Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Scentless Shadow
Phoebe’s POV
Since Perry had offered to kill Tiara before, I couldn’t help but ask when I overheard that Tiara died during the battle.
"No, I didn’t." His eyes locked onto mine, radiating sincerity. "Turns out Viola overestimated her influence on her mother. Tiara refused to leave with her daughter and chose to stay."
I studied his face, searching for any hint of deception.
"Phoebe, I won’t lie to you. If I’d ordered someone to kill her, I’d tell you straight up. No need to hide it—it’s not like it would change how you see me." His voice was casual as he caressed my cheek.
I’m sorry, I mouthed, guilt washing over me for doubting him.
His expression hardened. "Think I can just forgive you after that accusation?" He pressed his lips into a thin line, staring at me with an intensity that made my breath catch.
The sternness caught me off guard. He’d grown so gentle with me lately that I’d almost forgotten how ruthless he could be.
Unsure what else to do, I rose on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
His eyebrows shot up. "You think one kiss will soften me up? After accusing me for nothing?"
He crossed his arms, clearly waiting to see my next move.
I considered this for a moment, then kissed him again. If one kiss wasn’t enough, maybe two would work. I flashed him my sweetest smile and wrapped my arms around him.
Don’t be mad.
I gazed up at him with wide eyes, and I could see his resolve cracking.
"Too bad for you—mad is my moniker." Then his mouth crashed down on mine. "This is how you’ll make it up to me next time." He pinched my lower lip, forcing my mouth open, then his tongue swept in to claim the sweetness within. "Damn, I can’t get enough of you."
Heat flooded through me. What started innocent quickly ignited into something fierce, and I had no choice but to surrender completely.
This man was insatiable, and I was more than willing to give him everything.
Thinking back to when I first arrived here, everything had changed so much. I’d changed. So had Perry.
Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the palace. Perry straightened instantly, his eyes unfocused—clearly mind-linking with someone.
The alarm meant intruders.
"Stay here. Don’t go anywhere," he commanded, then called for Justin and Samuel to guard me. "Don’t leave. Stay."
I nodded as he bolted from the room the moment he sensed Samuel and Justin outside.
I’d actually come looking for Perry in his bedroom—there was something I needed to discuss—but now that conversation would have to wait.
Opening the door, I found Samuel and Justin stationed there.
"Sorry, my queen. Whatever you’re thinking, I can’t let you leave this room," Justin said before I could speak, which irritated me.
I quickly scribbled a note.
[What happened? Why are the alarms going off? Are we under attack again?]
"Not sure what’s happening. There’s chaos at the east gates, but we’re too far away to get details."
From their answers, I gathered that unlike the king, their mind-link couldn’t reach that distance. Beyond knowing there was an intruder, they seemed clueless.
"Please go back inside, my queen." Justin sounded stressed, probably worried I’d get some crazy idea to help.
But I wasn’t that reckless. This wasn’t something I could handle, and Perry had been crystal clear about staying put.
So I waited for things to calm down. The alarms stopped, but that didn’t mean the danger had passed.
I sat on the bed’s edge, staring at the ceiling as my mind drifted to the day I’d met my father.
I didn’t want to think about it—it only brought pain—but I couldn’t help myself.
Closing my eyes, I tried to steady my racing heart.
The room’s silence helped. Only now did I realize how far Perry and I were from the common areas. It was so peaceful here.
My thoughts wandered, but lately I’d been fixated on the white wolf that kept appearing in my dreams. What did it mean?
Was it just a dream? But it came so frequently, especially these past few weeks.
Lost in thought, I suddenly sensed movement nearby. Instinctively, my eyes snapped open, and before I could process what I was seeing, a man shifted into his beast form.
The wolf was black as midnight. If I hadn’t seen the transformation, I might have mistaken it for Perry—this one was just as massive as my mate.
I opened my mouth but no sound came out to alert Samuel and Justin.
If I hadn’t been so panicked by the intruder in the king’s bedroom, I might have realized this shifter had no scent at all.
That’s how he’d slipped in undetected.
This was very, very bad.
