"How long is he going to ignore ?" Flynn asked.
His deanor was far more composed than during their previous conversation.
Marcela parted her lips, searching for words, but uncertainty paralyzed her. She could simply remain silent, let Flynn cling to his delusions that this punishnt would fade once the king’s temper cooled.
Flynn still believed he’d return to the palace eventually. Though stripped of his royal beta status, the palace remained his only sanctuary, the sole place he could call ho.
But Flynn would remain here indefinitely, trapped among the warriors. Perhaps not confined to a cell, yet this place had beco his prison nonetheless.
Marcela could simply walk away without uttering a word, freeing herself from the burden of delivering this crushing news.
Still, she couldn’t allow Flynn’s hope to flourish only to be shattered later.
"Don’t... set your expectations too high, Flynn," Marcela managed. "The king will be swamped from now on. He’ll... have countless responsibilities... I believe it’ll take ages before he considers lifting your punishnt. I an, a very long ti."
Flynn’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t foolish—he grasped the subtext of her words. He understood exactly what she ant.
"Are you telling he’ll forget I exist?" Flynn ripped away all pretense and posed the brutal question. "Are you saying this will be my permanent prison?"
"Nothing’s been finalized yet." Marcela drew a shaky breath. "But I can tell you’ll be here for ages..."
Flynn’s entire fra shook as he struggled to contain his emotions, failing miserably. When he spoke again, his voice carried a razor-sharp edge.
"Leave," he snapped.
Marcela didn’t require a second invitation. She exited the room, and monts after the door clicked shut, the sound of destruction erupted from within.
——
**Phoebe’s POV**
I fought to stay conscious during the journey back to the palace, but exhaustion won. My head rested against the car window, though the rough road made bump against the glass repeatedly.
"Co here," Perry said. He drew toward him, positioning my head on his lap.
Maybe I was too drained or drowsy to resist, but I didn’t fight back. I allowed him to pull closer, which seed to please him imnsely.
Perry stroked my hair, his fingers threading through the strands, helping sink into deeper sleep.
When we finally reached the palace, I stirred awake. Hesitation gripped before I stepped out of the car.
"Do you want your old bedroom back, or would you prefer a different room?" Perry grasped my hand and guided inside the king’s palace.
Timothy had departed to battle the Obsidian Claw pack and their allies. He wouldn’t return for months until everything was resolved.
I pointed toward my forr bedroom, signaling my choice.
"Perfect." Perry couldn’t hide his joy at my responsiveness. This was far better than anything else. "Let’s go to your bedroom."
When we arrived at my bedroom door, Perry didn’t enter as he used to. Instead, he lingered there and stopped briefly.
"Good night, Phoebe." He leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead.
I flinched slightly when his cool lips touched my temple, then imdiately slipped into my bedroom and shut the door.
I even turned the lock, the clicking sound echoing in the silence.
——
**Perry’s POV**
For an extended mont, I simply stood there.
I did nothing but stare at the closed door.
I breathed deeply, drawing in her lingering scent that still hung in the air.
When I finally walked away, I didn’t head to my bedroom. Instead, I went to see Elder Tricia at his quarters.
The elder appeared surprised to see there, though it seed he’d anticipated this visit.
"Is there sothing I can help you with?" Elder Tricia wore simple clothing. He’d been preparing for bed when he was inford of my arrival.
"I want you to fill the position as royal beta," I stated without preamble. "It’ll be temporary until I find soone suitable for the long term."
Elder Tricia didn’t seem shocked by the request. He’d expected this as well. He moved to pour two glasses of bourbon for us both.
"So, he finally crossed the line," Elder Tricia said with a heavy sigh. He knew what had transpired at the beach house and what Flynn had done.
He hadn’t believed Flynn would go that far, but he should have recognized it sooner, seeing how increasingly agitated Flynn had beco with as days passed.
"He didn’t cross the line. He torched the entire path."
I still harbored the desire to kill him.
The reason I hadn’t visited him was because I didn’t want to hear him justify his actions and claim he was right, because at that point, I couldn’t promise I’d maintain control over my rage.
"I see." Elder Tricia handed the glass and sat beside . "He loves this kingdom more than anything. I hope you understand that."
I knew that. "I do. But it doesn’t justify his actions."
"No. It doesn’t justify his actions," Elder Tricia agreed with . "It’s tragic he chose the wrong path."
I didn’t share the sa sentint, because ultimately, it had been Flynn’s decision.
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