17 – The Challenge
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Morning arrived with a heavy tension over the palace.
Word had spread quickly through the kingdom.
The king had been attacked.
Again.
And this time, the attacker had been captured alive.
Rumors raced through the noble houses like wildfire.
Many already suspected the same name behind it.
Lord Darius.
⸻
Inside the throne hall, the royal court gathered earlier than usual.
Tall pillars lined the massive chamber. Sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, painting the marble floor in shades of gold and crimson.
Nobles filled the room, whispering nervously among themselves.
Everyone waited.
Then the great doors opened.
King Alaric entered.
The room instantly fell silent.
He walked forward with calm authority, his presence commanding the entire hall.
The bandage around his arm was still visible beneath his royal coat.
A reminder of the attack.
Behind him walked Marcus.
And a few steps behind them…
Elara.
The moment she entered the hall, the whispers returned.
“That’s her.”
“The healer.”
“The king’s mate.”
“She’s the reason all this is happening.”
Elara tried to ignore them.
But she could feel the weight of their stares.
Alaric noticed.
Without turning, he slowed slightly until she stood closer beside him.
A silent act of protection.
⸻
Suddenly, another voice echoed through the hall.
“Well… this is quite a gathering.”
The nobles turned.
Standing near the center of the chamber was Lord Darius Varkos.
Tall.
Confident.
Smiling like a man who feared nothing.
He bowed slightly.
“Your Majesty.”
Alaric’s eyes narrowed.
“You should be in the dungeon.”
Darius chuckled softly.
“Your assassin spoke quickly.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“He spoke enough.”
The hall grew tense.
Everyone sensed what was about to happen.
Darius looked around the room at the gathered nobles.
“You see what is happening here?” he said loudly.
“The kingdom is falling into chaos.”
His gaze shifted toward Elara.
“All because of a mysterious healer who appeared from nowhere.”
Several nobles murmured in agreement.
Darius continued smoothly.
“Our king was once strong.”
His eyes returned to Alaric.
“But now he bleeds for a stranger.”
The insult echoed across the hall.
Marcus’s hand moved toward his sword.
But Alaric raised a hand to stop him.
The king stepped forward slowly.
His voice was calm.
But deadly.
“You are accusing your king of weakness.”
Darius smiled.
“I am accusing you of forgetting your duty.”
The tension in the room tightened like a drawn bow.
“Your duty is to the kingdom.”
His gaze flicked toward Elara again.
“Not to a woman.”
That was enough.
A deep growl suddenly filled the throne hall.
Not human.
Wolf.
The sound came from Alaric.
His golden eyes flashed brightly.
The power of his Alpha presence flooded the room.
Several nobles stepped back instinctively.
Even the guards stiffened.
The king’s wolf had stepped forward.
And it was furious.
Darius’s smile faded slightly.
Because he realized something important.
The king wasn’t angry about the insult.
He was angry about Elara being threatened.
Alaric’s voice dropped lower.
“You will not speak of her again.”
But Darius lifted his chin.
“Or what?”
The challenge hung in the air.
Then he said the unthinkable.
“I challenge your rule.”
Gasps erupted across the throne hall.
Challenging the king meant only one thing.
Trial by combat.
The ancient law of the wolf kingdom.
The winner would rule.
The loser would die.
Marcus cursed quietly under his breath.
“This just became very bad.”
Darius looked directly at Alaric.
“Unless,” he added slowly, “you refuse.”
His smile returned.
“But that would prove my point.”
The room held its breath.
Every noble waited.
Would the king accept the challenge?
Or refuse and appear weak?
Alaric stepped forward.
His wolf burned beneath the surface.
His answer was simple.
“I accept.”
The hall exploded into shocked voices.
The duel would happen in three days.
King against challenger.
Life against death.
And as Elara watched the tension unfold…
The bond in her chest twisted painfully.
Because she suddenly realized something terrifying.
If Alaric lost…
The man who hated her existence would become king.
And she would not survive the night.
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