Perry’s POV
Sothing felt off about Reginald volunteering for a mission that could get him killed in battle.
Two days later, I summoned Reginald to the palace for a private conversation.
I chose the empty training grounds instead of the throne room—no witnesses, no formalities.
"What’s your real reason?" I cut straight to the point. Every second away from Phoebe felt like torture, and I couldn’t afford to waste ti on gas. Damn it, I needed her.
"No hidden agenda. I just want to help this kingdom win," Reginald answered without missing a beat. He stood ten paces away, completely calm.
Soone with Reginald’s status rarely gave a shit about wars. The forr beta’s son lived comfortably, respected by his pack. Why throw that away?
I called him out on it, but he didn’t even flinch.
"You already know forr beta Caron isn’t my biological father. I’m his stepson. No matter what I achieve, I’ll never be enough for him because we don’t share blood."
Reginald cocked his head, flashing an innocent smile.
"Don’t misunderstand, my king. He never mistreated . But his blood doesn’t run through my veins, and nothing can change that."
I listened but didn’t respond. Instead, I shifted topics entirely, stepping closer with my eyes locked on his.
"Tell why you all treated Phoebe like garbage."
Reginald repeated the sa bullshit story I’d already heard, looking as disappointed as I felt. Exactly what I’d expected.
Timothy might buy these lies, but I’d survived by recognizing deception. Nothing about his story rang true, though I kept my mouth shut and moved on.
After a brief exchange, I granted Reginald early palace entry to train with the other warriors.
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. That’s exactly what I was doing.
That night, I finally caved and went to Phoebe’s bedroom. She sat transfixed by her favorite cartoon on the television—the only thing she ever watched.
She was so absorbed in the show that she didn’t notice standing behind her. I watched her soft chuckles, saw the genuine smile gracing her lips, and wondered why she never showed that expression.
The bandage was gone from her wound, leaving a thin white scar across her neck. Under the light, it looked like delicate thread against her skin—barely visible unless you knew where to look.
The urge to touch that scar overwheld . I wanted to tell her how sorry I was, that I never ant to hurt her.
Before rational thought could stop , my hand found her neck.
She jumped, startled. The smile vanished instantly, replaced by fear when she saw .
Her mouth opened, but no words ca.
"Let’s have dinner together," I said.
——
Phoebe’s POV
This wasn’t dinner—more like a midnight snack. I’d rather be sleeping than chewing at at a restaurant an hour from the palace.
I couldn’t understand why Perry brought here alone, without any guards. Shouldn’t a king worry about his safety?
But he seed completely careless about it.
Worse, I had no idea what to say to him. The silence between us was crushing.
My fingers unconsciously touched my front pocket where the poison waited. I carried it everywhere, hoping for a chance to slip it into sothing he’d consu.
My heart hamred so loudly I missed whatever Perry said. Despite my hatred for him, murdering a king—my mate—was an unforgivable cri.
"Reginald joined the palace warriors."
"What?" I wasn’t sure I heard correctly since my mind was elsewhere.
Perry hadn’t touched his food at all. He stared at intensely, like he could see straight through my soul.
"Reginald, your stepbrother, is at the palace. He’ll train with the royal warriors and ship out to the frontlines in six months."
Perry studied my reaction closely, but I felt nothing after the initial surprise. Just that familiar detachnt.
"Do you want to keep him here?"
"Do whatever you want. It was his choice." Honestly, I wanted to tell Perry to send Reginald to the frontlines imdiately—with silver shackles so he couldn’t shift during battle. That would be perfect.
But those dark thoughts stayed locked in my head. I kept my eyes down, staring at the at I wanted to throw away.
Helen kept trying to fix my taste buds, but nothing worked. I was fine with it. Food had no purpose beyond preventing starvation.
anwhile, Perry still hadn’t touched his al. When he excused himself to the bathroom, I seized the opportunity to add a single drop of poison to his drink.
But he never drank it. Never ate anything. Which made wonder why he’d brought here in the first place. What a waste of poison...
The drive back was painfully quiet. Perry acted strange too—saying nothing while tension built between us.
Once we reached the room, I knew exactly how this night would end.
The king wanted . He’d wined and dined , now he expected paynt.
Would it feel better knowing his intentions upfront? I couldn’t tell.
When he wrapped his arms around from behind, my mind went straight to the poison in my pocket.
"I... I need the bathroom."
I escaped his embrace before he could react and locked the door behind . Standing there, I pulled out the poison.
By now, Perry probably thought I was rejecting him. Instead, I put the poison in my mouth without swallowing, then walked out and kissed the king.
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