Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

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.

tell

that, Holt. I know she's your sister; that's why you believed in every word she said, but she's lying!"

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

voice trembling with disbelief. "Do you really think

the

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

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

1/3

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.

of emotions. darkened, and for a moment, I saw the weight of something heavy in

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

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,

losing her.

between the desire for vengeance and the undeniable

for you as well. But I'm

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,

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.

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

32%3

Chapter 71

let you continue kneeling like this, especially when I can't promise