman, a member of the Rosenthal Clan.

But what if the truth was far more sinister?

What if the war wasn't about love at all?

What if it was about the power hidden within Rosenthal blood?