Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Chapter 176

SAGE

A groggy sigh escaped my lips as I stirred awake, my body aching in ways I hadn't experienced in a long time. Every inch of me felt sore-a testament to the passion Titus and I had shared the night before. A deep blush crept up my cheeks as memories of his touch, his kisses, and the way he had worshipped me flooded my mind.

I stretched lazily, only to pause when I felt something cool and solid pressing against my finger. My brows furrowed in confusion as I slowly lifted my hand, my vision still hazy from sleep.

And then I saw it.

A ring.

A breathtaking, intricate ring with a diamond so large it caught the early morning light and shimmered like a piece of the moon itself.

My breath hitched.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I stared at the delicate band wrapped around my finger. It was elegant, yet undeniably regal-something only a king could have placed there.

"Titus..." I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper.

As if on cue, a strong arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against a firm, warm chest. A satisfied growl rumbled from behind me, and before I could turn, soft lips pressed against the bare skin of my shoulder.

"Good morning, my queen," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

My chest tightened at the sound of those words. My queen.

I turned to face him, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the ring, half- expecting it to vanish like a dream. "You-" I started, but the words caught in my throat, tangled in the overwhelming emotions swelling inside me.

Titus chuckled, a low, husky sound that sent shivers down my spine. He reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips with a tenderness that made my heart ache. His blue eyes, still heavy with sleep, shimmered with something deeper-something unspoken.

when you became my wife," he murmured, his lips grazing my knuckles in reverence. "I should have given you the world,

grip on my hand remained steady. "Now,

spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I will erase every bad

chest ached at the raw sincerity in his

I whispered, feeling the sting of unshed tears

my cheek, his thumb stroking gently as he studied my face. "Let me make

hard, my heart pounding in

already do," I whispered, leaning

smile spread across his lips before he closed the distance between us. It didn't take

a shield from everything that had ever hurt me. His lips were soft yet firm, as if pouring every unsaid word, every promise, into this

rested against mine, his breath mingling with mine

mine, Sage," he murmured, his fingers tracing delicate patterns along my bare shoulder. "And

in my

ring again. It was beautiful, exquisite even, but it wasn't the diamond that made my heart race

cool metal, biting my lip. "You do realize that giving me this ring means you're stuck with me

me, his arms caging me in. “Oh, kitten," he smirked, lowering his lips to graze my ear.

it."

laugh bubbled out of me, light and unguarded. I had spent so many years thinking

curiously. I've been meaning to ask him

his lips warm against my skin. His arms

funny thing is," he murmured against my skin, "I never got my

head to look at him.

something was missing. I couldn't explain it, but it was there, this emptiness that nothing could fill." His fingers traced lazy circles along my arm. "Then you left, and that feeling turned into something unbearable.

hard, my heart squeezing at the thought of him suffering

It wasn't until I saw you again-until I held you again-that