novelxo Chapter Betryed 71
Chapter 71
SAGE
current
My heart was still heavy as I made my way out of the dungeon. Iwas conflicted on how I should feel about Anni situation. I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I feel responsible for what happened to her. It might be hard to accept, but there's part of me that believes in her. She's e's right. There's no point for her to put the blame on my father, as it will not help her get out of this messy situation.
"Sage? I brought back from reverie, but a familiar voice called my name. I was surprised to find Holt standing in front of me. He looked surprised as well. I was probably the last person he was expecting to meet right now. I was staring at his beautiful face, trying to find a hint of what might be going on inside his head. Is he mad at me? Is he blaming me for what happened to Annika? "You're back." His face was filled with a smile of relief.
And with that, all the questions lurking inside my head vanished I was a bit taken aback when he suddenly imprisoned me into a tight embrace..
I'm glad you're safe," he said as he continued to embrace me.
I smiled. "It's nice to see you too, Holt." I felt him take a deep breath as if something heavy was lifted from his chest. After that, he slowly loosens his embrace until he finally lets me go. It took him a while before he found the courage to speak once again. D-Did you..." His voice faltered, the words trailing off as he glanced nervously between me and the door I had just walked through. His wide eyes flicked back to mine, clearly unsettled, like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to hear the answer or
I sighed, feeling the weight of his question even before he could finish it. "Yes," I said, my tone more tired than anything else. "I came to visit your sister. The air seemed to thicken with the weight of unspoken words. His face paled, and he took an uneasy step back, as though my response confirmed something be had been dreading. He looked torn, like he wanted to ask more but couldn't bring himself to voice the questions hanging between us.
Did she say anything to you?" he asked.
Yes. Nothing but lies."
"I replied.
Did she finally tell you the truth?"
"There's no truth in that, Holt. I know she's your sister; that's why you believed in every word she said, but she's lying!" I insisted.
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "She'd done a lot of horrible things against you in the past, Sage. And if this were the same as it was before, I would take your side in a heartbeat. It's true. Since we were children, Holt would always take my side whenever I had an altercation with Annika. He always believes me more than his sister. But it seems like the wind blows in a different direction now.
"So, you believed her? I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief. "Do you really think my father would do that to her?
the
His gaze didn't waver, and when he finally spoke, his words hit me like a stap across the face. "Yes, I do. For a moment, world seemed to tilt beneath me. I had been prepared for many things, but not this. Not this betrayal from the man I had once trusted so deeply. The man who, until this moment, had held a special place in my heart. The anger that surged through me was blinding, hot, and consuming, wrapping around my chest like a vice.
My voice was ice when I finally spoke. "Then we have nothing left to talk about." I turned sharply, intending to walk past him and leave this conversation, this moment, behind me. But before I could take a step, he reached out, his hand gripping my arm tightly, halting me in place. "Sage, wait," he said urgently, his voice pleading. "I know it's hard to accept the truth. You worshipped your father. You only saw him as a great alpha, as a hero. But what Annika told you... "HHis words faltered, and Chapter 71 9432%
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for a a brief moment, I the weight of his own pain reflected in his eyes. "It's the truth." I yanked my arm free, but I couldn't move, rooted by the storm of emotions swirling inside me. "You don't know that," I shot back, my voice shaking. "She's lying. She has to be He shook his head, the look on his face one of deep sorrow. "I saw it with my own eyes, Sage. I tried to stop it. I swear. But Armika, she begged me to keep it a secret. She swore she would kill herself if I exposed the truth. She was madly in love with your father. So in love that she couldn't see what was right anymore. "I feel like my world was crashing right before my eyes. If it were only Annika, I can still convince myself that she's lying. But now that claiming the same thing, my heart was crushed knowing that it might be true. It was
"I don't know what you're trying to achieve by telling me all thi, Holt," I said, my voice sharp, but inside, I was battling a storm of emotions. darkened, and for a moment, I saw the weight of something heavy in them. "Because I'm going to ask you for a for," he said, his voice low. Afrown creased my forehead as confusion swept over me. "What are you-
Before I could even finish my sentence, Holt dropped to his knees in front of me. I gasped in shock, stepping back instinctively. "Holt 1 exclaimed, my heart pounding at the sight of him kneeling before me, the once-proud man now humbling himself in desperation. I'm begging you. Sage" he whispered, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "Please save my sister. I'll give you anything you want-anything. I know I have no right to ask this of you, especially after what she did. I know how much she's hurt you, how much pain she's caused. But she's my sister. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he bowed his head, gripping the hem of my dress as if it were the last tether keeping him from falling apart completely. Igre my life in exchange for hers. I already failed to protect you, and I have to live with that regret every day. But please, ge. Let me save Annika His words hit me like a wave, crashing against the anger and betrayal I had been holding onto, I looked down at him, utterly This was Holt-strong, unwavering Holt, the man who had always seemed unshakable. And now he was at my feet, begging for his sister's life. The same sister who had tried to destroy mine..
torn. I wanted to turn away, to refuse, to tell him that Annika didn't deserve my mercy. But something in his voice, in the way he trembled, gave me pause. Despite everything. I could feel the weight of his love for her. The burden of his guilt for failing me, and now, his fear of
losing her.
I stood frozen, my breath shallow, caught between the desire for vengeance and the undeniable pull of compassion that still lingered somewhere deep inside me.
"I know this is too much to ask, Sage. And I'm aware that this wouldn't be easy for you as well. But I'm losing all my hope What makes you think that I can save your sister, Holt?"
"His Majesty." Holt began, his voice trembling slightly, as if the weight of his words was too much to bear. "I'naware that His Majesty has grown fond of you. He favors you. He's completely smitten by you. If you only asked him He stopped mid-sentence, the absurdity of his own suggestion hitting him like a slap. His expression twisted with shame, realizing he was asking me to u whatever influence I might have over the king to save the very sister who had betrayed me so viciously. His gaze fell to the ground, the humiliation washing over him. It pains me to ask you this. I'm already dying inside with the shame of it but I have no other choice. Sage. This is the only thing I can think of that might save her. I scoffed bitterly, crossing my arms, the sharpness of his of his request cutting into me like ice. "You think too highly of me, Holt," I replied, my voice dripping with irony. To believe I have that kind of power over the most powerful lycan in the territory. Do you honestly think I can just bat my eyelashes and have His Majesty bend to my every whim?"
His face contorted with anguish, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of my words crushed him further. "I know. I know it's unfair of me." he whispered, his voice breaking. "But she's all I have left. Please. I beg of you."
The raw desperation in his voice echoed through the small space between us, twisting something deep inside me. Despite everything Annika had done, despite the betrayal, I could see how much Holt was willing to sacrifice for her. And it left me feeling utterly conflicted. I wanted to scream, to shove him away, to tell him his sister deserved her fate-but part of me, the part that had once trusted Holt, struggled against the coldness I'd wrapped around myself. "Stand up. Holt," I said softly, stepping closer and placing my hands on his shoulders. His trembling form made my heart
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Chapter 71
tighten, though I tried to remain composed. "I can't let you continue kneeling like this, especially when I can't promise you anything"
I gently applied pressure, urging him to rise. But he didn't move his knees still pressed firmly against the cold stone floor. His grip on my arms tightened as though he feared that if he let go, I would vanish, and with me, any last hope of saving his
sister
"Sage. His voice was hoarse, filled with desperation, the sound of a man who had already lost too much. His eyes were red, shining with unshed tears as he looked up at me. Just tell me you'll try. That's all I need. That would be enough. More than enough. Sage Holt's plea weighed heavily on me, and the honesty in his voice made it hard to stay firm. I didn't want to give hun false hope, especially since I wasn't sure if I could convited is Majesty to help Annika. But how could I turn down this desperate request? I looked down at him, my hands still ons his shoulders. Ilis eyes were filled with a sadness I couldn't fully understand. Slowly, I nodded, though it felt like I was agreeing to more than I should.
I'll. I'll try." I said, my voice thick with emotion. "But don't expect too much, Holt. I can't promise anything."
He looked up at me, torn between relief and despair. A tear slipped down his face, and he quickly wiped it away as he stood. his legs unsteady.
"Thank you," he whispered. "That's more than I could've asked fair."
1 stepped back, trying to steady myself as emotions swirled inside me. Seeing him so broken, so vulnerable, stirred something deep within. Even though I hadn't promised anything, the trust he placed in me felt like a weight I wasn't ready
to carry. But before I could pull away, Holt wrapped his arms around me again, holding me tightly as if this was his last chance to plead for his sister. His grip was warm, but it only made the weight of his request feel heavier on my chest. I could feel the tremor in his body, his silent desperation pouring into the embrace
It hadn't been a few seconds when a voice-rich, commanding, and unmistakable-cut through the air behind me.
"Kitten..."