Chapter 69: Chapter 69 A Conspiracy Of Poison
Phoebe’s POV
For breakfast, I added a bit more poison to Perry’s meal. The slow-acting toxin wasn’t affecting the king at all, so I had to increase the dose.
I settled onto the couch afterward, tuning into my favorite cartoon while waiting for Perry to stir.
Once he awakened, he joined me on the sofa. We shared breakfast as we always did before he left the room to begin his daily routine.
The king hardly spent time in his own bedroom anymore. He also hadn’t mentioned the issue with Reginald.
I chose not to bring it up either—creating more problems for myself was the last thing I needed.
"I need more poison," I told Mason when she arrived with my lunch. "I’m almost out."
"Already?" Mason’s eyes widened as she took a seat beside me. "You have to pace yourself. We need perfect timing. Making the king suspicious before we’re prepared would be disastrous."
"His constitution is different," I explained. "After months of this, he shows zero signs that anything’s wrong."
Mason considered this, then gave a slow nod. "Fine, I’ll request more bottles. But I can’t stockpile too much poison—it might raise suspicions about me."
"I get it." I offered her reassurance. My determination to end this nightmare remained unwavering, even as I pushed aside the small voice in my heart urging me to stop.
Recently, I’d been searching for alternative reasons not to kill Perry, but none felt convincing enough. My rage still dominated my judgment, which explained why I kept dismissing this persistent doubt.
One afternoon, footsteps approached my bedroom door, but the warrior posted outside intercepted whoever it was.
I caught fragments of their exchange from inside. I quickly muted the television just as knocking echoed through the room. The warrior had apparently relented, allowing this unknown visitor to speak with me.
"My lady, may I have a moment or two to speak with you?"
The voice was unfamiliar—elderly and male. Another knock followed.
I grabbed my jacket and opened the door.
An elderly man in his early seventies stood there, draped in white robes bearing the kingdom’s insignia on his left breast. I recognized his position immediately—he was one of the elders.
During my childhood visits to the palace with my father, I’d seen the elders and their distinctive markings. Cameron had explained their roles to me then.
"How can I help you?" I asked quietly, positioning myself in the doorway to block his entry.
Letting him inside felt wrong—Perry would be furious. We’d been getting along better lately, and I refused to jeopardize that. Besides, it was crystal clear that no one could visit me without his explicit permission.
"You must be Lady Phoebe from Obsidian Claw pack. I’m Elder Tricia. Could I have a word with you? There’s something crucial I need to discuss."
——
The former alpha Sterling stepped into his son’s bedroom, immediately wrinkling his nose at the heavy scent of sex saturating the air.
Darkness filled the room, punctuated by soft feminine moans from the bed. The same woman Kevin had been screwing since Phoebe’s departure from the pack—though he used to alternate between this woman and Phoebe when she was still present.
"Stop that for a moment. There’s something we need to discuss," Sterling said, making no effort to hide his irritation.
He remained near the entrance, sparing himself the sight of his son receiving pleasure from the woman. Kevin’s recent behavior had become increasingly unhinged, and Sterling felt powerless to halt this descent into madness. He’d only discovered his son’s latest scheme minutes ago, and fury consumed him.
"You can speak now. I’m listening," Kevin replied without missing a beat, pressing Dani’s head against his groin and signaling her to continue despite his father’s presence. "What’s on your mind?"
"Show your father some respect."
"Show your alpha some respect," Kevin shot back.
Sterling might be his father, but in terms of hierarchy, Kevin held the highest rank in this pack. Even Sterling had no authority over his decisions as the current alpha.
Sterling’s jaw clenched. His displeasure with Kevin’s insolence was palpable.
"If this isn’t important enough to warrant your attention, you can leave. We’ll discuss it later when I’m finished."
Kevin threw his head back as Dani took him deeper. He’d attempted this with Phoebe once, but she’d bitten him. The slap he’d delivered in response had knocked her unconscious, and he disliked unnecessary violence against her. So he’d stopped trying.
Dani, however, excelled at pleasuring him. She understood exactly what he wanted. Yet his thoughts invariably drifted back to Phoebe, her image refusing to leave his mind. Damn it.
Sterling closed his eyes, visibly restraining his rage at his son’s audacity.
In moments like these, he regretted not having another son. He’d gladly accept even a bastard, as long as Kevin wasn’t occupying the alpha position.
Having him as this pack’s alpha was wrong on every conceivable level. His decisions were recklessly bold, involving risks that could get them all executed.
"I discovered your border area scheme. What’s your goal in poisoning those warriors?" Sterling demanded. Planning to overthrow the king was one matter, but plotting against their own people was entirely different.
Thousands of warriors would die if Kevin proceeded.
"It’s essential. This will delay their infiltration of the Valerium Kingdom. I’ll set Perry back until he can deploy another batch of trained warriors to the front lines. Meanwhile, the Valerium can rebuild their strength for a counterattack."
"You’ve made arrangements with the Valerium."
Sterling had suspected this move, though he shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, the astronomical risk involved infuriated him.
Kevin didn’t respond to the question, merely chuckling as he thrust harder against Dani’s mouth before climaxing intensely. His prolonged groan sickened Sterling’s stomach.
"We can’t overthrow Perry without weakening him first. Eliminating his warriors is the path to that goal. When the moment arrives, the Valerium will assist us in the final assault to kill the king."
