Chapter 129: Chapter 129 The Weight Of A King
Phoebe’s POV
I frowned, pressing my lips together as I attempted to shift my legs. Nothing. They were completely numb. Two hours I’d been trapped in this exact position.
The position itself wasn’t the problem—it was the heavy king using my lap as his personal pillow that had me pinned down.
Perry slept deeply, his breathing steady and even.
How could anyone sleep so long in such an awkward position? He’d wake up with a killer backache, though I doubted it. Shifters were built different.
And here I was, suffering because of him. Again.
I nudged his shoulder, trying to rouse him. Nothing. Then I grabbed a few strands of his hair and tugged.
Perry barely stirred.
His arms had wound around my lower body like iron shackles.
I seized a handful of his hair and yanked harder.
But as crazy as it sounded, I couldn’t bring myself to wake him that harshly.
My feelings for this man were a mess. He made my stomach flutter and my heart race, but he’d also torn it to pieces. I’d endured more hell with him than I ever had with Kevin, yet seeing his peaceful sleeping face made something inside me soften.
His dark hair fell across his eyes, and his cheeks looked fuller in sleep.
He’d lost so much weight. The past month had clearly been brutal for him. Losing his beta wasn’t something trivial, but watching him punish Flynn severely had given me a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Was I becoming cruel? I couldn’t stop wondering what might have happened if Perry hadn’t discovered what Flynn did to me.
Or if he’d chosen to abandon me instead.
My thoughts grew hazy. I barely remembered stabbing him, but I knew the wound was deep enough to be fatal. That’s what Marcela had mentioned in passing.
Despite being injured, Perry had still used his remaining strength to search for me.
Maybe that’s why my heart had started to thaw, even though I wasn’t ready to accept him yet.
He’d been nothing but respectful since then. He’d visit occasionally, sitting beside me without attempting anything inappropriate.
But I wasn’t naive. I’d heard whispers about the chaos Perry unleashed in every morning court session. He’d killed an elder who dared oppose him.
That was just one of countless stories Marcela had shared with me. The healer loved to chatter about everything, and since I remained silent, she carried on entire conversations by herself.
So when Perry mentioned his urge to kill, I felt torn. I didn’t want him near me, yet he seemed to need my presence to control his rage.
I nudged his shoulder again, harder this time, my frustration mounting.
Suddenly, Perry’s eyes snapped open. Those electric blue orbs were instantly alert as he lifted his head, making me jolt.
But when he spotted me, his gaze softened. "I must have dozed off." He rubbed his face, his voice rough with sleep.
He glanced at the wall clock and frowned. He’d been sleeping in that position for three hours, and if I hadn’t woken him, he probably would’ve slept longer.
"You should have woken me up," he groaned, scratching his head. His anger had clearly dissipated.
Hearing that, I wanted to scream. That’s exactly what I’d been trying to do for the past two hours!
Perry stood and stretched. "Come with me. I’m already running late for my meeting anyway. Have lunch with me." He reached out his hand but pulled it back when I pushed myself up from the bed.
Now that he’d mentioned food, I realized I was starving.
But when I tried to stand, my legs buckled, and I would’ve face-planted on the floor if Perry hadn’t caught me.
I winced. My legs had completely fallen asleep.
"Careful." Perry watched me grimace and helped me sit back down. "Is this because of me?"
There was an amused note in his voice, though his expression remained neutral.
"I’ll have someone bring our food here instead."
He adjusted the pillows behind my back. "Stay put."
It wasn’t like I could go anywhere right now anyway.
Perry returned shortly after. He said nothing and simply settled into the chair by the window. The silence felt awkward at first, but after a while, I found myself enjoying his quiet company. When our food arrived, we ate without speaking.
"I need to leave now," Perry said after finishing his meal. "Thank you for staying with me."
Then he walked out.
I watched his retreating figure and heard the door click shut. Suddenly, loneliness crashed over me.
——
Reginald thrust deep before his entire body convulsed, and he collapsed on top of his mate.
Both of them panted heavily as the tension slowly ebbed away.
"Mm... something’s eating at you?" Fiona asked. She was stunning—blonde hair, emerald eyes, a flawless figure. Everything Reginald didn’t want.
"Nothing."
"Liar." Fiona grimaced as Reginald pulled away from her. He never held her after sex, but she’d convinced herself it was just his cold nature.
Fiona studied his mismatched eyes, the left one blinded by the king during his mission to kidnap the royal mate.
Capturing that woman would have given them a massive advantage, weakening the king significantly. Unfortunately, the mission had failed spectacularly.
At least, that was the official story behind Reginald’s trip to Central City.
