Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Betryed 167

Chapter 167 Chapter 167

SAGE

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They dragged me through the grand halls of the palace. The cold stone beneath my feet only made the dread in my stomach grow heavier. Every step I took echoed in the dimly lit corridors, each one bringing me closer to a fate I wasn't sure I could escape.

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I still couldn't understand how this had happened. Where did they even get the idea that I had something to do with the attack? Was it because I was an outsider? Because I had shown up with two children whose powers had suddenly manifested in a way no one could explain?

The moment we reached the courthouse doors, the guards yanked them open, revealing a chamber filled with people. Council members sat in their high, ornate chairs, their expressions unreadable. Nobles and pack leaders filled the rows, murmuring among themselves as they turned their eyes toward me. Some looked curious. Others looked outright hostile.

"Bring the accused forward," one of the council members announced, his voice ringing through the chamber.

The guards shoved me forward until I stood in the center of the room, exposed and vulnerable beneath the weight of so many judging stares.

You stand here accused of treason, endangering the king's life, and possible murder. How do you plead?"

Murder? Is he... no. It can't be. Are they doing this to point a finger at anyone just so they can have someone take the blame for what happened with His Majesty?

My head spun. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides.

This was insane.

I had fought beside him, shielded my children from harm, and nearly died trying to help Titus defeat the rogues. And now, they were accusing me of betraying him?

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm.

"I plead not guilty," I said again, my voice unwavering despite the fear clawing at my chest.

The courtroom erupted into murmurs, voices overlapping in hushed yet urgent tones. I could feel the weight of their judgment pressing down on me, their distrust as sharp as daggers aimed straight at my heart.

The elder council member leaned forward, his wrinkled face etched with suspicion. "Then explain yourself," he demanded. "You-disappeared for years, vanishing without a trace, and yet the moment you return, an attack is launched against His Majesty." His voice dripped with accusation. "Tell me, Lady Sage, what are the odds of that being a mere coincidence?"

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. "Are you saying I orchestrated this?" I challenged, my eyes narrowing. "That I waited all these years, only to return just to plan an ambush against the one person who-" I stopped myself before I said too much.

Titus. The one person who had once meant everything to me.

"Then tell us, Lady Sage," another council member chimed in, his voice sharp and deliberate. "Where have you been all these years?"

My heart pounded against my ribs.

I can't tell them everything. Telling them would put Harper and Cooper in even more danger. Their powers had already begun to manifest, and the last thing I

needed was for these people-these suspicious, power-hungry nobles-to see them as

threats.

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Chapter 167

years, I stated, keeping

51%

for only a moment before one of the council members scoffed. "That explains it, he

deep in my bones. "Explains what,

council member leaned forward, his lips curling into a sneer. "You've been working alongside those humans who have been trafficking werewolves and other supernatural creatures, haven't you? His voice rang through the courtroom,

with acrutation.

the audience, and the murmurs returned, growing louder and more frantic. Some voices whispered in agreement,

felt my pulse spike in disbelief.

his eyes sharp with scrutiny. "You were found in human territory, living among them as if you belonged. And just when His Majesty finally managed to exterminate those illegal activities, he was attacked while he was with you. Tell me, Lady Sage, why should we believe you had nothing

never, betray my own kind," I declared, my voice

elder let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Your own kind?" he sneered, tilting his head as if appraising me like I was some foreign creature. "And what exactly do you consider your kind to be, Lady Sage?" His eyes

of murmurs swept through the room, whispers of doubt and suspicion spreading like

my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I fought the urge to lash out. "I am the

his head. "Words are cheap, woman. Tell

you look at everything I've done, you'll see I have fought, bled, and nearly

murmurs wavered, some voices now

with silver-streaked hair, leaned forward. "Those prove nothing, woman," he said. "Since you failed

I hereby sentence you, Sage Penelope Brown, to death by beheading!" he

weight of his

I struggled to process what I had just heard.

voice ringing with defiance as I fought against the lump forming in my throat. "Yes, I have no solid proof to defend myself, but neither do you! Where is your evidence? Where is your proof that I had anything to do with the attack? You have

filled with doubt, others with quiet agreement. I saw a few council members shift in their

hand against the wooden armrest of his chair, the sharp crack of the impact silencing the room instantly. His cold, piercing eyes locked onto mine, burning with outrage. "Silence!" he

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Chapter 167

squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. "I am questioning the fairness of this trial," I shot back. "Because from where I stand, this is not justice-this is a predetermined sentence against someone

I was already

and prepare

burst open with a resounding crash, silencing every murmuring voice in the chamber. The guards who had gripped my arms faltered, their hold

entrance.

filled the room as His Majesty strode in, draped in his royal robe, his every step exuding authority. Despite the brutal attack he had suffered, he moved with ease-no limp, no sign of weakness, as if

rippled through

"His Majesty...?"

"Is he awake?"

is impossible... the healers

too loudly. The weight of his presence

silence even the boldest of his

before settling on me. And just like that, my

He was alive.

weaken from relief, but I forced myself

despite the guards

1. me.

a glance as he continued forward, stopping only when he stood between me and my captors. His jaw was

hesitated, exchanging nervous

one of the elders stammered,

was low, deadly, filled with an unspoken

The entire room froze.

in their authority, sat motionless, their faces pale.

Queen.