[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha":3,"chapter-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-148":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Marked By The Mad King Alpha",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1732129,2214,"Chapter 148 Where He Finds Solitude","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>Phoebe’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want you to know more about me.\" Perry grips my hand, steadying me as I climb the jagged rocks. There’s another spot he wants to share with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wild wolves trail behind us, keeping their distance but never disappearing completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After playing with their pups and feeding them, I’m no longer tense around these creatures. Their presence doesn’t feel threatening—it’s almost like they’re watching over me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange how my entire perception of these wolves shifted in just an hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are the same beasts that devour shifter flesh, yet I feel completely at ease with them nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry shares a story about being abandoned in this forest, his first encounter with the pack. I hang on every word. Elder Tricia told me parts of this tale, but there were gaps—details only someone who lived it could know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I can tell Perry is softening the brutal edges, sparing me the worst of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They fed me when I was hurt, taught me to fight. They’re pure instinct. Their senses are razor-sharp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tug his hand. ’Monster?’ I mouth the word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This piece Elder Tricia never mentioned—something Perry has probably never shared with anyone. My mate mentions it so casually, like it’s nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, it’s not their season. Plus, I went north and got lost there—that’s where they live. They rarely venture to this part of the forest, and if they do, the wolves handle it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What choice do I have but to trust him? At least I know one thing for certain—Perry would never put me in harm’s way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I follow him eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you hear that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cock my head, listening. Nothing. I shake my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need to get closer.\" He scoops me up, carrying me over the muddy patches so my feet stay clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My senses have been getting weaker. I don’t understand why, but I feel even more limited than a human would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After five minutes of walking, I finally catch what Perry meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A waterfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound hits me like a revelation. I’ve never seen one—only heard stories describing their thunderous roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I look at him for confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, it’s a waterfall. I come here when I need solitude. No one bothers me out here.\" He ensures no one dares step foot in this forest. \"Watch your step.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excitement overtakes me. I quicken my pace while Perry follows close behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the moonlight, my face lights up with pure joy—the expression Perry has been waiting to see. He’s grateful I knocked on his door tonight, or he would have missed this perfect moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reach the waterfall first, following the sound until I spot it through the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing I’ve ever seen compares to this magnitude. The roar is both terrifying and mesmerizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry arrives moments later, wrapping his arms around me from behind. \"Are you happy? Do you like it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels odd for him to ask about my feelings, as if they actually matter to him—but they do when it comes to his mate. He cares how I feel, whether I’m content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could freeze this moment, he’d carve it into his soul forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nod eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Want to go in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turn in his arms, blinking up at him. The suggestion catches me off guard, heat flooding my cheeks. If I’m blushing, he doesn’t tease me about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come here, this spot’s much quieter.\" He releases me, taking my hand and leading me away from the waterfall’s thunderous cascade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We can still see the magnificent falls, but here the water flows gently. It’s crystal clear—I can see straight to the bottom. The waterfall feeds into a river wide enough for a small boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we reach the calm pool, Perry strips off his shirt, then his pants. Without hesitation, he wades in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water hits his waist—it would reach my chest if I joined him. Will I join him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t ask or pressure me. He simply stands there, splashing water over himself, washing away the mud from our trek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current carries the dirt downstream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looks... refreshing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I hesitate. I approach the water’s edge, dipping a finger in. It’s warmer than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry watches me from where he leans against a smooth boulder, water streaming through his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on. You won’t get this chance every day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s right. I’d get lost trying to find this place alone. Even with the wolves as allies, my sense of direction is terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the worst that could happen if I take a dip?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I might regret missing this opportunity when I’m back in my bedroom, trapped there while Perry is away fighting battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, I stand. I peel off my jacket first, then my shirt and pants, until I’m wearing only my underwear.\u003C\u002Fp>",801,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.572Z",1,"novelbin.me","4d2989748b6e7fe2286f3aa43f875827192b334014145127ae6004deff89ecb1","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-149","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-147",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]