Chapter 97: Chapter 97 The Beast Stands Guard
Perry’s POV
"My king..." Marcela’s voice shook as she tried reaching him. Her entire frame trembled. "My king... please, calm down..." She tracked the beast’s stare, realizing he was fixated on his mate.
"Marcela... don’t..." Cameron’s voice came out barely above a whisper. He held his breath without realizing it, knowing that one wrong move meant death.
Just like those warriors outside.
"Come over here..." he told Marcela.
Marcela couldn’t tell, but Cameron recognized the way the beast watched his mate lying on the ground. Pure obsession mixed with fierce protectiveness.
High-ranking male shifters always displayed this possessiveness. The intensity depended on how dominant they were.
And no one could match the Mad King in that regard. He was beast incarnate.
"Come here, you’ll only get yourself killed." Cameron felt torn about leaving his daughter alone with the king, but his instincts told him I would be fine.
Even lost in madness, the king’s beast would remember his mate. That was shifter magic—the mate bond kept your sanity tethered to reality.
But Cameron spoke too much, drawing the enraged beast’s attention.
The massive black wolf stalked toward the former beta, fangs gleaming. The beast crouched low, ready to strike, and Cameron knew he wouldn’t survive if the king attacked.
He could barely stay conscious, let alone shift and fight. Even warriors in their prime struggled against the king.
"My king, no!" Marcela watched in terror as the king’s beast lunged at Cameron.
This was it.
Cameron thought this was his end.
But my voice cut through the thick tension in the dungeon. Soft, barely audible, yet enough to make the beast freeze.
"Perry..."
The sharp pain in my lower abdomen made movement agony, but I used every ounce of strength to call his name.
I didn’t understand why I did it. I hated my father so much, but in that critical moment, I saved his life. I couldn’t stop myself.
"No, please..." I curled up, trembling. No matter how many blankets Marcela wrapped around me, the cold bit deep.
The beast stopped. He’d been seconds from killing Cameron.
For a moment, the black beast just stood there, staring at my pitiful form without moving. He didn’t try coming closer, but I felt his burning gaze.
"Perry..." I stretched out my hand, tears streaming down my face.
Then I felt something warm leak between my legs, and the metallic scent of blood filled the air.
I was bleeding heavily.
——
Finally, Timothy killed the last warrior blocking their path.
Through the mindlink, he learned the intruders had retreated and the king was safe. Perry was in the dungeon now, but no one dared check on him out of fear.
Timothy had ordered everyone to avoid the king, not wanting Perry to go on a killing spree against their own people after the enemy had fled.
"Are you going to see Perry?" Flynn asked. He’d shifted back to human form, too exhausted to maintain his beast. Timothy felt the same—he’d taken the worst of the fighting.
Flynn wasn’t bad in combat, but the royal beta wasn’t built for this. Timothy had to watch out for him too.
"Yes. I’m worried."
"I’ll come with you."
Timothy welcomed Flynn’s company. He needed all the help he could get to bring Perry back to reality.
This had happened before—Perry going on rampages, slaughtering palace inhabitants and leaving blood-soaked corridors for days.
Back then, only Flynn and Timothy could reach him.
If it happened again, they’d have better odds working together.
On their way to the dungeon, they surveyed the aftermath of Perry’s fury. Bodies lay mangled everywhere. The brutality alone marked it as Perry’s handiwork.
"This won’t end well..." Timothy dreaded what they’d find, and Flynn shared his dread.
Both quickened their pace as the blood scent grew stronger near Phoebe’s cell.
"No way..." Timothy muttered. His first thought—Perry had hurt Phoebe. He recognized her blood mixed in the air.
Getting closer, they heard Marcela’s panicked voice clearly.
"What’s happening?!" Timothy arrived first, eyes widening at the scene. "No... What happened?" He immediately searched for Perry.
Still in beast form, standing guard over Phoebe while Marcela tried reasoning with him.
"Please, my king, let me check her..." Marcela pleaded, voice shaking.
She worried about Phoebe’s condition but couldn’t get closer—the black beast stood sentinel beside her, snarling viciously.
Not far away, Cameron lay bleeding and unconscious. Dying.
"Royal gamma Timothy, please... the lady is bleeding, she’s having a miscarriage. We’ll lose her too if the king won’t let me examine her!"
