Phoebe's POV
I couldn't make sense of my emotions. Conflicted feelings churned through me as I prepared to abandon the Obsidian Claw pack. This was supposed to be what I craved. I'd spent years yearning for the moment when I'd never have to face the people I despised.
Yet, even in my most desperate fantasies, I never pictured leaving like this. Second mates were practically mythical—nobody even talked about them happening.
What made it worse was that my second mate happened to be the Mad King. The universe had a twisted sense of humor.
"So, you're really going?"
I glanced up to find my father lingering in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. Not from arrogance, but from unease. His forehead wrinkled as he struggled to find words.
I kept stuffing my few possessions into my bag, pretending he didn't exist. Everything I owned could squeeze into a single backpack.
"You need to reject him," Cameron declared, his tone rigid like he was barely containing something explosive.
