Chapter 196: Chapter 196 The Mad Kings Surrender
Perry’s POV
"I want to slaughter every last one of them." I shut my eyes tight, forcing myself to concentrate on my mate to dial back the murderous rage coursing through me. Without this anchor, I knew I’d lose all restraint and go on a killing spree.
They’d remember exactly why people called me the Mad King. Clearly, I’d been too lenient with these traitors, letting them believe they could scheme behind my back without consequences.
The more I dwelled on their betrayal, the hotter my fury burned, and my entire frame began to shake with barely contained violence. Phoebe’s arms tightened around me in response.
She had no clue what had happened, but she could sense the dangerous storm brewing inside me, and that spelled trouble for everyone.
Her gentle hands traced patterns across my back while she pressed soft kisses to the top of my head.
She was terrified I’d do something catastrophic in my current state of rage. Knowing me as she did, she had every right to worry.
When the tension in my muscles refused to ease, Phoebe cupped my face, forcing me to meet her gaze. She leaned in and captured my lips in a tender kiss before pulling back to ask.
’What happened? Please, tell me.’ She brushed another kiss across the tip of my nose, and I exhaled shakily at her touch. The physical connection helped rein in my anger, redirecting my focus from bloodlust to my mate.
"Some bastard at the border let Valerium warriors slip through - that’s how they got here. We don’t know their numbers yet, but they’re definitely planning to cause chaos. Elder Tricia discovered who’s responsible, but there have to be more conspirators involved."
I leaned into Phoebe’s palm as her thumb caressed my cheek with maddening gentleness.
"I want to eliminate them all. Wipe them from existence."
’You’ll kill innocent people.’
"So what."
Phoebe’s face twisted with disgust at my callousness, making me growl under my breath. I’d expected this reaction from her.
"It’s worth the cost."
She shook her head firmly. ’No, don’t do that.’
Irritation flared through me as I shot to my feet, forcing her to rise as well, and I fixed her with a cold stare.
"Why should I give a damn? I’ll throw them all to the wild wolves. It’s been too long since the pack had a proper feast."
Seeing me head for the door, Phoebe immediately wrapped her arms around me again. She tilted her face up, eyes pleading.
Now she understood why Elder Tricia had begged for her help in calming me down. They must have already tried reasoning with me, but I was too consumed by rage to listen to anyone.
’Please, you’ll break my heart if you kill innocent people.’
"I can’t make out what you’re saying," I grumbled, though of course I could read her lips perfectly. After all, I’d been watching her constantly, learning every expression and gesture.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to break free from her embrace. Not that I couldn’t - I could snap her delicate arms in half or hurl her across the room to stop her from blocking my path. But the thought of hurting her made my stomach turn.
I groaned as Phoebe continued trying to communicate with me, so I squeezed my eyes shut. This way I couldn’t read her lips and know what she was desperately trying to tell me.
"If you want a say in this, then speak up." I kept my eyes firmly closed, irritation eating at me. At the very least, if I had to bend to her wishes, I wanted something in return.
But my demand only frustrated Phoebe more, since I knew damn well she couldn’t comply.
She’d love nothing more than to use her voice again if she could, but that was impossible now.
She tugged at the front of my shirt, but I stubbornly refused to look at her, which made her even more desperate. She couldn’t even try to kiss me - the one move I’d never be able to resist.
The problem was, even standing on her tiptoes, she couldn’t reach my mouth.
Finally, running out of options, she decided to take drastic action.
"What the hell are you doing?" I finally looked down at my mate as she started unzipping my pants. A triumphant smirk played at the corners of her lips, making her look devastatingly adorable. "You’re such a little schemer, love," I groaned.
My teeth clenched as her hand wrapped around my hardening length. She got exactly the reaction she was after in seconds.
"You’re playing with fire, love. Stop while I can still control myself." My electric blue eyes darkened with raw desire for her.
But Phoebe only grew bolder, stroking me with gentle, innocent touches while batting her eyelashes.
"That’s enough," I grunted. I hated losing control, but when it came to her, I found I didn’t mind surrendering completely. "You asked for this."
I pressed her back against the wall, pinning her with my body as I lifted her off the ground. Panic flashed in her eyes as she grabbed my shoulders for support, suddenly finding herself airborne.
"Being naughty, are we? Maybe I should punish you instead."
I squeezed her ass, making her eyes go wide with shock. "Surprised now? Too late to back out. Let’s see what you get for provoking me."
She tried to squirm away from me, but it was pointless - escaping my grip was impossible.
"How did you do that earlier?" I hiked up her dress and tore away her panties in one swift motion. "Actually, you didn’t do it quite like this, but close enough. This will work just fine."
