Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 56

Standard POV Format

“There’s no need for that look,” Reginald said smoothly as he dropped into the very spot I’d been sleeping moments ago. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to thank you for being such a… tremendous help to us.”

He winked, and for a heartbeat, I didn’t understand. Then the truth hit me like a punch to the gut.

The realization made my stomach turn.
“Obsidian Claw… you’re part of the Movement,” I whispered.

“Only now you figure it out?” His grin widened, arrogant and cruel. “You’ve been very useful, Phoebe. Kevin was right — you’d eventually fall in line.”

Hearing Kevin’s name almost made me flinch, but the old trembling fear didn’t come this time. I’d already been broken once. I refused to let them do it again.

“He said you’d be miserable here,” Reginald continued. “That once you saw how the Mad King treated you, you’d remember how kind Kevin was in comparison.”

Kind? I almost laughed.
They were all monsters wearing different masks — Perry, Kevin, Reginald. Different shapes, same poison.

“Get out of my room.” My voice came out low but sharp. “Now.”

“You can scream all you want,” he said with a careless shrug. “The king’s out training with his men, and some of the warriors in this palace are with the Movement too.”

The words froze my blood. That’s how he’d slipped in undetected. The rebellion was deeper than I thought. Perry was surrounded by enemies — and he didn’t even know it.

“Don’t worry,” Reginald added, his smile darkening. “Once they kill the Mad King, you’ll get to go back to Kevin. Though…” His gaze slid over me in a way that made bile rise in my throat. “He promised to lend you to me for a day. Said I could finally see what his favorite tasted like.”

I grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it at him. My throw was weak, but the intent was pure venom. He dodged easily and laughed — a sound that made my skin crawl.

“Try harder,” he mocked.

I seized another vase and threw again, and again. They all missed. The air filled with the sound of shattering porcelain and cruel laughter. Sharp fragments scattered across the floor, glinting like tiny knives.

“Going to keep making a mess?” he taunted. “You’ll only end up hurting yourself.”

“Get out!” I shouted, shaking with rage. “If you don’t leave, the king will have your head!”

I didn’t even realize what I’d said until the words were out. Maybe I believed it — that Perry’s anger could still protect me from something worse.

Reginald chuckled, tilting his head. “Oh, really? I’ll just tell him I came to visit my sweet little sister. Maybe I’ll even say you begged me to come. Let’s see how your Mad King reacts when he thinks you seduced me.”

“Get out!” My voice broke.

“Fine, fine.” He raised his hands in mock surrender but smirked all the same. “You look insane when you shout like that. If the king saw you now…”

“GET OUT!”

He finally turned toward the door, but before leaving, he glanced back. “Don’t worry, Phoebe. We’ll see each other soon.”

Then he was gone.

The silence he left behind was worse than his presence. My body felt hollow, drained. I stared at the broken glass glittering on the floor, unable to move. I knew I should clean it before anyone saw, but I couldn’t even stand.

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