Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Chapter 301 The Heir of the Heart

Timothy’s POV

The air smelled of sweet vanilla and fresh rain.

It was a perfect day for a wedding.

I stood under the archway of the royal gardens, my hands clasped tightly behind my back. My dress uniform was stiff, the collar digging into my neck, but I didn’t dare adjust it. I was the Gamma of the Pack. I was a warrior. I had faced armies, tortured enemies, and stood between the King and death a dozen times.

But watching Jude walk down the aisle of white petals, I felt my knees shake.

She was a vision.

Phoebe had designed the dress herself. It wasn’t the traditional, suffocating lace of the court. It was fluid silk, simple and elegant, moving like water around Jude’s strong, athletic frame. It highlighted her scars rather than hiding them. It showed the world that she was a survivor, a fighter, and now, a bride.

The court was silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

But the silence was broken by a blur of pink and gold.

"Daddy! Look at me!"

Harlow came barreling down the aisle, ignoring the flower petals she was supposed to be scattering. She was holding her basket upside down, dumping the contents in one pile before sprinting toward me.

The word hit me like a physical blow to the chest.

Daddy.

The guests chuckled softly, a warm, ripple of sound. But I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred. I looked down at the little girl who had once been a frightened orphan, hiding under tables and flinching at loud noises. Now, she was beaming up at me with missing teeth and absolute trust.

She didn’t see a killer. She didn’t see a Gamma. She just saw her father.

I crouched down, ignoring the gasp of the nobility as I broke protocol. I caught her in my arms, lifting her high.

"I see you, little warrior," I whispered, my voice thick and unrecognizable. "I see you." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

I buried my face in her hair for a second, wiping away a traitorous tear before anyone could see it. When I stood up, Jude was there. She reached out, her fingers brushing my wet cheek. Her smile was the sun breaking through a storm.

"You soft old wolf," she teased gently.

I took her hand. It was rough, calloused from years of holding a dagger. It was the only hand I ever wanted to hold.

"I love you," I told them both. "I will protect you until the stars burn out."

From the balcony above, I saw King Perry and Queen Phoebe watching. Perry’s hand rested protectively on the swell of Phoebe’s stomach. He wasn’t smiling—he rarely did—but the darkness that usually clung to him was gone.

For the first time in history, the Palace of the Five Kingdoms wasn’t a fortress of fear. It was a home.

——

Phoebe’s POV

The wisteria was in full bloom.

Heavy clusters of purple flowers hung from the trellis like grapes, creating a curtain of privacy in the secluded corner of the royal garden. The scent was intoxicating, thick and sweet, masking the metallic smell of the iron gates in the distance.

I sat on the wide wooden swing.

Years ago, a swing like this had been a place of isolation. A place where I sat alone, watching the other children play, knowing I was the "broken vessel," the barren girl who would never be a mother.

Now, the ropes creaked under a different weight.

My hands rested on my belly. It was round and firm, stretching the fabric of my maternity gown. Every kick, every shift of the life inside me, was a victory song. The court had fallen silent. The whispers of "barren" had been replaced by hushed reverence. They looked at my stomach as if it were a holy relic.

"Higher?"

Perry’s voice was a low rumble behind me.

"Just a little," I murmured, leaning back.

I felt his large hands on my back. They were warm and solid. He pushed gently, sending me gliding through the perfumed air. He treated me like I was made of spun glass, yet his touch possessed a possessiveness that bordered on obsession.

He never let me out of his sight. If he had to attend a war council, I sat on a cushioned chair next to him. If he had to inspect the troops, I was in the carriage. He was convinced the world was still trying to take this away from him.

A shadow fell across the grass.

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