Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Come Here Phoebe
Phoebe’s POV
Relief flooded through me when Perry came back to consciousness, his memory of the earlier incident completely wiped clean. Though he still seemed slightly off-balance, duty called—the elders were spiraling out of control, and Elder Tricia was drowning in stress about their chaos.
"How do you know?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he studied my face. "Did Tricia tell you?"
The question hung heavy between us. I couldn’t bring myself to lie, so I gave him a simple nod.
His expression darkened immediately. The sharp click of his tongue cut through the silence before he grudgingly thanked me for the medicine.
I handed him the painkiller I’d carefully prepared.
"I need to have words with Marcela. Tell her to come tonight." Irritation rolled off him in waves.
Perry had good reason for keeping Marcela in the dark about his condition—trust didn’t come easily to him. She’d only been the palace healer for a few months, hardly enough time to earn his confidence. Showing weakness to someone he barely knew wasn’t in his nature.
But something in his expression alarmed me. I caught his sleeve, mouthing the word "why?" silently.
Worry must have been written all over my face because he looked ready to commit murder. The healer might be in serious trouble.
"She knows about this." He shook the vial, his grip tight. "I need a full explanation. No telling what Tricia revealed to her."
Confusion clouded my thoughts until the misunderstanding hit me like a bolt. I pointed to myself, trying to show him that I was the one who’d made the medicine.
"You did?" His brows drew together as he watched me nod frantically. I hurried away to grab paper and pen.
*Elder Tricia explained everything to me, and I asked Marcela to teach me the preparation method, but I never mentioned your condition,* I wrote quickly.
Perry knew I’d been studying medicine with the healer recently. He’d never objected, especially since I seemed to enjoy it.
Still, the fact that my new knowledge proved useful seemed to catch him off guard.
*You don’t need to confront her,* I scribbled, anxiety making my handwriting messy. The thought of him harming Marcela over a simple misunderstanding made my stomach twist.
He studied me for what felt like an eternity before finally relenting. "Fine. I don’t mind you knowing. I’ll probably depend on you more going forward."
To my eyes, Perry appeared completely normal. Maybe Elder Tricia had blown things out of proportion—he showed no signs of discomfort whatsoever.
I almost believed the painkiller was unnecessary until his fingers brushed my cheek. Ice-cold skin betrayed the truth. He was fighting through agony.
How could he mask it so completely? Not even a flicker of his real condition showed through.
The old saying echoed in my mind: fake it until you make it. That had to be Perry’s strategy—pretend the pain didn’t exist until numbness took over. The thought chilled me.
Then again, wasn’t I guilty of the same thing?
We were more alike than I cared to admit.
"I want the elders to meet you properly. Get ready—someone will escort you to the dining hall this afternoon." He leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Thank you for staying with me."
I blinked, surprised by how much I welcomed the gentle gesture.
Lately, he’d been choosing my forehead over my lips, and somehow that felt more respectful.
But then he moved closer, his breath warming my ear as he whispered.
"I’ll make up for this morning’s interruption—if you want me to."
His voice dropped to that deep register that always scrambled my thoughts. Heat from his breath sent shivers across my skin, and my mind went completely blank as I processed his meaning.
When understanding finally dawned, my eyes went wide with shock. He remembered everything!
Fortunately, Perry had already left the room—otherwise he would have witnessed just how stunning his mate looked when flustered. My face burned crimson.
I’d been so sure he’d forgotten!
Even worse, he was the one who’d gotten me all worked up and then abandoned me!
Around midday, a warrior appeared to escort me to the dining hall, where the elders and alphas from allied packs had assembled.
At least a hundred people filled the space. Every seat along the massive table was occupied, with Perry commanding the head position.
My steps faltered. I’d had no clue the alphas had been summoned too—apparently they’d been here for two days already.
Perry had only mentioned the elders, conveniently forgetting to warn me about the expanded guest list.
For a split second, I seriously considered bolting from the room, especially when the low murmur of conversations died and every single pair of eyes locked onto me.
"Come here, Phoebe." Perry’s voice carried across the sudden silence as he gestured to the chair beside him.
Among this sea of faces, I recognized maybe five people: Alpha Phil from Crimson Moon pack, Elder Wesley, Elder Eden, and of course, Elder Tricia.
Everyone else was a complete stranger.
I bit down on my lip, frantically weighing my options. But really, what choice did I have?
The walk to Perry felt like crossing burning coals. I kept my gaze fixed firmly on him, refusing to meet the stares boring into me from all directions.
As intimidating as he could be, somehow these strangers felt far more threatening.
Maybe I’d just grown used to him—that had to explain this strange sense of safety.
When I finally reached my seat, Perry squeezed my hand reassuringly.
