Perry’s POV
Timothy had just returned from Obsidian Claw pack, his face grim with the intelligence he’d gathered over the past week about Phoebe.
"She terminated her pregnancy," the royal gamma reported, his voice carefully neutral. "Claims she didn’t want the child. Though so whisper she ended it because she’d been with other warriors—couldn’t identify the father."
Flynn’s head snapped up, a smug satisfaction spreading across his features. "There. Now do you see why she’s unfit to be queen of this realm? Disloyal doesn’t begin to cover it. The woman has no morals whatsoever."
Among shifters, abortion was forbidden—our kind didn’t conceive easily, making every pregnancy sacred. Every child was considered a blessing.
"Rejected by her mate, stripped of her wolf, and now she’s murdered her own offspring," Flynn continued, his disgust palpable. "How much worse can one person beco?"
"You actually buy into that superstitious nonsense about bad luck?" Timothy’s eyebrows rose skeptically.
"Whether I believe it or not isn’t the point. Keeping her will bring nothing but ruin—to us, to this kingdom." Flynn’s gaze fixed on . "To you. She’s desperate to return to her pack, isn’t she? Send her back where she belongs."
"You’re talking about her like she’s a piece of furniture," I observed dryly.
"What exactly are you objecting to?" Flynn turned back to Timothy. "You confird it yourself—even her own father calls her delusional. She’s ntally unstable." He tapped his temple with one finger.
"Funny thing about that," I said, leaning forward on my throne as I watched my beta and gamma argue. "People say the exact sa thing about ." I pointed to my head, then pressed my palm against my chest. "Sick up here. And here."
Flynn fell silent. What could he say? They called the Mad King for good reason, and even now, after everything he’d learned, he knew I’d still keep her.
Timothy had also reported that forr beta Caron—Phoebe’s father—hadn’t been abusive toward her. Everything existed only in her mind. She’d been punished and demoted to oga status because of countless offenses.
"Like I said, she’s promiscuous," Flynn crossed his arms. "In short, she’s insane."
I didn’t respond imdiately. When I finally did, dark laughter rumbled from my chest. "The Mad King and the Crazy Queen. Don’t you think they have a beautiful ring together?"
Now I stood in the bathroom, watching Phoebe empty her stomach violently. Her skin had turned ashen, and she’d grown even more skeletal than when she’d first arrived.
"Get up," I commanded, though I gripped her elbow to help her stand. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish?"
Her eyes t mine with pure bewildernt, as if she was trying to figure out what she’d done wrong this ti.
I allowed her to rinse her mouth before dragging her back into the main room.
"Why haven’t you touched your food?" I gestured toward the untouched al on the table. "Are you that determined to kill yourself?"
She flinched when my voice rose, but this ti she didn’t drop her gaze. Instead, she stared directly into my eyes.
"Yes. I want to die. Kill . I’m done with this life."
I had no idea where she’d found the courage to speak those words to , but exhaustion radiated from every line of her body.
"Kill ," she repeated, her voice steady and low, yet sohow it sent ice crawling down my spine. "Kill and end this."
She’d attempted suicide before—Kevin had tied her to the bed for days afterward. That experience had broken sothing in her, left her terrified of darkness, of being restrained.
But her previous attempt had been agony. She’d sliced both wrists, watching the blood flow, but death hadn’t co quickly enough. The whole process had been torture.
With , it would be different. I was practiced at killing—swift, efficient. Over in the blink of an eye, just like people said about the Mad King.
"Kill ." She pushed against my chest, though I didn’t budge. Confusion flickered in my eyes, but for once I didn’t snap at her. "Kill . Kill ."
"Stop this." I caught her hands, but the restraint only triggered her further. She couldn’t stand being held down—it brought back mories.
"Kill ! Kill !" Her screams tore from her throat. "Kill now! Let die!"
I still held both her hands as she began kicking at , completely losing control.
Timothy’s words echoed in my mind: Phoebe was crazy. Her father claid she lived in delusions.
"Kill and be done with it! Kill !"
"Stop this!" I shook her, trying to bring back so semblance of sanity. "Are you insane?"
"Yes, I am! I’m insane! So kill ! I don’t want to live anymore!" She was completely breaking down, having a full ntal collapse. She kept trying to hit , kicking, screaming.
I tried to restrain her without causing harm, but if she pushed much harder, she’d hurt herself—or force to hurt her instead.
"Stop this nonsense!" I shoved her toward the bed and pinned her down, which only made her craziness escalate. She thrashed against , wailing as if she were being flayed alive.
I’d never witnessed this level of madness and had no idea how to handle it.
"Stop this!" I pressed her down more firmly as she struggled against . She even bit my shoulder—if I hadn’t rembered this was my mate I was handling, I would have snapped her neck.
"Let die!" Her sobs intensified. "Kill !"
——
"The royal gamma asked the sa questions, Alpha," Kira inford Kevin while Dorothy stood beside her. Both won had handled everything exactly as their alpha had instructed.
Kevin sat in his armchair with Dani perched on his lap, half-naked with only her hair covering her bare breasts. For a mont, if soone didn’t look closely, they might mistake her for Phoebe—especially with that hair color.
But that was precisely why Kevin had chosen her. He didn’t need to see her face.
"Excellent work. Make sure everyone sticks to the sa story." Kevin waved dismissively.
When Flynn had first inquired about Phoebe, Kevin hadn’t been properly prepared—he’d only arranged for a few people to say what he wanted the king to hear. But when the royal gamma arrived, he’d prepared everything.
Kevin knew the king wouldn’t give up gathering intelligence. He’d send soone else, and Kevin had been right. Timothy’s supposedly secret visit hadn’t been secret at all.
"Bring forr beta Caron here," Kevin ordered before Kira and Dorothy could leave.
"Yes, Alpha."
Once they’d gone, only Kevin and Dani remained. The woman lifted her head to look at him, but he shoved her off his lap.
"Bend over," Kevin said grimly. He swept all the docunts off the table and ordered her to bend down. He wouldn’t look at her face while he fucked her—it wasn’t the face he wanted.
Dani tried to complain and act sweet, but Kevin slapped her.
"Do what I tell you." His fingers wrapped around her throat, eyes blazing with rage because she’d tried to touch him. He didn’t want her touch. He only needed release.
"Yes, Alpha..." Dani whispered, bending over the table. She closed her eyes as Kevin spread her legs with his knees and began unbuckling his pants.
No foreplay—he didn’t bother ensuring she was ready before penetrating her. He needed to finish before Caron arrived.
Not that the forr beta didn’t know about this arrangent, but Kevin preferred he not witness it.
"Please, be gentle, Alpha..." Dani whimpered, yelping when Kevin thrust into her. Pain made her want to push him away, but the alpha pressed her head down, rendering her immobile as agony spread through her body. "Please, Alpha... it hurts..."
"Shut up!" Kevin snarled, not wanting to hear her voice. His movents beca even more brutal.
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