Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

Chapter 178 SAGE The following days passed in a blur, each moment filled with endless preparations, hushed conversations, and the constant hum of excitement in the air. Elara and I found ourselves drowning in fabrics, floral arrangements, and ceremonial protocols, barely finding tto breathe between the whirlwind of decisions that needed to be made.

I had always imagined something small and intimate-a wedding where only those closest to us would gather, where I wouldn't feel the weight of a thousand eyes watching my every move. I wanted a ceremony that wasn't about the grandeur of royalty but about the love Titus and I shared. But, of course, Titus had other plans.

He wanted it as grand as possible. The day of our wedding will also be the day of my coronation, as he announcedbeing his queen and his luna.

Elara, of course, was over the moon. "This is going to be the most spectacular event in generations!" she gushed as she spread out different gown designs before me. "A royal wedding and a coronation? People will talk about this for centuries!" I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "That's what I'm afraid of." She rolled her eyes, nudgingplayfully. "Cnow, my lady. You'll look absolutely breathtaking, and His Majesty will be so enraptured by you that he won't even notice the hundreds of guests in attendance." Despite the whirlwind of wedding and coronation preparations, I couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going 1. on.

Titus had been distant-not in a way that madedoubt his love, but in a way that toldhe was preoccupied with something far more pressing. While I was drowning in silk swatches and flower arrangements with Elara, he was constantly locked in meetings, his expression sharp and unreadable. Whenever I caught glimpses of him in the halls, he looked deep in thought, as if he was bracing himself for something big.

And I was sure it wasn't the wedding.

If it were, he would at least pretend to be involved. But aside from insisting that it had to be grand, he hadn't so much as glanced at a single invitation or made a comment about the color schemes Elara kept pesteringabout.

It wasn't like him to be so uninterested in something this important.

"Are you okay, my lady?" Elara asked, her brows knitting together in concern as she noticed my silence.

I forced a small smile onto my lips, hoping to brush off the unease settling in my chest. "It's nothing, Elara. I was just thinking about the wedding." She returned my smile, reaching out to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," she assured me, her voice filled with confidence.

I nodded, though I wasn't entirely convinced. We resumed our preparations, discussing floral arrangements and seating charts, but no matter how hard I tried to focus, a nagging feeling refused to let go. Something was off. Titus was keeping something from me-I was sure of it. And I couldn't just ignore it any longer.

By the tevening rolled around, I had made up my mind. I would confront him tonight.

But as the hours stretched on, my resolve turned into frustration. The night cand went, and still, there was no sign of Titus. I paced the room, glancing at the door every few minutes, waiting for him to return.

I looked at the clock. Past one in the morning.

I knew he was the king, that his responsibilities were endless, but this was unusual-even for him. He had always made tfor me, no matter how busy he was. So where was he now? A chill ran down my spine at the thought that something might have happened to him. Shaking the idea away, I threw on a cloak and stepped out of my chambers. If he wasn't coming to me, then I would go to him.

The castle halls were eerily quiet at this hour, save for the faint crackling of torches that lined the stone walls. My footsteps echoed softly as I made my way toward Titus's office, my heart pounding harder with every step.

I wasn't sure what I expected when I arrived-maybe to find him buried in documents, exhausted from his duties. But when I reached his office doors, they were slightly ajar. That was odd.

I hesitated for only a moment before pushing them open.

The room was dimly lit, a few candles flickering on his desk, illuminating a pile of parchment. But Titus wasn't there.

I frowned, stepping further inside. The air was thick with something I couldn't quite place-secrecy, tension, something just beyond my grasp. I trailed my fingers over the wooden desk, my eyes scanning the papers scattered across it.

Maps. Letters. Battle strategies.

My stomach twisted.

This wasn't just about the wedding. This was something bigger. Something dangerous.

A rustling sound cfrom the corridor, and I turned sharply just as Titus stepped into the room.

His expression shifted the moment he saw me, surprise flickering in his eyes before it was quickly masked by something unreadable.

"Sage," he said, his voice lower than usual. "What are you doing here?" I lifted a parchment from the desk, holding it up for him to see. "I should be asking you the sthing." For the first tin a long while, I saw hesitation cross his face.

"Are you preparing for war?" My voice was quieter than I intended, but the weight of the words hung thick between us.

Titus exhaled slowly, his jaw clenching. "This doesn't concern you, Sage. You focused on the wedding and lethandle my work." I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. "This doesn't concern me?" I asked sarcastically. "I brought my children thinking they were safe here." "And they were!" Titus replied.

"How can they be safe here when you were planning another war? When will it end, Titus?" His eyes darkened, flashing with frustration, but beneath it, I saw something else -weariness.

"It will end when our. enemies stop threatening my family and my people," he said, his voice laced with steel. "When I can finally ensure that no one will ever dare to take what is mine again."

I shook my head, my heart pounding against my ribs. "And at what cost?" My voice cracked despite my efforts to stay strong. "How many more e battles will it take? How many more lives have to be lost before you finally decide it's enough?" Titus stepped closer, his towering presence almost suffocating. "I don't expect you to understand, Sage." His tone was firm, but there was something pleading in his eyes. "But I'm expecting you'll truston this."

I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. "I just got you back. I-I don't know what will do if" couldn't even get myself to finish my sentence. Just the thought of it sends chills down my spine.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and for a moment, the fierce warrior, the ruthless king, disappeared. All that remained was the man I had fallen in love with the man who, despite everything, still held my heart.

in his hands. "I won't let that happen," he murmured, reaching out to cup my face.

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