Chapter 82: Chapter 82 He Could Not Help It
Phoebe’s POV
Mason’s face went pale. Her eyes widened in shock, mouth opening as if she wanted to argue, but no words came out.
The way I stared at her wasn’t my usual gentle look. I let my determination show through my gaze.
"Mason, please. Give me time. Your goal is to stop the war, right? You don’t need to wage a civil war against the king. You know more blood will spill if that happens." I reached for her hand, meeting her eyes directly. "Please, I just need time. Can you give me that?"
"What am I supposed to tell the people in the Movement?"
Mason dropped her head, refusing to meet my gaze. I could feel her sense of betrayal.
"You can persuade them to give me time, and I’ll do everything I can to convince the king to end the war."
I squeezed her hands tighter. "There’s no need for more bloodshed. War always claims lives."
"But it might be for a greater cause."
I shook my head firmly. "No cause is great enough to justify someone’s death."
Mason’s head snapped up, my words clearly striking a nerve. "Yet the man you’re defending right now has killed people simply because he could."
Her words hit me hard. I had no response.
I pressed my lips together, staring at Mason, knowing I couldn’t sway her.
"I’ll take my leave, good night, my lady." Mason pulled her hands free and stood up.
I could only watch as Mason walked away, feeling my heart clench with pain and fear. What would she do? What would she tell the Movement?
I cursed my naivety for thinking Mason would at least hear me out or consider my solution. Nothing was that simple.
In the end, I sat there defeated. I stared into the distance, wondering what they would do when they discovered I’d abandoned their plan.
Mason and Reginald were the only Movement members I knew. But if Reginald was involved, that meant Kevin was behind it too.
And my father...
But I had no idea who their palace spies were. They could catch Perry off guard and kill him. The mere thought made my stomach turn.
——
"What did you say?" Reginald’s fury was barely contained.
"She backed out," Mason repeated.
"No fucking way!" Reginald cursed under his breath, rage consuming him. He’d just learned that Perry had captured Kevin and former beta Cameron, both being transported here under heavy security.
He didn’t know what to do, but shit was about to hit the fan. Fuck. They’d been so close to killing the king, and now this happened.
"Why?! Why did she back out?!" Reginald had to restrain himself from exploding since they weren’t alone.
They stood in the kitchen corner, surrounded by chatter that masked their voices, but if Reginald got too worked up and raised his voice, people would definitely notice.
Several people were already glancing their way with curious expressions. From their perspective, it probably looked like a couple fighting.
They weren’t a couple, though Reginald didn’t mind the assumption. He didn’t care what they thought—his mind was complete chaos.
"Why?" Reginald asked in a lower, more menacing tone that made Mason flinch.
Mason relayed everything Phoebe had told her.
The solution she’d proposed, and how civil war would cause more casualties. In a way, Mason knew it was a sound solution—she would have agreed if not for her personal need for vengeance.
She wanted the king dead. Because of him, she’d lost her parents, and that was unforgivable. She was being selfish, and she knew it.
"Stay close to her. I’ll tell you what to do later."
Reginald stormed off.
Mason lowered her head, feeling dejected. She didn’t want to get close to that woman again. Her feelings were complicated. She’d been happy about their closeness before because she liked her, but now that their views differed, she couldn’t manage a genuine smile.
"What happened? Are you in a relationship with him? Were you fighting?" One of the omegas who’d watched Reginald storm out approached Mason with concern.
"No, it’s fine. I’m okay." Mason neither denied nor confirmed, but the omega didn’t push further, sensing Mason wasn’t in the mood to talk.
——
Perry’s POV
Once Reginald and Cameron arrived at the palace, the former headed straight to the dungeon while I summoned Cameron to my study.
The former beta looked like hell—as if he hadn’t slept in a week.
"May I know what crime I’ve committed, my king?"
He asked in a defeated tone, which meant he already knew the answer.
"You really are something else, former beta Cameron. You watched your daughter suffer and did nothing."
I wanted to strangle him immediately, but I held back. This wasn’t my revenge to take.
"She was punished for the crimes she committed."
Cameron wouldn’t meet my eyes as I approached him.
"You don’t even believe your own words." I moved closer to the former beta, glaring down at him. "If it were up to me, I’d feed you to wild animals. Unfortunately, I care enough about your daughter to let her have the final say."
A knock interrupted us. When I granted permission to enter, Phoebe’s scent filled the room, and Cameron tensed.
"I’ll give you time to talk alone before I decide your punishment."
I caressed Phoebe’s cheek, silently asking if she’d be okay alone with her father. When she nodded, I left the room.
——
Phoebe’s POV
"What’s the meaning of this, Phoebe?" My father narrowed his eyes at me. "What kind of lies did you tell the king?"
"I didn’t lie, father. I told him the truth."
"That you were abused?" Cameron scoffed. "You caused trouble, Phoebe. You were punished."
"When Kevin forced himself on me, do you think that was also punishment?" I watched emotions shift across my father’s face. He knew it was wrong, but his next response made my blood boil.
"He was your mate. He couldn’t help it. He even used another woman to ease the strong bond."
"I rejected him—we weren’t mates. Do you actually believe that? I didn’t want him even if he was my mate, but here you are telling me he was fine to do whatever he wanted with me."
"He couldn’t help it."
"Don’t tell me he couldn’t help it!" I roared. "He took my innocence, and here you are, standing in front of me, telling me I should be grateful for that punishment!"
"I didn’t tell you to be grateful for the punishment! He was wrong in that case, I understand!" Cameron snarled back. "What else could I do?! You were a difficult child! You didn’t want me to be happy because I found someone else to be my mate! You didn’t even want to get along with your siblings!"
"They’re not my siblings! Reginald tortured me!"
"Nonsense! He always wanted to be a big brother to you!"
"He groped me! He wanted me sexually! I told you that before, but you wouldn’t listen because you wanted a son! You regret having me because I’m a woman!"
"You only made false accusations because you were bitter! Because you wanted them out of our lives! You only wanted me for yourself!"
I couldn’t believe that’s what my father thought, but I wasn’t surprised. I’d known for a long time.
"I don’t want you for myself. I want a family too. I want you to be happy..." My voice faltered, and I could see something shift in his eyes when he heard the sadness there. "But they hurt me, and you don’t even believe me."
I pressed my lips together. I watched my father open his mouth, then close it again, not knowing what to say. It felt pointless to claim they didn’t want to hurt me. Like screaming into the void.
"It’s okay now. I’m out of your life. You can be happy now."
Silence filled the room, but as I turned to leave, my father grabbed my arm. "There’s something important I need to discuss with you."
I knew this change of topic would only make things worse between us, but he seemed desperate, and Kevin was locked in the dungeon.
"You need to get Kevin out of the dungeon. Say whatever you need to convince the king that you didn’t mean what you told him before. It was a mistake. A huge mistake on his part, and he’s remorseful. Whatever it takes to get Kevin out of that dungeon."
"Why should I do that?" I narrowed my eyes. "Let him rot in there."
