Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Chapter 172 Chapter 172

SAGE

It's been hours since the twins entered the labyrinth. There was no way to know whether they were safe inside or if the labyrinth had already begun testing them in ways beyond our comprehension. My heart felt like a battlefield, torn between trust in my children's strength and the overwhelming fear of what they might be facing alone.

The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows over the towering stone entrance, but I hadn't moved from my spot. The once-bustling crowd had dwindled, leaving behind only a handful of guards stationed near the entrance. Even the elders- the very people who had forced this trial upon my children-had retired for the night, their curiosity seemingly satisfied now that they had placed Harper and Cooper in the labyrinth's grasp.

"You should take a rest, my lady," Scott's voice came from behind me, gentle but firm.

I turned my gaze away from the entrance, finding him standing with his arms crossed, his face marked with concern.

"I'm going to wait for my children, Scott," I said without hesitation.

Scott let out a quiet sigh, as if he had expected that response. “Of course you are, my lady. But the labyrinth isn't going anywhere. And neither is the outcome of the trial. You standing here, exhausting yourself, will not change what happens inside."

I shook my head. "I can't just leave them."

"I understand," he said patiently. "But you should at least rest, even if only for a while. This trial isn't a short one."

I frowned, something about his tone making my stomach twist. "What do you mean?"

Scott hesitated for a moment, then exhaled heavily. "These trials can take days, even weeks, my lady. It depends on how long it takes the labyrinth to reveal the truth it seeks."

I stiffened, the weight of his words settling heavily on my chest. "Days?" The word came out in a whisper before I clenched my fists. "Nobody told me it would take that long!"

"I'm sorry if I didn't manage to give you that information. But regardless of whether you knew it or not, there's nothing we can do. They are bound to do the test the moment everyone in the palace knows about them."

"You said Titus also took the same test once he was crowned as the crown prince. How long did it take for him to finish this

test?"

"Seven days, my lady. It took him seven days. And that's the fastest one in history," he said.

"If the most powerful Lycan prince took seven days to complete the trial, how can mere children possibly survive it? They may look older, but technically, they're only three years old!"

I complained despite knowing that it will not change anything. The palace is a cruel place for them. How naive I am to think that they can be possibly safe in here?

Scott's expression softened, but there was a grim edge to his voice. "I understand your fear, my lady. But the labyrinth does not test strength alone. It measures truth, resilience, and one's right to the throne. Power is important, yes, but so is the heart. Their royal blood will guide and protect them. They are His Majesty's children; you have to trust them."

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, my frustration mounting. "Even so, Scott, they're just children. How can they possibly be expected to endure what Titus, a fully grown and trained warrior, barely survived?"

Scott exhaled, glancing toward the looming entrance of the labyrinth, its ancient stone archway bathed in the eerie glow of the torches. "I won't lie to you, my lady. This is unprecedented. No child has ever been forced to face the Labyrinth of Truth. But I also know this-those two are no ordinary children. You've seen it yourself. Their power, their instincts... they were

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Chapter 172

just as much as His Majesty

out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Born for this? No child should

kind

didn't argue. He

to the labyrinth. "How will we know if they passed the test?" My voice trembled despite my attempt

covered in flowers, allowing them to come out freely,

"And if they failed?"

go through it in order to come out." Scott hesitated, his jaw clenching. "But that's not the end of it; the palace will deny their claim to the throne." He didn't say the

around myself, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts. "I should have run away when I had the chance," I

you can outrun fate?"

with emotion. "I don't care about fate, Scott. I care about my

they always have. And no matter what the labyrinth throws at them, I trust they'll fight their way

wanted to believe that. I

days ahead felt impossibly

the entrance of the labyrinth, my eyes never leaving the twisted stone walls as if sheer willpower alone could bring my children back

as if he was trapped somewhere beyond my reach, lost in a place

safety inside the labyrinth, I found

I sat by his bedside, clutching his hand as I whispered my pleas to the Moon Goddess. "Please... bring him back to me. Bring them

shifts, torches flickering in the cold night air, but I barely registered them. My mind was trapped in the labyrinth with my children,

the labyrinth. I know Scott said that the shortest time Titus finished the test was seven days. It's only been three days, but I have a feeling

carried distant howls from the forest beyond, eerie and bone-chilling. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to suppress the growing

should get back to your chamber," Scott

hard. "I'm fine, Scott. I'm

my lady. Stop worrying about them. They're the heirs of the

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Chapter 172

believe

sent a shiver down my spine. It was subtle, but undeniable. A pulse of

forward instinctively. "Did you feel

his brows furrowing. "Something's

gripping their weapons, eyes flicking

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that the twins were in trouble?

were fighting

Cooper...." I whispered, my fingers curling

wind outside the palace seemed to shift, carrying an

my spine. The flickering torches lining the courtyard trembled, as

me, his body tense, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Stay alert,"

my ribs as I turned back toward the labyrinth. My children were in there, facing dangers I couldn't even begin to imagine. Was this a sign of

pulse of energy rippled through

down my spine.

around their weapons. Scott's expression