Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 10

Perry’s Perspective

“Engaged? We don’t use that word,” I said sharply, my brow furrowing as I caught Flynn’s careless slip. Engagements were a human contrivance, meaningless to us shifters. When destiny drew two of us together, we didn’t waste time with titles or ceremonies.

Flynn’s hesitation grated on my nerves. “Just say it,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. The tension in the room was thick, and I didn’t want to waste another second.

He shifted uneasily, avoiding my gaze. “She was supposed to be the alpha’s mate at first. Alpha Kevin turned her down once he discovered they were fated.”

I let the word rejected hang between us like a spark over dry tinder. “Good,” I said flatly, my voice void of any warmth.

Flynn blinked, clearly taken aback by my lack of concern. If Kevin hadn’t cast her aside, I’d still be alone—trapped by the whispered curses and bad omens that followed me like shadows. I’d carried the weight of names and slurs all my life; superstition didn’t frighten me. If anything, I found it ironic how the Moon Goddess toyed with fate, weaving cruel jokes into our lives.

Flynn pressed on, pulling at the threads of the story as if unraveling a frayed tapestry. “She was born to a beta father,” he said slowly, “but they’ve demoted her to omega. The pack will mock the king who claims an omega as his mate. It’ll hurt your standing.”

I echoed his words, voice cold and steady. “What standing? What reputation do I have left to protect?” A humorless laugh escaped me. I had long ago been dubbed the Mad King—a title earned through blood and fire. If superstition and gossip were the price of a mate, then I was ready to pay it without hesitation.

Flynn’s jaw tightened, and he swallowed hard. “There’s more,” he added reluctantly.

The room seemed to tilt slightly. “More?” I prompted, bracing myself.

“He’s slept with her,” Flynn blurted out, the words awkward and heavy. “Alpha Kevin. People say she’s been his plaything—that she’s his… favorite. The pack talks behind their backs. They say she chased him, used their relationship to gain protection.”

My palms slickened with sweat, and for a moment I froze. Then, the glass in my hand shattered with a sharp crack, wine splattering across the carpet in a dark stain. A fierce, primal rage surged through me—raw and unfiltered, the kind that clawed at your throat and turned your blood to fire.

“What did you say?” I asked, voice low and dangerous. “She did what?”

“Perry, think—this will destroy you. The court will tear you apart if you take a woman the pack already shames. They’ll say you settled for second-hand goods,” Flynn pleaded, shooting me a desperate look, begging for reason.

Reason? Flynn was the one safely tucked away in the shadows of rumor, gathering dirt and serving it up like a feast. He thrived on gossip, and his sources were often disturbingly accurate. “Are you sure?” I pressed, fingers tightening on the table until the wood creaked beneath my grip.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Everyone knows. The story spread fast. She’s been… intimate with Kevin. They say she clung to him after he rejected her, trying to keep him by any means.”

His words painted her as a ruin—a temptress who had sold herself for protection, an easy target for the pack’s cruelty. Flynn’s voice became a distant echo as my mind sifted through fact and filth.

Let him talk, I thought. Let every vile rumor spill out. The truth would sit stubbornly beside them all, heavier than any lie.

Flynn continued, unable to stop himself. “She’s been sexually active from a young age. They say that’s why her father’s house cast her out. They say the alpha used her and then discarded her when it suited him.”

The image he painted was ugly, but it served a purpose: it narrowed my choices into two clear paths. I could bow to the pack’s judgment, perform the expected rejection to save face, and let their gossip dictate my life. Or I could claim my mark and my mate, regardless of their scorn—force them to live with a king who feared no rumor.

I caught Flynn’s eyes darting away when he saw my expression. Good. Let him squirm.

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