Chapter 9: Chapter 9 What Belongs To The King
Phoebe’s POV
My mind went blank—everything happened so fast. I wasn’t ready for the searing agony that shot through the mark on my neck.
My scream rang through the main hall as I fought to break free from the king’s iron grip, but he held me trapped in this torment. He marked me right here, in front of everyone.
The king marked me in front of alpha Kevin, during his own ceremony, and Kevin could only watch helplessly.
People would remember today as the day the king found his fated mate, not as Kevin’s day to become alpha.
The pain overwhelmed me until my voice gave out and my body went limp. I felt the king catch me, lifting me into his arms.
——
Vince grabbed Kevin’s arm with bruising force as the alpha started forward. "Don’t. You can’t. Get a grip."
"I don’t want a grip," Kevin snarled under his breath, every instinct screaming at him to rip the king’s throat out.
If he’d been thinking clearly, he would’ve known it was impossible. Attacking royalty meant death.
But rage consumed him completely. This was the woman who belonged to him. Someone he planned to keep in his bed. No one else was supposed to touch her, yet there she was in another man’s arms.
"You’re losing it," Vince hissed, tightening his hold. If he let go, he knew the king would kill Kevin on the spot, and their entire pack would die with him. "She’s just your plaything. You rejected her, remember?"
Vince was right, but Kevin refused to listen. All he saw was someone taking what was his.
His father, the previous alpha Sterling, stepped up and clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"You’ll get us all killed! Back down!" Sterling growled in his ear, the pressure forcing Kevin to yield.
But his eyes stayed locked on Phoebe and the king, watching her screams fade as her body went slack.
Before leaving, the Mad King caught the burning hatred in Kevin’s gaze. His eyebrows lifted slightly, then he scoffed with obvious mockery before turning away from the chaos.
The ceremony was destroyed. No one would remember this as Kevin’s initiation. When people talked about today, they’d speak of the king, not him.
Kevin despised it. This was humiliation on a whole new level.
——
Perry’s POV
"You shouldn’t have done that," Flynn said, disagreeing with my earlier actions. He glanced toward the bed, but couldn’t see the woman’s form since I’d tucked her under the blankets. "Marking her in front of all those people wasn’t smart."
"Should I have mated with her in front of them instead?" I tilted my head, giving my royal beta a lazy stare while I enjoyed my drink. "They claimed I was cursed by the Moon Goddess for killing my own family—that’s why she never gave me a mate." I shrugged carelessly. "Now she’s given me one. I should show those idiots, don’t you think?"
Flynn had no comeback. He knew better than to argue once I’d made up my mind about something.
"Who is she?" I asked casually.
I was in the Obsidian Claw guest room—the finest accommodation this pack house offered after the alpha’s quarters, though it still fell short of my standards.
I lounged on the sofa, wine in hand, feeling satisfied after marking my mate.
She was fine. I’d called a healer to check on her.
"Her name is Phoebe. She’s the former beta’s daughter—beta Cameron."
Since Kevin became alpha three hours ago, he’d chosen his own beta, forcing Cameron to step down.
"She’s..." Flynn searched for the right words. "Her family cast her out. She’s been living in the pack house for a year."
"Hmm... cast out by family." I nodded, chuckling. "I can see why the Moon Goddess paired us."
The irony wasn’t lost on me—the same thing had happened to me.
"No wonder she’s wearing omega clothes. A beta’s daughter, reduced to omega status."
"But Perry..." Flynn hesitated, unsure how I’d react to what came next.
"Go on..." I took another sip.
I glanced at the bed, wondering how old she was. She looked very young.
"There’s talk... actually, I don’t think it’s just talk. They seem certain about it."
"What is it?"
"She’s been engaged to the alpha."
