Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237: Chapter 237 Hidden Hollow

Phoebe’s POV

The tree hollow pressed against me like a coffin.

My ribs ached from squeezing into the narrow gap, but the moment I felt something warm and furry brush against my arm, my heart nearly stopped.

A wolf pup. Barely a few weeks old, judging by its size.

I’d spent countless hours watching pups near our cabin during those long months when Perry was away fighting. This little one couldn’t have been born more than three weeks ago.

The tiny creature immediately pressed against me, seeking warmth I desperately needed too. Its small body trembled—whether from cold or fear, I couldn’t tell.

Outside my hiding spot, death stalked through the forest.

The three warriors who’d lured me away from the pack house circled past my tree again and again. Their boots squelched in the mud just inches from my face.

They had no idea about the hollow carved deep into the ancient oak’s trunk.

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!"

The first warrior’s voice cracked with panic. He shifted back to human form so violently that his bones made audible snapping sounds.

"I DON’T KNOW!" The second warrior’s snarl held genuine fear now. "This fucking rain—it’s washing away everything! I can’t track shit in this weather!"

The third warrior paced like a caged animal. "She’s just a human! She can’t have gone far!"

Thunder crashed overhead as they shifted back to wolf form, their massive paws churning mud as they resumed their frantic search.

The storm was getting worse.

I had no idea how long I stayed cramped in that tree. Time became meaningless. My legs went numb. The pup’s breathing synchronized with mine.

I kept drifting between consciousness and exhaustion until voices nearby jolted me awake like a bucket of ice water.

"How the FUCK did you lose her?!"

The rain had stopped. Thick mud now sealed most of the tree’s opening, creating perfect camouflage. The pup still slept against me, apparently content with the warmth I provided.

Through the narrow gap in the mud, I could barely make out shapes moving outside. But even with his back to me, I recognized that voice instantly.

Elder Augustus.

My blood turned to ice.

Along with my three escorts, four other figures stood in the clearing. Strangers. Their scents were wrong—foreign.

"She said she needed to take a piss! What was I supposed to do—watch her squat in the bushes?!" The warrior’s voice held desperation.

The sound that followed wasn’t quite human.

A wet, tearing noise.

Then blood sprayed across Elder Augustus’s face like abstract art.

I clamped both hands over my mouth to stop the scream building in my throat.

The warrior’s chest had exploded outward. Ribs jutted through shredded flesh. His eyes went wide with shock before the light died completely.

His body hit the ground with a sound like dropped meat.

Elder Augustus wiped blood from his cheek with casual annoyance. "Could you handle your business when I’m not standing right here? I don’t need this mess on me."

He examined his stained clothes with disgust. "I have to get rid of this blood smell before Perry catches wind of it."

The man who’d just committed murder—some kind of Valerium assassin, judging by his accent—smirked coldly.

"You should’ve killed the king immediately when you had the chance. Instead of skulking around behind his back like a coward."

I pressed deeper into the tree hollow, my heart hammering so hard I was sure they’d hear it. The pup stirred against me but didn’t wake.

Death wasn’t new to me. But watching murder happen three feet away—watching someone’s life snuffed out like a candle—that kind of horror never got easier.

Elder Augustus paced dangerously close to my tree. His boots stopped just outside the hollow’s entrance.

If he looked down...

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