Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Two Broken Souls Matched
Perry’s POV
"Engaged? We don’t use that term." I frowned at Flynn’s choice of words. "What are you getting at?"
Engagement was human bullshit. Shifters cut straight to the chase with their partners, especially fated mates. When you’re bound for life, why waste time with labels?
"No, that’s not what I meant." Flynn shook his head, and his hesitation grated on my nerves.
"Spit it out, Flynn. My patience is wearing thin."
"She was the alpha’s mate originally. Alpha Kevin rejected her when he discovered they were fated."
"Good."
Flynn stared at me, probably surprised I took it so well. Truth was, if Kevin hadn’t rejected her, I’d still be mateless. People would keep whispering about karma catching up to me.
I couldn’t give a damn about superstitions claiming rejected mates brought bad luck. I’d been called worse things growing up—such bullshit held no weight with me.
"But—" Flynn hesitated again.
"Should I rip your mouth open so words come out faster?"
My irritation spiked at his stuttering.
"She was born to a beta father, but she’s omega now. Below your rank." Flynn shifted uncomfortably. "People will mock you for having an omega as your destined mate. It’ll damage your reputation."
"Damage my reputation?" My voice dropped to ice. "You think taking her as my mate will ruin me? What reputation have I ever had?" A dark chuckle escaped me.
People had thrown every degrading name at me. They despised me as their werewolf king, calling me the Mad King—which I wore like a badge of honor. I was madness incarnate, and I liked it that way.
"So the Moon Goddess matched two broken souls. How amusing. Even she finds new ways to mock me."
Flynn watched as I shrugged off Phoebe’s rank. I seemed unfazed by it.
But her rank wasn’t the real issue—Flynn didn’t give a shit about that either.
The real bomb was what came next.
"She’s been having sex with Alpha Kevin," Flynn finally spat out. "People call her the alpha’s toy. His plaything. His whore. Every degrading name you can imagine."
Flynn paused, glanced up at me, then quickly looked away when he saw my expression. My eyes went black. The glass in my hand exploded as I crushed it, my emotions boiling over, rage bleeding through every pore.
"What did you just say?" I narrowed my eyes dangerously. "She did what?"
"Perry, this isn’t smart. Taking her as your mate—the public will tear you apart for claiming a used woman. You should reject her. She’s lustful, and—"
Flynn’s words cut off when my hand shot out and wrapped around his throat. One squeeze and I’d snap his neck like a twig.
"Are you certain about this?"
"Yes, it’s common knowledge. Everyone knows about their relationship."
Getting people to gossip wasn’t exactly difficult.
That’s how Flynn gathered so much intel so quickly.
"They say she seduced the alpha to be with her because she couldn’t handle the rejection."
I felt my grip loosen around his neck and shoved him away. "You shouldn’t have marked her. She’s actively chasing the man who threw her away."
My expression grew more menacing by the second. The air itself seemed to thicken, turning suffocating.
"You need to reject her publicly, or people will say you settled for sloppy seconds. She’s got a shit reputation in this pack, Perry."
Even though people feared me as the mad king, they still whispered behind my back about karma keeping me mateless.
If I took a woman like Phoebe as my mate, it would only destroy me further.
People would mock me, claiming the Moon Goddess despised me.
Flynn could already picture what they’d say behind my back. Disgusting how they talked, but nothing could stop their poisonous tongues completely.
"Tell me more." I crossed my arms and legs, brushing shattered glass from my palm.
Blood soaked my shirt, but I ignored it. Blood was nothing new—I’d bathed in it before.
"What else do you know?"
Flynn launched into every rumor about Phoebe, all involving Alpha Kevin. How she pursued him relentlessly until he gave in and used her as his personal fuck toy. And Phoebe was apparently content with the arrangement.
"Her life’s easier with an alpha backing her up." Flynn should have stopped talking, but he kept going. "She’s been sexually active since she was young. That’s why she got kicked out of the beta house and why the alpha rejected her."
From this angle, Phoebe looked like complete trash. Flynn’s report painted her as nothing but a wild slut.
I listened, but Flynn could see the wheels turning in my head. The king was realizing his impulsive marking had blown up in his face.
And after realization came the fury. The kind of rage that destroyed everything it touched.
