Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Chapter SAGE

81

As soon as the sun set. I prepared everything I needed. I waited until everyone was asleep before I made a move. I was careful not to make a single sound. I gather everything that I can use in case I need to fight. I looked at Elara one last time as she slept soundly on the bed. I was tiptoeing as I walked towards the door, I turned the knob as slowly as possible so it wouldn't make any sound. I was holding my breath as I made my move. I breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as I closed the door successfully without waking Elara. Now, all I need to get through is the main door. However, I hadn't even taken a few steps towards the main door when suddenly a light spread out like wildfire.

"Where do you think you're going?" I heard Elara's voice behind me. And when I turned around to face her, I found her leaning against the door frame. Her arms were crossed against her chest as she raised her eyebrows.

"I was just going to get some fresh air. I lied.

Elara's gaze dropped to the

There was

I to the bag slung over my shoulder, her lips curving into a disbelieving smirk. "With a bag?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really. Sage?"

s no point in lying anymore. She wasn't buying it. "Fine! I threw my hands up in defeat. "I'm leaving. I'm going to the palace to save Titus."

Elara's expression darkened, exasperation flaring in her eyes. "Again?" she snapped, her voice rising. "We've already had this conversation! I thought we agreed that it was a terrible idea!"

"You're

You're right, Elara," I admitted, lifting my chin. "It was a bad idea if we went without a solid plan. But now we have a plan. I have the map, and I know how to get in and out of the palace without getting caught. Problem solved! I announced proudly.

Elara's eyes widened in disbelief, her frustration boiling over. "You are out of your mind, Sage!" she practically yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

As if drawn by the raised voices, Scott came stumbling out of his room. "What's going on here?" he asked, his brow furrowed. clearly still half asleep.

"Oh, you know," Elara replied with thick sarcasm, turning to Scom with a dry smile. "Our brilliant young lady over here is planning to sneak off to the palace-alone-to rescue the love of her life."

"He is not!" I snapped, feeling my cheeks burn with frustration.

Elara arched an eyebrow, her arms still crossed. "Oh, he isn't?" she challenged, her tone sharp. "Then why are you being so stubborn, Sage? Why are you willing to throw yourself into danger for him, huh? If he's not important, why are you so desperate to save him?" Her words hit me hard, and I could feel Scott's eyes on me too, waiting for my answer. But I couldn't come up with one that didn't sound foolish. She had hit too close to the truth.

me.

I straightened my back, trying to act like her words didn't affect me, even though they struck a chord. Tm only doing this to return the favor," I said firmly. "He's in this situation because of me, and now it's my turn to save him from the mess he got himself into because of Elara rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're not fooling anyone here, Sage."

I frowned when I noticed her packing a small bag, stuffing supplies into it without saying a word. "What are you doing?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Chapter 81

"Well," she began, still focused on packing her things. I figure you won't listen to any of us no matter how hard we try to stop you from doing something completely stupid. So, I'm coming with you."

You can't!" I blurted, suddenly panicking at the thought of dragging her into this. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

She looked up at me, her eyes sharp and determined. "Oh, the irony," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Because you sure as hell didn't care when you decided to sneak out on your own."

I opened my mouth to argue, but her words hit home. This was exactly the kind of reckless thing I would do. "Elara, you don't have to-"

"Shut it, Sage, Elara cut me off, her voice firm. T'm coming. I'm not letting you get yourself killed out there."

I blink, completely taken aback. The shift in our dynamic was startling. Just moments ago, I had been the one charging headfirst into a dangerous mission, determined to go alone. Now, Elara, who had always been the more cautious one, was practically throwing herself into the flames with me.

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"Elara." I protested weakly, trying to regain some control. "You've already done so much for me. I can't possibly risk your life

for

She

leveled me with a look so sharp it stopped me in my tracks. And I'm not about to let you run off and get yourself killed," she said. "So, you choose, Sage. Either you stay here like we all agreed, or you go, and I'm coming with you!

stared at her, torn between my determination to protect her and my desperate need to save Titus. How did the tables turn like this? How did she manage to flip everything so effortlessly? Just as I was about to respond, Scott stepped into the conversation, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Okay, that's enough," he said, his voice authoritative. "We're all going together. "What?" I I turned to him, startled.

"You two are a handful as it is, but there's no way I'm letting either of you walk into the palace without backup. You want to risk everything? Fine. But we do it smart. We do it as a team." Elara crossed I her arms, raising an eyebrow as if to say, See? Even Scott agrees with me.

I groaned inwardly, realizing that no matter what I said, I wasn't getting out of this alone. The plan I had to sneak into the palace quietly and swiftly was quickly turning into a group effort. I should've known better.

"Now, it's settled, Elara declared, her tone firm with finality. "But first, spray this on both of you." She held out a small, unassuming spray bottle and handed it to me.

I turned it over in my hands, feeling its cool, smooth surface. "What is this?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Elara gave a small, knowing smile. "Well, I've been practicing some magic since we left the palace," she began, brushing off the explanation like it was nothing. "You know, just in case we got into some trouble again. Her voice hinted at the unspoken truth-we always seemed t to o be in trouble. Turns out, my little experiments came in handy after all. This potion will mask our scents. I know the palace is crawling with werewolves, and they've probably already been tracking us by our scents." Scott raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That's smart, Elara. If they're relying on their noses, this could buy us the time

we need

I hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the bottle in my hand. Then, casually, I shook my head. "I don't need that," I said, setting the bottle back down on the table.

Elara and Scott both stopped, their attention snapping to me. Elara's brow furrowed in confusion, while Scott's face was marked with disbelief. "What do you mean?" Scott asked, his voice laced with suspicion. 15.22 Tue, Oct 22 @ G

Chapter 81

don't h

I have a scent," I replied simply, shrugging my shoulders like it wasn't a big deal.

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Both of them stared at me, waiting for further explanation. Elar tilted her head; her curiosity piqued. "Wait, what? Everyone has a scent, Sage. How-

Nof

"Not me." I interrupted, cutting off the inevitable flood of questions. "I've never had one. It's always been like this"

Scott's eyes narrowed as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle. That doesn't make any sense," he muttered. "Wernlves- lycans-have their own scents. That's how they recognize their mates." Elara blinked, shaking her head as if to clear the fog of disbelief. How is that possible?" she asked cautiously, her voice a whisper, as if speaking the word too loudly would shatter the illusion. "It's probably the effect of the red wolf, I said casually.

their eyes widening in shock as they blurted out in unison. "You're the red wolf?"

Both Elara and Scott froze, the of calm despite their disbelief. Yes, I was, I corrected, my tone steady. "But the red wolf vanished along with its power once it fulfilled its purpose-to kill the leviathan"

I nodded, feeling a strange sense

Annika's spell

Scott stared at n t me, his expression a mix of awe and confusion. "Y-you're the one who saved His Majesty?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, as if the realization had knocked the breath out of him. "I knew something didn't add up with Annika's statement. I tried to convince His Majesty to i investigate what what really happened, but t by then, he was already under I gave him a sad smile. "It's all in the past now, I said, the words heavy in the air between us. "I don't have the red wolf, anymore. Its power is gone. I'm more like... a human now. And without a wolf, I don't think I'm fit to rule by his side as his Juna." Elara's eyes softened, but I could tells I she was struggling to process everything. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" She asked cautiously, though it was more of a statement than a question. I sighed deeply, my gaze dropping to the floor as I spoke. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. Once we get things back to the way they were once Titus is safe and everything is settled-I'll be leaving. I'll go live among the mortals. A quiet life, away from all of this." Scott frowned, shaking his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious. You're His Majesty's fated mate. Without you, he'll-

"Be just fine," I interrupted, my voice firm yet tinged with sadness. "Titus is strong. He doesn't need me to rule. And as for me, I don't belong in this world anymore. Not without my wolf. I'm nothing more than a liability now."

"But-" Scott was about to object, but I cut him off.

"We have more pressing matters to attend to. Let's go and save His Majesty."