Chapter 256
Chapter 256 ASHER Silas stiffened at once and then glared at Roxy. As his golden eyes shot daggers in her direction, he remained utterly silent.
We all knew that should anything be spoken wrongly, this alliance between us would be ruined. We needed Alpha Arthur on our side, and yet... this wasn’t a matter for Silas to solve.
Meanwhile, Arthur seemed quite focused on Silas. He appeared rather interested in the idea, and his dark eyes trailed over the young man.
“| didn’t expect you to be the son of Oliver Moses,” he remarked, and then he raised an eyebrow. “It’s quite interesting that father and son are against one another now.”
Silas nodded politely, and then Arthur’s smile widened.
“If what you say is the truth, | would be very willing to marry my daughter to Beta Silas,” he announced as he made eye contact with everyone in the room.
Kiara glanced at Silas as well, but her weak and tired expression remained the same. She was perfectly silent, which | assumed was a natural state for her.
“Unfortunately, Beta Silas has already found a mate in Anemond,” | cut in politely, and then | gave Arthur and apologetic smile. “A fated mate, in fact.”
Darwin spoke up. “As far as | have heard, Your Majesty, Beta Silas‘ mate is a low—born and the Beta declined the opportunity to claim her at a banquet. Is that correct?”
Arthur's brow lifted and he turned to me. “Is that true?”
Asmall sigh escaped me and then | nodded. “Yes, it’s true. Silas and Becky never claimed one another.”
The Sky Pride Alpha’s lips resumed their smile once more.
“An unclaimed mate isn’t that big of a problem,” he remarked as if the matter was simple. “And a fated mate at that...‘
His voice trailed off and his stare shifted back to me. “The last time people spoke about fated mates, it wasn’t a nice story. I’m not so certain that such a relationship is real nor is it a good thing. An arrangement, however... that is a much stronger idea, is it not, Your Majesty? My Kiara is a fine woman, worthy of only the most splendid of men.”
| froze in place as | tried to make a decision. | didn’t want to risk this alliance, yet | Yo
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didn’t want to force Silas to marry the girl out of obligation. What would become if | robbed the Beta of his potential relationship with Becky for good?
Arthur rose from his seat and carefully moved closer to Silas. The Beta stood tall, but | could detect a note of worry on his features, not that | could blame him, of course. This was an impossible situation, one | never thought we'd be in.
The Sky Pride Alpha examined Silas for a moment.
“You're a good-looking man, Beta Silas,” Arthur complimented him, his tone warm and genuine. “I hope you are just as clever as your father, though less... selfish.”
He turned back to me before Silas could utter a response. “What do you think, Your Majesty? Would you be willing to bless this union and marry this young man and woman?”
“It depends on Silas‘ own will,” | replied quickly, forcing all of my frustration and concerns deep into my belly. It was taking all of my restraint to keep from saying all the many ways this was a terrible idea.
Arthur shrugged, not all that amused by my answer. “If he’s loyal enough, he would just obey his king. Would he not?”
He stared at Silas in a challenging way. My brother-in-law, fists clenched at his sides, remained absolutely silent for a second, and then bowed his head and stamped his chest, showing obedience to his king.
| felt a great burden fall heavily on my shoulders. | hated this feeling. Was | supposed to make this decision? By what laws was | granted the right to decide the fate of another person’s life? Just because | was the king of Wegalla, | had to force Silas into such a terrible position.
| knew this much- Silas was the most loyal soldier and comrade one could ever ask for. He was devoted, intelligent, and dedicated. | knew with absolute certainty that he had my back in any situation.
Could | really force him into marrying someone he didn’t know when he already had a fated mate back in Anemond? Could | force him to solve my problems for me? Before | could utter a word, Kane rose from his seat and took a step toward the Alpha.
“| believe the captured soldier’s information isn’t very plausible,” he remarked, and he shot an annoyed glance in Roxy’s direction. “Silas respects his mate in Anemond very much. And the only reason why he didn’t claim her that day at the banquet was because she was unwilling yet to be claimed.”
| raised an eyebrow at him. Kane, sticking up for Silas? It was a quite strange thing to witness, though | was glad to see them finally getting along.
“If that’s the case, Beta Silas is clearly still available,” Darwin huffed. “Unclaimed mates mean nothing. The rule of werewolves say as such.”
“That’s right,” Kane replied, and then he uttered a short laugh. “As far as availability, Beta Silas is lacking a mate mark, so physically, he is obviously open. But emotionally... that’s another story. Alpha Arthur, would you truly be willing to marry your daughter to someone whose heart is set on another woman?”
Arthur frowned deeply. He seemed to be quite affected by Kanes’s words, and stared off in the distance for a moment before turning toward his daughter. Just as he did so, my stepbrother smiled and stepped toward Kiara.
“| believe this young princess deserves a better fate than this,” he said after he offered her a graceful bow. “Better?” Arthur let out a sharp exhale. “Who would be better for her than the king’s Beta?”
Kane stared into the young woman’s hazel eyes in a questioning way and then extended his hand toward her. Her cheeks flushed lightly as she accepted it, and she smiled sweetly at him. Kane gently kissed the back of her hand and when he let go, he then turned back toward us. He offered Arthur a small bow of respect.
“Would the king’s brother be a good choice for this lovely lady?” he asked, and his violet eyes twinked with happiness.
My stomach twisted into knots and it took all of my power to not drop my jaw in shock. As | glanced around the room, it was clear that | wasn’t the only one surprised by this sudden utterance.
Alpha Arthur seemed especially stunned. He didn’t seem thrilled by Kane’s bold move of kissing his daughter’s hand, but as the seconds passed by, he looked both confused and surprised.
Before the Sky Pride Alpha could say a word, Kane introduced himself.
“My name is Kane Collins,” he said clearly and concisely. “Though | am only an adoptive son of the former king, | share his royal surname, the same as the current Alpha King’s. He and | are quite close, you see, so | believe | could be a suitable replacement for Silas,”
He smiled at Kiara. “I would like the privilege to court dear Kiara. She has already stolen my heart. | would like the chance to earn her hand in marriage.”