Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 197

**TITLE: His Mercy Tastes Like Hunger**
**Chapter 197: What Must Be Done**

Fiona held her brother tightly, her heart racing as Draven’s breaths grew shallow and labored. The unforgiving cliff had claimed him during their frantic escape, and now the weight of despair pressed down on her like a heavy stone.

Behind them, the royal warriors closed in, their relentless pursuit marked by a chilling efficiency. They hunted the survivors with a merciless fervor, cutting them down without a hint of compassion. The few remaining fighters loyal to Reginald scattered, frantically searching for any possible escape routes amidst the chaos.

They had meticulously planned for this moment, knowing precisely where to regroup if their grand scheme unraveled. But the torrential rain had transformed the landscape into a treacherous maze. Draven, in a moment of misfortune, lost his footing on the slick, rain-soaked rocks, and in an instant, he was gone—plummeting into the abyss.

The sickening sound of his skull cracking against the unforgiving stone echoed in Fiona’s mind, a haunting reminder that his young healing powers were no match for such devastating injuries. He was still too young, his abilities not yet matured enough to save him from the brink of death.

“Please, we have to get him to a healer! Someone—anyone—who can fix this!” Fiona’s voice trembled as she turned to Reginald, desperation etched across her face. But he remained silent, his eyes clouded with a mixture of sorrow and resignation.

Tiara stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the grieving woman, trying to offer comfort. “Fiona, he’s gone. You must let him go. We can’t afford to linger here any longer.”

“No! I refuse to abandon him! He’s my brother—my only family!” Fiona’s voice cracked, her defiance crumbling into a cascade of broken sobs. The pain was unbearable, a suffocating weight that clouded her thoughts. All she wanted was to remain by Draven’s side, to hold him close forever. The running, the fighting—it was all too much. She wished for an end to it all.

Tiara, however, would not allow Fiona to surrender to despair. Yet, her next words felt like daggers piercing through Fiona’s heart. “Stop this, Fiona! You have a new family now. Think about yourself and the child you’re carrying.”

The child… that tiny life growing within her? The thought sent a wave of turmoil crashing through Fiona. Given the choice, she would sacrifice the unborn life in a heartbeat for her brother. The rage that boiled within her was consuming, especially when Allen’s voice cut through her grief like a knife.

“Are we leaving or what?! If we stay here, we’ll all be dead! Get up! Carry the woman if you have to!” His tone was harsh, barking orders at Reginald as if they were mere pawns in a game.

“Go to hell!” Fiona spat, her fury igniting like a wildfire as she released Draven’s lifeless form and stormed toward Allen, her eyes blazing with anger. But before she could reach him, Reginald intervened, his arm wrapping around her throat, cutting off her air supply.

“What are you doing?!” Tiara shrieked, panic lacing her voice as Fiona’s body went limp. “You’re strangling her! You’ll kill her!”

“Relax, Mom. She’s just unconscious. She’ll be fine,” Reginald replied coolly, hoisting Fiona’s limp form over his shoulder as if she were nothing more than a burden.

“Time to move,” he commanded, his gaze lingering on Draven’s still body. The boy had felt like a little brother to him, a beacon of light in their otherwise dark world. Yet, in moments like these, Reginald realized that his attachment wasn’t as profound as he had once believed. He could walk away from the body without a shred of guilt weighing him down.

“Let’s go,” Reginald ordered, gesturing to Allen and Tiara, who were left to grapple with the aftermath of their harrowing escape.

—

**Phoebe’s POV**

The war room would never feel the same to me again. What Perry had subjected me to within those walls was beyond mortifying; it had turned my world upside down.

‘No.’

“What do you mean, no? Your face is getting even redder,” Marcela pressed, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

She was right, and I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks, a fiery reminder of the moments I wished to forget. My mind was trapped in a loop, replaying every detail of what Perry had done to me, his hands lingering in my thoughts.

‘I need sleep,’ I thought desperately.

I downed the rest of the bitter concoction in one swift gulp, the taste barely registering as Marcela’s laughter followed me as I fled the infirmary, feeling as though something was chasing me.

Back in my bedroom, I buried myself under the covers, desperately trying to sleep.

But my eyes refused to close, and part of me found myself waiting for Perry to return, knowing he would soon be leaving for war. I didn’t want to waste a single moment we had left together. I wanted to stay close to him, to savor every second.

Yet, disappointment was all I would find, for in the war room, tension had reached a breaking point. A warrior burst in with news from the landslide site, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

“Gamma Timothy reports that at least two hundred fugitives under Reginald’s command managed to escape, including the royal beta from Valerium Kingdom. Royal Beta Allen.”