I swallowed my tears and stopped fighting.
I retreated back into my protective shell, numbing everything to shield myself from the coming pain.
Then suddenly, strong hands yanked me away from the warriors. Delicious electricity sparked across my skin, and I knew instantly who had grabbed me before I even saw him.
My back collided with his solid chest as his scent wrapped around me. I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, drowning in the sensation.
The bond between us was powerful enough to make me feel safe for the first time in forever. I didn’t care about anyone else watching, though I caught my father’s jaw dropping in complete shock at what he was witnessing.
Cameron froze mid-step. His eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, especially when the king nuzzled my neck and licked the sensitive skin there – right in front of hundreds of people.
This intimate display was completely inappropriate for public viewing, but who would dare complain to the Mad King?
“My king… this…” The two warriors immediately backed away from the king and the woman in his arms. Confusion flickered across their faces, but they were smart enough not to interrupt this moment.
Kevin, however, lacked that wisdom. His voice boomed across the hall when he saw what the king was doing to his plaything. Rage and jealousy consumed him from within.
Even though he’d rejected me, I still belonged to him. No one else could touch me – only him.
“King Perry!” Kevin shot up from the platform.
As the host alpha for this ceremony, he occupied the second-highest seat after the king.
I felt the king’s chest rumble with annoyance as he turned lazily, his arms still locked around my body. This definitely wasn’t the kind of display you’d show in front of pack members.
“May I know what you’re doing, my king?” Kevin struggled to sound respectful, but everyone could hear the razor edge in his tone.
Kevin was furious.
His eyes blazed with rage, especially watching King Perry place one hand on my stomach while the other wrapped around my neck.
It was far too intimate.
“Here, I’m announcing you as alpha of Obsidian Claw pack. Alpha Kevin, you may proceed with the ceremony. Congratulations.”
King Perry delivered his speech with me still in his arms, completely dismissing Kevin.
Why wouldn’t he? No one mattered to him. A young alpha like Kevin was merely an insignificant annoyance.
“My king, I think you need to release her. She’s just an omega in this pack. If you want another woman, I can arrange one for you. A more suitable one.”
Kevin’s eyes locked on mine as he spoke that last sentence, making it clear I wasn’t even close to being suitable for anyone.
“Is that so?” Perry raised his eyebrows. “But I want this one.”
Right there, in front of hundreds of witnesses, the king tilted my head and sank his teeth into my sweet spot, marking me as his.
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.
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