Marked By The Mad King Alpha (Phoebe and Perry) novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80: You Have No Choice
Phoebe’s Perspective

After Mason left the room, Perry’s voice broke the silence. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said, his eyes drifting down to the plate of untouched food in front of me. “You haven’t eaten a bite.”

I shook my head faintly, my heart pounding fiercely against my ribs. “I’m not hungry,” I murmured, though my mind was racing. The two small bottles of poison nestled in my pocket felt like they were burning through the fabric. If Perry discovered them—especially after everything that had happened with Helen—I knew I’d be finished.

Without a word, Perry gently took my hand and led me to the sofa, pulling the tray of food closer to me. “Try to eat while I talk,” he urged softly.

Though anxiety gnawed at my appetite, I figured keeping my hands busy might stop me from reaching for the bottles out of nervousness. I picked up the fork and began to eat quietly, waiting for him to continue.

His face was serious—whatever he was about to say was clearly important. But nothing could have prepared me for the words that came next.

“Kevin is coming here.”

The food caught in my throat, and I jerked my head up, staring at him in disbelief. A wave of terror washed over me, and Perry immediately noticed the panic flashing in my eyes.

“He’s not coming as alpha,” Perry quickly reassured me, his hand moving to stroke my hair gently. “I’m stripping him of his title. He’ll be punished for what he did to you.”

“But…” My chest tightened painfully, as if it might collapse inward. I forced the words out before my voice could break completely. “I don’t want him here… I don’t want anyone else to know about…” The shame pressed down on me, suffocating and heavy.

Confessing to Perry and Timothy had been agonizing enough. The thought of more people discovering what Kevin had done was unbearable. The humiliation was like a weight crushing my spirit.

A fierce anger flared inside me—why should I carry this shame when I was innocent? Why was I the one suffering the consequences of his actions? My thoughts spiraled, stealing my breath away. My chest tightened further as panic overwhelmed me.

The fork slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering loudly against the plate. Perry was quick to move the tray out of reach before I could drop it altogether.

“Phoebe! Phoebe!” His voice sounded distant, almost echoing, as my entire body began to shake uncontrollably. My skin turned icy cold. That overwhelming sensation—the one that hit whenever everything became too much—washed over me again.

In that moment, I finally understood something important. I hadn’t been shutting Perry out. I had been shutting out the world entirely because the pain was too deep, too raw. I wasn’t avoiding him—I was trying to protect myself from more hurt. Even from him, because, in a way, he was hurting me too.

—

Meanwhile, Sterling’s fury erupted when he heard the news that palace warriors had seized Kevin on charges of treason.

“It’s not just Kevin,” Austen informed him grimly. “They took Cameron too—the former beta. Perry made the call at the last moment.”

“Why didn’t you stop them?” Sterling demanded, his voice sharp with anger.

Sterling was genuinely stunned by the complexity of the plan. “What about the warriors causing trouble at the frontline?”

“They’re our backup. The king might call for reinforcements from the frontline, but we’ve already compromised them. They won’t get through.”

Before Sterling could ask how, the answer became clear. “Poison,” he said grimly. “You poisoned the frontline warriors.”

Austen nodded solemnly. “Yes.” He had opposed that part of the plan but understood its necessity—just like Reginald’s actions against the healer who could have exposed them.

But events were accelerating faster than anyone expected. Having Kevin inside the palace would make commanding the internal forces easier.

“Damn it!” Sterling cursed under his breath. Austen gave him a moment to absorb everything before continuing.

“You have no choice, Alpha Sterling. If the king executes Kevin, you’ll have no heir to lead the pack. He’s your only blood.”

Kevin had coached Austen to use this argument, knowing how deeply his father valued his only son—a constant sore spot between them.

“Even if you abandon Kevin, the king won’t spare you,” Austen pressed the point home. “Phoebe talked. The king believes her. You were Alpha when she was tortured—do you really think you’ll escape consequences?”