Chapter 12: Chapter 12 A Mark of Rage
"Alpha Sterling..." Dani gasped for breath, attempting to halt Kevin’s movements, but the alpha paid no attention as he climaxed inside her.
The moment he finished, Kevin released Dani, and the omega scrambled from the room. She kept her gaze down while passing alpha Sterling.
At least they’d remained clothed throughout—otherwise, Dani would have perished from shame if forced to linger under the former alpha’s piercing, judgmental stare.
Unlike Dani’s flustered state, Kevin showed no embarrassment. He casually fastened his pants and observed his father settling onto the couch, deliberately avoiding the desk where he’d just taken the omega.
"What is it, Dad?" Kevin inquired, taking a seat. The office remained unchanged from Sterling’s tenure, since fewer than twenty-four hours had passed since Kevin claimed the alpha title. He hadn’t yet redesigned the space to his preferences.
"Stop fucking inside the office," Sterling stated firmly. This wasn’t his first time discovering his son in such a compromising position. "You’re an alpha now. Your actions require discretion." His disappointment in this son ran deep. If he’d had another heir, options would exist, but with only one child, the alpha title fell to Kevin by default.
Kevin appeared unfazed by his father’s reprimand. He slouched with irritation over the interruption of his pleasure.
"What do you want, Dad?"
"Why are you spreading stories about Phoebe?" Sterling cut straight to the heart of the matter, uncertain how else to approach this delicate subject. "You should know better than to provoke trouble with the Mad King."
Kevin bristled at his father’s tone. "I’m not spreading stories. I’m telling the truth."
Sterling shook his head in disbelief at his son’s words. "You’ll destroy this pack if the king discovers what you’ve done."
"He won’t find out, and he’ll reject Phoebe."
Sterling’s eyes narrowed. "You rejected her, remember? You didn’t want her, so why keep her around?"
"I never said I didn’t want her," Kevin corrected his father. "I rejected her, but she’s still mine." Kevin rose to his feet. "I refuse to discuss this further. I know what I’m doing."
"No, you don’t." Sterling shook his head.
"I’m the alpha now, Dad. My decisions are final."
Kevin had no intention of enduring his father’s lectures. As the current alpha, he wouldn’t allow his predecessor to continue governing this pack after stepping down.
"You can’t survive the king’s fury."
Kevin’s expression turned sly at those words. He laced his fingers together and regarded his father with an amused smile playing at his lips.
"The king’s rage won’t target me, Dad. No need for concern." He smiled sweetly. "I’ve handled that problem."
——
Phoebe’s POV
I felt my body drifting through endless darkness, completely disoriented since everything remained pitch black and bewildering.
Then agonizing pain ripped me from the void’s numbness, and every terrible memory flashed before my eyes.
It was like viewing a documentary of my existence—only the worst parts.
I watched Kevin force himself on me that first time, saw Reginald attempting to violate me while I slept.
The sensation of his rough hands crawling across my skin made me sick.
I observed myself huddled under the shower, scrubbing my skin raw to erase the feeling of his touch, but it never worked.
The sensation lingered, gnawing at me. His mocking laughter still echoed in my ears, as if I was reliving the trauma all over again.
Another wave of pain dragged me in a different direction, and suddenly I found myself in a bedroom, sweating and gasping.
A nightmare?
I remained disoriented for several moments. I struggled to recall what had happened, and the throbbing in my neck reminded me of how the king had marked me before all those witnesses. Why had he done that?
The king in question was staring at me.
I felt my heart hammering. My mind refused to function as quickly as I needed. "My king... I..." I began stammering.
The king sat motionless on the bed’s edge. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume he was carved from stone.
The words died on my tongue because I genuinely had no idea what to say when the king showed zero reaction.
"What happened..." I pushed myself upright while the king watched me like a predator deciding how to devour its prey.
Was that fury I detected? I couldn’t be certain—my head remained foggy.
"What happened earlier," I tried again, clearing my throat. Though I was sitting now, I felt incredibly small before him, both physically and mentally. "The mark..."
I touched my neck. The skin remained tender and painful, though not as excruciating as when the king had marked me.
I glanced at him through my lashes, but the king said nothing. He stared down at me, apparently restraining his rage.
Did he already regret it? I tasted bitterness when I spoke again.
"Will you... reject me now?"
A flash of anger crossed his features. "So you can whore yourself to your alpha again?"
