The design blended modern convenience with classic elegance, honoring tradition without sacrificing comfort.
The second section housed a study, where floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined an entire wall beside an imposing desk. Beyond that lay my sleeping quarters, complete with a bathroom featuring a tub that could easily accommodate five people.
The sheer magnitude of it all left me breathless. Everything felt too precious to touch, too grand for someone like me. Flynn’s warning echoed in my mind – don’t cause trouble.
I clutched my backpack tighter as I explored further, discovering a walk-in closet larger than my entire room in the omega quarters.
It stood completely empty, and when I tried arranging my meager collection of clothes inside, they looked pathetic – like scraps of fabric scattered across a banquet table.
Embarrassed, I shoved everything back into my backpack and tucked it into the closet’s farthest corner, out of sight.
At least if the king decided he didn’t want me and threw me out, I could grab my bag and disappear without the hassle of packing.
I wandered into the bathroom next, marveling at the intricate wall decorations. As a beta’s daughter, I’d lived comfortably in my early years – as comfortable as any beta’s family could manage.
But this palace made everything I’d known seem modest.
It took several minutes to figure out the shower controls. I peeled off my grimy dress and stepped under the spray, sighing as warm water cascaded over my skin.
Living in the omega quarters had meant cold water only, even during the harshest winters. This felt like pure luxury – a small slice of heaven I could claim for myself.
Expensive shampoo and soap sat waiting for me, and I lingered under the warmth longer than usual, reluctant to end this perfect moment.
When I finally emerged, a tray of food waited on the table in my sleeping area. The aroma made my mouth water, and for the first time in ages, I felt my lips curve into a genuine smile.
That night marked the first time in months I’d fallen asleep on clean sheets, with a full stomach, after bathing in warm water.
Sleep claimed me the moment my head hit the pillow. I barely remembered anything else, except for a strange dream where someone watched me sleep – though the memory faded completely by morning.
I’d trained myself to wake before dawn – an omega couldn’t afford to be lazy unless she wanted a beating or worse. Even when Kevin used me for his pleasure, Kira and Isabella showed no mercy.
They didn’t care when I appeared with bruises circling my neck or a broken arm. Kevin could be brutal, forgetting I couldn’t heal like other shifters. I wasn’t normal.
Despite my exhaustion, I woke in the pre-dawn darkness, checking the clock to find it was still two hours before sunrise – exactly when my day usually began.
My body went rigid when I realized someone lay beside me.
The discovery threw me back to those nights with Kevin, and for one terrifying moment, I thought it was him sharing my bed.
Panic wrapped around me like a constrictor, squeezing until I couldn’t breathe. I forced my eyes shut, searching for calm in the memory of the swing in our old garden.
My father had built it when I was small, and I’d loved the gentle push of his hands as I soared through the air.
I kept my focus narrow – just the swing, nothing else. Thinking about my father would only bring fresh pain.
Whenever Kevin forced himself on me and reality became unbearable, my mind would flee to that swing in the garden. It was my escape, my sanctuary from cruelty.
The technique worked now, steadying my nerves enough to notice that the man beside me wasn’t Kevin. Their scents were completely different.
I forced myself to move, turning my head slowly to find the king sleeping peacefully next to me.
His face was inches from mine, his cheek resting against my shoulder while his short black hair tickled my skin.
He looked so serene, almost innocent – nothing like the Mad King from the stories. In sleep, he seemed almost… vulnerable.
Phoebe’s POV
A world of difference existed between sharing a bed with Kevin and sleeping beside the king. With Kevin, all I felt was revulsion – a bone-deep disgust that made my skin crawl.
Even sharing the same oxygen felt contaminated.
But with Perry, the emotions tangled into something more complex. The disgust wasn’t there, replaced instead by fear that settled alongside an unwanted longing – the mate bond’s cruel joke.
His reputation terrified me, yet my body craved him because fate had branded us as mates. Still, Kevin’s abuse had carved deep wounds into my psyche, leaving me doubting I could handle any man’s touch, even my mate’s.
I scanned my surroundings. This was my room, but Perry sleeping in my bed meant he had a key. I’d locked that door before falling asleep – I was certain of it.
Trying not to disturb him, I attempted to slip from the bed. The moment I shifted, his hand clamped around my shoulder, yanking me back down. In a heartbeat, he loomed above me, his weight pinning me to the mattress.
Panic seized my throat as his body pressed against mine. Trapped. The sensation I feared most consumed me, stealing my breath and freezing my limbs. My body went rigid, wooden, completely beyond my control.
This was how it always started with Kevin – my body shutting down, becoming a lifeless doll for his amusement. He’d enjoyed both my resistance and my compliance equally, taking what he wanted regardless.
But this wasn’t Kevin. Perry didn’t start with cruel mockery or degrading names. Instead, his gaze burned into me with an intensity that felt like it might bore straight through my skull.
I looked everywhere except at him, which only fueled his anger.
“Why won’t you look at me?” His fingers gripped my chin, forcing my head up while his body settled more firmly between my thighs. The position made tears threaten to spill. “Why do you always wear that expression? Am I so repulsive to you?”
Everything in me wanted to shake my head, to deny his accusation, but words wouldn’t come. I could barely drag air into my lungs. My mind begged to retreat to that imaginary swing – my safe haven – but he demanded my complete attention. Something primal and commanding in his voice made disobedience impossible.
“Answer me!” His hand circled my throat, not squeezing but threatening. He wanted to terrify me into speaking.
Fear had always been his tool for getting what he wanted – answers, compliance, everything. It was the only method Perry understood.
“You refuse to answer?” His fingers remained loose around my neck, not applying pressure.
But I was already hyperventilating, my entire body trembling uncontrollably. I kept shaking my head, mouth slightly parted but producing no sound.
His eyes narrowed dangerously at my reaction. Then, suddenly, he pulled back. He moved away completely, settling back on his heels while still kneeling on the bed.
His gaze remained fixed on me as I struggled for breath. I turned away from him, gasping desperately for air.
“You really can’t stand my touch, can you?” He climbed off the bed entirely.
I didn’t see him leave – my eyes were squeezed shut as I fought to calm myself – but I felt his presence fade until the door slammed with such force I feared it might shatter. The impact reverberated through the walls. He was furious, though I’d done nothing to provoke it.
After I’d finally steadied myself, someone knocked to deliver my breakfast. Food held no appeal.
Not that I could taste anything anyway – my illness had stolen that ability long ago. I ate purely for survival, nothing more.
***
Perry’s POV
“What set you off?” Flynn winced as eleven warriors were carried from the training grounds. They’d live, but their injuries would take half a day to heal – an eternity for shifters who typically recovered within minutes.
“Find out more about her,” I growled, scrubbing my face roughly before dumping water over his head.
Claw marks decorated my arms from the eleven-on-one fight, already beginning to close. I’d forced myself to hold back, fighting every instinct that screamed to kill them all.
“I’ve already told you everything. What more do you want to know?” Flynn sat beside the king, still recovering from the brutal training session triggered by my foul mood.
“Everything. I want to know everything.”
I picked at my breakfast, barely managing a few bites. The food looked incredible, but my stomach churned with every attempt to swallow.
An hour later, silent servants collected my barely touched plates. They moved like ghosts, never meeting my eyes before disappearing back into the shadows.
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