Flynn fell silent. What could he say? They called me the Mad King for good reason, and even now, after everything he’d learned, he knew I’d still keep her.
Timothy had also reported that former beta Cameron – Phoebe’s father – hadn’t been abusive toward her. Everything existed only in her mind. She’d been punished and demoted to omega status because of countless offenses.
“Like I said, she’s promiscuous,” Flynn crossed his arms. “In short, she’s insane.”
I didn’t respond immediately. When I finally did, dark laughter rumbled from my chest. “The Mad King and the Crazy Queen. Don’t you think they have a beautiful ring together?”
Now I stood in the bathroom, watching Phoebe empty her stomach violently. Her skin had turned ashen, and she’d grown even more skeletal than when she’d first arrived.
“Get up,” I commanded, though I gripped her elbow to help her stand. “What the hell are you trying to accomplish?”
Her eyes met mine with pure bewilderment, as if she was trying to figure out what she’d done wrong this time.
I allowed her to rinse her mouth before dragging her back into the main room.
“Why haven’t you touched your food?” I gestured toward the untouched meal on the table. “Are you that determined to kill yourself?”
She flinched when my voice rose, but this time she didn’t drop her gaze. Instead, she stared directly into my eyes.
“Yes. I want to die. Kill me. I’m done with this life.”
I had no idea where she’d found the courage to speak those words to me, but exhaustion radiated from every line of her body.
“Kill me,” she repeated, her voice steady and low, yet somehow it sent ice crawling down my spine. “Kill me and end this.”
She’d attempted suicide before – Kevin had tied her to the bed for days afterward. That experience had broken something in her, left her terrified of darkness, of being restrained.
But her previous attempt had been agony. She’d sliced both wrists, watching the blood flow, but death hadn’t come quickly enough. The whole process had been torture.
With me, it would be different. I was practiced at killing – swift, efficient. Over in the blink of an eye, just like people said about the Mad King.
“Kill me.” She pushed against my chest, though I didn’t budge. Confusion flickered in my eyes, but for once I didn’t snap at her. “Kill me. Kill me.”
“Stop this.” I caught her hands, but the restraint only triggered her further. She couldn’t stand being held down – it brought back memories.
“Kill me! Kill me!” Her screams tore from her throat. “Kill me now! Let me die!”
I still held both her hands as she began kicking at me, completely losing control.
Timothy’s words echoed in my mind: Phoebe was crazy. Her father claimed she lived in delusions.
“Kill me and be done with it! Kill me!”
“Stop this!” I shook her, trying to bring back some semblance of sanity. “Are you insane?”
“Yes, I am! I’m insane! So kill me! I don’t want to live anymore!” She was completely breaking down, having a full mental collapse. She kept trying to hit me, kicking, screaming.
I tried to restrain her without causing harm, but if she pushed much harder, she’d hurt herself – or force me to hurt her instead.
“Stop this nonsense!” I shoved her toward the bed and pinned her down, which only made her craziness escalate. She thrashed against me, wailing as if she were being flayed alive.
I’d never witnessed this level of madness and had no idea how to handle it.
“Stop this!” I pressed her down more firmly as she struggled against me. She even bit my shoulder – if I hadn’t remembered this was my mate I was handling, I would have snapped her neck.
“Let me die!” Her sobs intensified. “Kill me!”
***
“The royal gamma asked the same questions, Alpha,” Kira informed Kevin while Dorothy stood beside her. Both women had handled everything exactly as their alpha had instructed.
Kevin sat in his armchair with Dani perched on his lap, half-naked with only her hair covering her bare breasts. For a moment, if someone didn’t look closely, they might mistake her for Phoebe – especially with that hair color.
But that was precisely why Kevin had chosen her. He didn’t need to see her face.
“Excellent work. Make sure everyone sticks to the same story.” Kevin waved dismissively.
When Flynn had first inquired about Phoebe, Kevin hadn’t been properly prepared – he’d only arranged for a few people to say what he wanted the king to hear. But when the royal gamma arrived, he’d prepared everything.
Kevin knew the king wouldn’t give up gathering intelligence. He’d send someone else, and Kevin had been right. Timothy’s supposedly secret visit hadn’t been secret at all.
“Bring former beta Cameron here,” Kevin ordered before Kira and Dorothy could leave.
“Yes, Alpha.”
Once they’d gone, only Kevin and Dani remained. The woman lifted her head to look at him, but he shoved her off his lap.
“Bend over,” Kevin said grimly. He swept all the documents off the table and ordered her to bend down. He wouldn’t look at her face while he fucked her – it wasn’t the face he wanted.
Dani tried to complain and act sweet, but Kevin slapped her.
“Do what I tell you.” His fingers wrapped around her throat, eyes blazing with rage because she’d tried to touch him. He didn’t want her touch. He only needed release.
“Yes, Alpha…” Dani whispered, bending over the table. She closed her eyes as Kevin spread her legs with his knees and began unbuckling his pants.
No foreplay – he didn’t bother ensuring she was ready before penetrating her. He needed to finish before Cameron arrived.
Not that the former beta didn’t know about this arrangement, but Kevin preferred he not witness it.
“Please, be gentle, Alpha…” Dani whimpered, yelping when Kevin thrust into her. Pain made her want to push him away, but the alpha pressed her head down, rendering her immobile as agony spread through her body. “Please, Alpha… it hurts…”
“Shut up!” Kevin snarled, not wanting to hear her voice. His movements became even more brutal.
Dani winced as Kevin withdrew from her. Her body crumpled to the floor, agony shooting through her core. He’d taken her without preparation again – a cruel pattern she’d grown to dread.
She watched him zip his pants, not bothering to spare her a glance now that he’d satisfied himself. Curled beneath the table, Dani listened as footsteps approached. Cameron had arrived.
The former beta’s face showed no reaction to the lingering scent of sex in the air. Deep lines etched his features, as if years had passed in mere weeks.
“Why spread more lies about her reputation when she’s not even here?” Cameron’s voice cut through the silence before Kevin could speak, revealing his disgust with the situation.
Kevin’s rumors about Phoebe had damaged Cameron’s standing too. Everyone knew she was his daughter, and her disgrace reflected on him.
What Cameron didn’t know was that the royal gamma had already visited the Obsidian Claw pack, gathering intelligence about Phoebe.
“You want your daughter back, don’t you?” Kevin settled onto the sofa across from Cameron, his tone casual.
Cameron’s agitation over the king taking Phoebe was obvious. Despite years of harsh treatment, he’d once cherished his daughter. She was his only girl. His blood.
Though Cameron favored Reginald – desperate for a son – something felt hollow about that relationship. No blood connection. No true bond.
“This is our only shot at getting her back from the king. We can’t challenge him directly. You know his reputation – he’d wipe out our pack on a whim. Not yet, anyway.”
Kevin’s scheme had been brewing for months. Complex, but worth the payoff. “Work with me on this.”
Hidden beneath the table, Dani remained invisible, though Cameron could smell what Kevin had done to his whore before this meeting.
“Why do you want my daughter? You rejected her, tormented her – now you want her back?” Cameron’s eyes narrowed, trying to decipher the young alpha’s motives.
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