Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Chapter 82

SAGE

We didn't have to travel far. Thanks to Elara's growing magic abilities, she created a portal that led directly to the secret passage. As soon as we stepped through, the portal behind us shunered and disappeared, leaving us in the dim, cold tunnel that stretched ahead "Let's go," I whispered, nodding to Scott and Elara. But we didn't even take a single step before Elara suddenly stumbled, nearly hitting the ground. "Elara!" Scott and I called her name in unison, our voices hushed but laced with panic. We rushed to her side.

"What happened?" I asked, my heart pounding as I kneeled down next to her, concern flooding my eyes.

Elara took a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I ju got dizzy. I'm sorry I'm still new to all this magic stuff," she admitted, looking embarrassed.

"Are you sure you can do this?" I asked, my voice gentle but worried. "Maybe you should go back to the hideout and wait for us there. Scott and I can handle the rest."

Elara looked up, her eyes narrowing as if I'd insulted her. "And how do you plan to come back?" she challenged, her tone sharp. "Are you planning to fight your way through thousands of royal guards with a... dead weight when you successfully rescued His Majesty?" Jbit my lip, realizing she had a point. I'd been so focused on her well-being that I hadn't thought through our escape plan. Scort remained silent beside us, but his frown showed he was considering the same thing. throwing the word around," muttered, shaking my head. "No Not today, not any day."

Elara smiled weakly at my attempt to lighten the mood. Sure, sure, she replied, but I could see the fatigue in her eyes. "I think the best solution is that I stay here and wait for both of you. I'll be a lookout, and that way I won't be a hindrance to your rescue mission. She rifling through her bag before pulling out a small device that looked like an earpiece. "This will be our communication. Signal's terrible inside the palace, so I tweaked it with a little magic. We'll be able to hear each other as long as we're in the same general

paused,

I stared at her in surprise, impressed by her resourcefulness. "You're a genius, Elara," I said, a proud smile tugging at my lips.

Elara gave me a smug grin, clearly pleased with herself. "I know, I know,' she teased, her eyes twinkling with that familiar confidence.

Scott, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up. "Alright, let's move. Élara, stay hidden and stay alert. We'll keep in touch through these. If something bad happened, save yourself, okay?" He took one of the earpieces from her, securing it in place. She raises her eyebrow at Scott's last words. "As if I will let you two die here alone." "Elara"

"Shut it,

Scott. Go back safe. That's not a request; that's an order, she said firmly.

We both nodded in response.

we

"You two be careful, she said, her voice softer now. "And remember, I'll be right here if you need me."

reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. Just keep an ear

I turned toward the tunnel. The heavy

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Chapter 82

place alive, But I'd like to stay positive. As soon as we reached the end of the tunnel, we halted just before the exit. The passage opened into a small, hidden alcove behind the palace walls, a perfect vantage point. I cautiously

whispered, my voice

the symbol emblazoned on the flags. It wasn't the royal emblem

mean one thing," Scott said grimly, his voice heavy with the weight of

wasnt just powerful he was revered and feared by those who dared cross My mind buld have done to him clawing at me from the inside. pieces not fitting Titus wasn't just powerful-he was revered and feared by those who dared cross him. There was no way the royal elders or anyone else could have taken him down without resistance. My heart ached with fear, the thought of what they could "There's only one way to know for sure, Scott said, his voice breaking through my spiraling thoughts. He straightened his shoulders, determination in his eyes.

exchanged a brief, determined glance before hurrying in that direction. The palace, now under the control of the Royal Elders, was crawling with guards, making every corner we turned a dangerous gamble. We had some close calls along the way. The guards were scattered all over the palace, their sharp eyes and keen senses making it difficult to slip by unnoticed. Scott and I had to hide more than once, ducking into shadowed alcoves or behind. ornate statues as patcols passed. My heart raced with every close call, the fear of being caught gnawing

on.

destination the special prison. This wasn't just any prison-it was designed specifically to hold the most dangerous and powerful creatures the palace had ever encountered. Titus had once

4

feared. Both of his massive arms were shackled to opposite corners of the cell, his once- proud figure now kneeling on the cold stone floor. His head hung low, his face obscured by blood and tangled hair, but I could still make out the telltale signs of torment. The scene mirrored the horrors I had witnessed when he'd fought the demon within himself-the same demon I had helped him defeat. Titus." I whispered, my voice trembling, barely audible. My heart clenched painfully at the sight of him, reduced to this broken

B9%8

eyes sharp. They were the final barrier standing between us and Titus. And judging by their numbers and the steely look in their eyes, they weren't going to be easy to get rid of. Scott and 1 exchanged a quick, determined glance, tension cracking between us like a live wire. Five werewolves stood→ → our way, their eyes glowing with a

stand a chance. The first wolf lunged at Scott, jaws snapping, but Scott dodged to the side with a fluid motion, slicing through the air

were ready. Scott met one head-on. ducking low as it charged, and drove his dagger into its chest with

sweat from my brow, my heart still racing from the fight. Scott and I exchanged a quick look of relief, but we weren't out of the woods yet. The werewolves were down, but now we had to face the real challenge getting Titus out of that silver cage. We rushed toward the cell, and my heart clenched at the sight of Titus still shackled inside. His skin was pale, his body weak, but his eyes-though half-closed-still flickered with life. But the silver... it was everywhere. The bars of the cage gleamed with it, and even the chains that bound him were made of the same cursed metal. I could see the way it burned his skin, leaving angry red welts in its wake. Silver was deadly to lycans, and Titus had been trapped here for far too long. "We need to get him out, now," I said, panic rising in my chest as looked around for

was grim as he inspected the silver bars. "We can't touch it. Not with our bare hands," he

cursed under my breath. "There has to be something-anything we can use to break

off him"

frustration. "Even if we had something strong enough, we'd need more time. The moment we start trying to break these bars, someone's going to hear it." Time was slipping through our fingers, and with

when he saw what I was about to do. "My lady, not he exclaimed. He reached out to stop me, but I shook my head. There was no other choice, no

But to my surprise, the burn didn't come. My skin didn't blister or sizzle under the touch of the cursed silver. I could feel the sharp edges

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