Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Panic And Punishment
Phoebe’s POV
I slammed my fist against my chest, fighting to breathe steadily.
Whether this crushing sensation came from sprinting out of the dining room as fast as I could manage, or from the horrible feeling squeezing my ribs, I couldn’t tell. The moment Perry’s fingers closed around my throat, I was thrust back to those times when Kevin would choke me as he reached his peak—something he always did to me.
Sometimes Kevin maintained control, merely placing his fingers there, but other times he’d lose himself completely, and I’d black out with him still inside me.
So whenever anyone touched my neck, I’d break out in a cold sweat. I couldn’t stop it when those memories crashed to the surface of my mind.
It’s fine, it’s fine...
I whispered to myself as my body collapsed behind the door. I was still gripping my chest, touching my neck, because somehow I felt like Kevin was still choking me.
Sometimes your mind becomes your greatest enemy.
I rested my head against the door. My stomach remained empty since I’d barely eaten, but I had no appetite whatsoever. Fear filled me up instead.
When I finally calmed down slightly, I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and exhaustion hit me with full force, leaving me too weak to make it to the bed as I drifted off right there.
——
Perry’s POV
"What now?" Flynn shook his head and winced at the gruesome scene before us.
Blood splattered the interrogation room walls in the dungeon, while three corpses lay sprawled across the floor, crimson pools spreading beneath them, gaping wounds covering their bodies.
Obviously, those men hadn’t died easily at my hands.
"Perry, you need to dial it back a little. This isn’t working. We need them alive to get information," Flynn refused to step into the bloody room, worried about ruining his expensive shoes.
"Finished." I stretched my body and sighed with satisfaction, as if I’d completed hard labor and could finally relax.
"What do you mean finished?" Flynn’s brows knitted together. "Do you know who the Valerium Kingdom’s spy is?"
"Yes." My eyes gleamed with deadly intent. "I think the dungeon’s about to get crowded again."
Whenever I was in a foul mood, I’d come here to kill one or two prisoners awaiting execution, doing the job myself.
Luckily, we never ran short of death row inmates to satisfy my bloodlust temporarily.
"You got a name?" Flynn followed me out of the blood-soaked room as two warriors entered, paling at the sight but pushing through to clean up my mess.
"Names." I wiped the blood on my pants while Flynn stayed a step behind, not wanting to stain his clothes.
Those bastards had over a dozen people embedded in our ranks. Those spies..." I scoffed.
"How did you get those names? We tortured them, but they wouldn’t talk." Flynn had worked hard to extract information from them but got nothing. They refused to give names—hell, they refused to speak at all.
"That’s because you don’t know how to torture properly."
Flynn grimaced at that. "You sound way too pleased with yourself. That’s nothing to be proud of."
"I’m living up to my reputation, aren’t I?"
The Mad King.
——
Phoebe’s POV
I woke with a pounding headache. I was curled up on the floor, which had grown ice-cold now that night had fallen, and when I touched my face, I felt tears on my cheeks. I must have cried in my sleep.
"My lady? Are you in there?"
Persistent knocking at the door jolted me awake. I sat up immediately, feeling disoriented in the darkness.
The shadows surrounded me, but I pushed down my fear and forced myself to stand.
When I opened the door, Mason’s face appeared before me. The young omega held a tray loaded with food.
"Why is it so dark in here? Did you fall asleep early?"
I couldn’t find my voice, so I just nodded.
I stepped aside to let her in. "Please turn on the lights."
Mason did as I asked, flooding the room with brightness. She set the food on the table, then stepped back.
Once light filled the room, I felt like I could breathe again. I thanked Mason before she left, and then I was alone again in my massive room.
Slowly, I moved toward the food and switched on the television so the silence wouldn’t be so oppressive. I ate the meal, though it tasted like nothing on my tongue. I ate it anyway.
I flipped through channels and found a cartoon I’d loved as a child, which lifted my spirits. I didn’t realize I was laughing the way I used to when I was little.
But my bubble of happiness burst when someone knocked on the door, and my shoulders went rigid again.
The laughter died on my lips as I stood and walked cautiously toward the door. It creaked open, revealing the young blonde man from this afternoon.
"Yes?" I only cracked the door slightly, while the man stood before me with a warm smile.
"I haven’t properly introduced myself from this afternoon. I’m Timothy, the royal gamma," he said, waving a plastic bag. "May I come in?"
