Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six

Austin helped me back to the pack house. I was filthy, covered in mud-but I didn't care.

"Gather the council of advisors." I instructed him.

"Now?" he asked, surprised. "You should rest, Luna. You are in no condition...”

"I gave you an order." I said and that seemed to surprise him too, he nodded before turning away.

I stripped off my filthy clothes, took a quick bath, and stepped into another leather outfit-identical to the one before. My hair, still damp, was twisted into a bun before I headed to the meeting room.

I had expected to be bombarded with questions from the advisors; I had expected

some of them with frowns on their faces. I was ready to take all the disappointed looks casted at me, but what I wasn't ready for was to find all the seats

unoccupied-all except two.

Austin and Phil.

"Where are the others?" I questioned.

“Erh... Luna, I really don't think this is the right time..."

Leut Austin off for the second time. "Where are the others?" I repeated.

"They left."

"What do you mean by they left?"

"They swore out of their posts as advisors."

"Why?"

That was a question I shouldn't have asked; a part of me knew exactly why they had done that.

"With Alexander gone... they believe their service has ended."

"There is more, right? There is something you aren't telling me.

Phil exchanged looks with Austin before he spoke up. "They don't believe you are worthy of their service."

"Why? Because I am a woman?"

"That could be one of the reasons, but the major reason had been because of what they believe you did."

Austin spoke next. "The cameras caught clips of you walking into that room right around the time the Alpha was stabbed. A certain healer has been spreading rumors that you planned to take him down to claim his position- that your grief and everything that followed were just an act to gain the pack's sympathy."

I could already guess who this 'certain healer' was.

"You should have explained what happened to the Advisors. If they had heard your side of the story, they could have challenged the rumors. But now, all they have is what the cameras showed and what that woman told them."

"Is that why you are here? To know what happened so you would leave like the rest?” I asked, unable to hide the anger and irritation from my voice.

"The Alpha loved you," Phil said. "He would want you safe at all times. He would want us by your side during these critical moments, so we aren't going anywhere. We just want to know what happened so we can help in any way possible."

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Six

"You want to know the truth? The woman was right... The camera too is proof. I did attempt murdering the Alpha." I confessed, expecting a reaction from them, but got nothing. There was a long silence before Phil broke it. "I saw the dagger-I caught a glimpse of it. That was no ordinary dagger; I had seen it before. The Cursed Weapon. And unlike everyone else, I knew the ordeal the Alpha had suffered from the withdrawal symptoms."

From the way Austin looked unsurprised, it was clear he knew about it too. Well, it wasn't necessarily meant to be kept a secret anymore.

"And in the healing room, he looked better than he had ever been. The pack might believe you tried to murder him, but I don't; I know you-well, I know you love him, and he loves you too. You might have made a mistake, but killing or hurting him wasn't what you had intended for. You wanted to help." He said, and my eyes got teary. He understood. They were the only ones that understood that I had done what I did to help him; they only could see that I would never sit idle and watch as my mate suffered through pain for the rest of his life.

I blinked away the tears before anyone could notice how much their words had affected me.

"If you are to be my advisors, I need to know that I can trust you."

"Our loyalty is yours," they said almost in unison.

"Good. The two of you will do; I don't need any more. The others are free to live their lives however they wish / hold no grudge against them as long as they don't interfere with my plans," I said. Then, my eyes met my advisors'. "People I once trusted with my life betrayed me, and if there's one thing I hate most, it's traitors. You are bothnoveldrama

free to leave my service whenever you wish. But if you choose to stay, know this- if I ever discover that either of you has deceived me, I will end you with my own hands. Understood?"

A small smile curved on Austin's lips. "Crystal."

"Understood." Phil responded.

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