Phoebe’s POV
I watched Timothy glare at Alpha Phil, his jaw clenched tight. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and I could tell he was biting back words that would definitely cause a scene.
"My king, what’s your take on this?" Alpha Phil turned to Perry, who’d been silent since the discussion started. The alpha’s eyes kept drifting to , clearly wondering why I was still here.
We’d been having breakfast together, but now they were diving into war talk. Perry should’ve asked to leave, but instead he’d told the servant to pile more food on my plate.
Maybe I should’ve read the room better and excused myself, but honestly, I was starving. Last night’s... activities had left with an appetite I couldn’t ignore. Plus, I’d always been a slow eater anyway.
Growing up in the Obsidian Claw pack had taught to stretch every al, eating slowly so my brain would think I’d had enough. Weird habit, but it kept the hunger at bay longer.
"My royal gamma’s got a point. No need to rush into this," Perry finally spoke. "We’ll take the Valerium Kingdom by next year’s end if things go smoothly. My senior warriors can handle the garrison without either of us charging to the front lines."
I saw Timothy fighting back a smirk, but he managed to keep it together and focus on the discussion. They spent several more minutes hashing out war details before switching to the Crimson Moon pack situation.
"I’ve got plenty of won and children whose mates are fighting. Extra costs are piling up, especially for families who’ve lost their n. They get severance pay, but that’s it - no ongoing inco."
They haggled over numbers, and I noticed the amount had jumped since last year.
By now I’d cleaned my plate and drowsiness was creeping in. I tried to stay alert by forming my own opinions about their discussion, but sitting here was exhausting.
Alpha Phil looked to be in his early forties, mostly bald with a nose that dominated his face. He kept shooting glances my way, and I could feel his discomfort - like he was questioning why I was even here.
Fair enough. I was wondering the sa thing.
When the discussion wrapped up, it was already lunchti, so we ate again. My back was killing from sitting for hours, but looking around, nobody else seed bothered by the marathon eting.
After lunch, Perry and Timothy decided to visit families who’d lost mbers in the war. This way, Perry could see firsthand what Alpha Phil actually needed to support everyone.
Timothy was pushing hard for this visit. He and the royal beta were running so kind of secret campaign to improve the king’s reputation, show people a different side of him.
Having along might help soften his image - a woman by his side and all that.
So after eating, we headed to the village on the north side of the Crimson Moon pack territory. First stop: the orphanage.
Perry couldn’t et with every family, so he was starting with the war’s youngest victims.
"Heard you talked with elder Tricia," Timothy said quietly, falling into step beside as we walked toward the orphanage. Perry and the alpha were ahead, deep in their own conversation.
They were far enough ahead that they couldn’t hear us.
"Yeah." I craned my neck to look at Timothy’s face, but he was so tall it hurt to keep looking up while walking. I focused on Perry’s back instead.
"Don’t know the details, but I can probably guess what it was about." Timothy slowed down as we approached the building. "Please, help him. I know soone can reach him. Deep down, he’s not the monster everyone makes him out to be."
I’d already decided to try. "I’ll do my best," I said simply, which seed to surprise him, but he smiled.
"If anyone can bring him back to himself, it’s you."
"Don’t get your hopes up too high. I might make things worse."
"Don’t be so pessimistic. I can see how much he cares about you. But here’s so advice - don’t push him. He has this thing where he’ll refuse anything if he feels forced into it."
I already knew that, and I ant it when I said I’d try. "Still, keep those expectations in check."
"I’ll keep my fingers crossed," Timothy said with a light chuckle.
We entered the orphanage where children aged two to twelve huddled along the walls, fear clear in their eyes as they stared at our group.
One hundred and thirteen kids total. The number would only grow if the war dragged on.
——
Mason stared at the bottle in her hands. "More dosage?"
"Yes, Lady Phoebe says there’s no effect on the king. The poison’s probably too slow-acting. She keeps asking for more bottles, but the results are the sa. I think increasing the dosage is our best bet."
Reginald absorbed the report, then asked the question Kevin had been nagging him about in his letters. "Is she pregnant yet?"
"What?" Mason looked startled, then thoughtful. "No. I don’t think so, but I’m not certain."
"Are they having sex? How active are they?" Reginald felt his anger rising as he asked, but he pushed it down and waited for an answer.
"Yes, they’re definitely active, but she’s not pregnant yet. Not sure why." Mason paused, forming a theory. "Maybe the king doesn’t want her pregnant and he’s giving her sothing to prevent it. I’ll ask Helen about it later."
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