Chapter 37: Chapter 37 The Mad Kings Queen
Perry’s POV
Timothy had just returned from Obsidian Claw pack, his face grim with the intelligence he’d gathered over the past week about Phoebe.
"She terminated her pregnancy," the royal gamma reported, his voice carefully neutral. "Claims she didn’t want the child. Though some whisper she ended it because she’d been with other warriors—couldn’t identify the father."
Flynn’s head snapped up, a smug satisfaction spreading across his features. "There. Now do you see why she’s unfit to be queen of this realm? Disloyal doesn’t begin to cover it. The woman has no morals whatsoever."
Among shifters, abortion was forbidden—our kind didn’t conceive easily, making every pregnancy sacred. Every child was considered a blessing.
"Rejected by her mate, stripped of her wolf, and now she’s murdered her own offspring," Flynn continued, his disgust palpable. "How much worse can one person become?"
"You actually buy into that superstitious nonsense about bad luck?" Timothy’s eyebrows rose skeptically.
"Whether I believe it or not isn’t the point. Keeping her will bring nothing but ruin—to us, to this kingdom." Flynn’s gaze fixed on me. "To you. She’s desperate to return to her pack, isn’t she? Send her back where she belongs."
"You’re talking about her like she’s a piece of furniture," I observed dryly.
"What exactly are you objecting to?" Flynn turned back to Timothy. "You confirmed it yourself—even her own father calls her delusional. She’s mentally unstable." He tapped his temple with one finger.
"Funny thing about that," I said, leaning forward on my throne as I watched my beta and gamma argue. "People say the exact same thing about me." I pointed to my head, then pressed my palm against my chest. "Sick up here. And here."
Flynn fell silent. What could he say? They called me the Mad King for good reason, and even now, after everything he’d learned, he knew I’d still keep her.
Timothy had also reported that former beta Cameron—Phoebe’s father—hadn’t been abusive toward her. Everything existed only in her mind. She’d been punished and demoted to omega status because of countless offenses.
"Like I said, she’s promiscuous," Flynn crossed his arms. "In short, she’s insane."
I didn’t respond immediately. When I finally did, dark laughter rumbled from my chest. "The Mad King and the Crazy Queen. Don’t you think they have a beautiful ring together?"
Now I stood in the bathroom, watching Phoebe empty her stomach violently. Her skin had turned ashen, and she’d grown even more skeletal than when she’d first arrived.
"Get up," I commanded, though I gripped her elbow to help her stand. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish?"
Her eyes met mine with pure bewilderment, as if she was trying to figure out what she’d done wrong this time.
I allowed her to rinse her mouth before dragging her back into the main room.
"Why haven’t you touched your food?" I gestured toward the untouched meal on the table. "Are you that determined to kill yourself?"
She flinched when my voice rose, but this time she didn’t drop her gaze. Instead, she stared directly into my eyes.
"Yes. I want to die. Kill me. I’m done with this life."
I had no idea where she’d found the courage to speak those words to me, but exhaustion radiated from every line of her body.
"Kill me," she repeated, her voice steady and low, yet somehow it sent ice crawling down my spine. "Kill me and end this."
She’d attempted suicide before—Kevin had tied her to the bed for days afterward. That experience had broken something in her, left her terrified of darkness, of being restrained.
But her previous attempt had been agony. She’d sliced both wrists, watching the blood flow, but death hadn’t come quickly enough. The whole process had been torture.
With me, it would be different. I was practiced at killing—swift, efficient. Over in the blink of an eye, just like people said about the Mad King.
"Kill me." She pushed against my chest, though I didn’t budge. Confusion flickered in my eyes, but for once I didn’t snap at her. "Kill me. Kill me."
"Stop this." I caught her hands, but the restraint only triggered her further. She couldn’t stand being held down—it brought back memories.
"Kill me! Kill me!" Her screams tore from her throat. "Kill me now! Let me die!"
I still held both her hands as she began kicking at me, completely losing control.
Timothy’s words echoed in my mind: Phoebe was crazy. Her father claimed she lived in delusions.
"Kill me and be done with it! Kill me!"
"Stop this!" I shook her, trying to bring back some semblance of sanity. "Are you insane?"
"Yes, I am! I’m insane! So kill me! I don’t want to live anymore!" She was completely breaking down, having a full mental collapse. She kept trying to hit me, kicking, screaming.
I tried to restrain her without causing harm, but if she pushed much harder, she’d hurt herself—or force me to hurt her instead.
"Stop this nonsense!" I shoved her toward the bed and pinned her down, which only made her craziness escalate. She thrashed against me, wailing as if she were being flayed alive.
I’d never witnessed this level of madness and had no idea how to handle it.
"Stop this!" I pressed her down more firmly as she struggled against me. She even bit my shoulder—if I hadn’t remembered this was my mate I was handling, I would have snapped her neck.
"Let me die!" Her sobs intensified. "Kill me!"
——
"The royal gamma asked the same questions, Alpha," Kira informed Kevin while Dorothy stood beside her. Both women had handled everything exactly as their alpha had instructed.
Kevin sat in his armchair with Dani perched on his lap, half-naked with only her hair covering her bare breasts. For a moment, if someone didn’t look closely, they might mistake her for Phoebe—especially with that hair color.
But that was precisely why Kevin had chosen her. He didn’t need to see her face.
"Excellent work. Make sure everyone sticks to the same story." Kevin waved dismissively.
When Flynn had first inquired about Phoebe, Kevin hadn’t been properly prepared—he’d only arranged for a few people to say what he wanted the king to hear. But when the royal gamma arrived, he’d prepared everything.
Kevin knew the king wouldn’t give up gathering intelligence. He’d send someone else, and Kevin had been right. Timothy’s supposedly secret visit hadn’t been secret at all.
"Bring former beta Cameron here," Kevin ordered before Kira and Dorothy could leave.
"Yes, Alpha."
Once they’d gone, only Kevin and Dani remained. The woman lifted her head to look at him, but he shoved her off his lap.
"Bend over," Kevin said grimly. He swept all the documents off the table and ordered her to bend down. He wouldn’t look at her face while he fucked her—it wasn’t the face he wanted.
Dani tried to complain and act sweet, but Kevin slapped her.
"Do what I tell you." His fingers wrapped around her throat, eyes blazing with rage because she’d tried to touch him. He didn’t want her touch. He only needed release.
"Yes, Alpha..." Dani whispered, bending over the table. She closed her eyes as Kevin spread her legs with his knees and began unbuckling his pants.
No foreplay—he didn’t bother ensuring she was ready before penetrating her. He needed to finish before Cameron arrived.
Not that the former beta didn’t know about this arrangement, but Kevin preferred he not witness it.
"Please, be gentle, Alpha..." Dani whimpered, yelping when Kevin thrust into her. Pain made her want to push him away, but the alpha pressed her head down, rendering her immobile as agony spread through her body. "Please, Alpha... it hurts..."
"Shut up!" Kevin snarled, not wanting to hear her voice. His movements became even more brutal.
