Betryed 167
Chapter 167 Chapter 167
SAGE
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They draggedthrough the grand halls of the palace. The cold stone beneath my feet only made the dread in
my stomach grow heavier. Every step | took echoed in the dimly lit corridors, each one bringingcloser to a
fate | wasn't sure | could escape.
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| still couldn't understand how this had happened. Where did they even get the idea that | had something to do
with the attack? Was it because | was an outsider? Because | 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. Slooked curious. Others
looked outright hostile.
"Bring the accused forward," one of the council members announced, his voice ringing through the chamber.
The guards shovedforward until | 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 blfor what happened with His Majesty?
My head spun. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides.
This was insane.
| had fought beside him, shielded my children from harm, and nearly died trying to help Titus defeat the rogues.
And now, they were accusingof betraying him?
| swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm.
"I plead not guilty," | said again, my voice unwavering despite the fear clawing at my chest.
The courtroom erupted into murmurs, voices overlapping in hushed yet urgent tones. | 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?"
| clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. "Are you saying | orchestrated this?" |
challenged, my eyes narrowing. "That | waited all these years, only to return just to plan an ambush against the
one person who-" | stopped myself before | 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.
| 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 |
needed was for these people-these suspicious, power-hungry nobles-to see them as
threats.
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Chapter 167
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTve been living among humans these past few years, | stated, keeping my voice as steady as | could.
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The room was silent for only a moment before one of the council members scoffed. "That explains it, he
muttered under his breath
| frowned, confusion settling deep in my bones. "Explains what, exactly?" | asked cautiously.
The 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, thick
with acrutation.
A collective gasp rippled through the audience, and the murmurs returned, growing louder and more frantic.
Svoices whispered in agreement, while others questioned the logic of the claim.
1 felt my pulse spike in disbelief. "What?" | breathed. "That's absurd!"
"Is it?" Another elder spoke up, 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 to do with it?
1 gritted my teeth, forcing myself to remain calm. "Because | have never, and will never, betray my own kind," |
declared, my voice unwavering, despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
The first elder let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Your own kind?" he sneered, tilting his head as if appraising me
like | was sforeign creature. "And what exactly do you consider your kind to be, Lady Sage?" His eyes
gleamed with cruel amusement as he continued, "Humans? Because from where | stand, you have no wolf, no
magic in your system. You're more like them than you are one of us."
A fresh wave of murmurs swept through the room, whispers of doubt and suspicion spreading like wildfire.
| clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as | fought the urge to lash out. "I am the
daughter of an Alpha," | stated, my voice firm and filled with conviction. "Wolfless or not, | will never betray my
father's kind!"
The elder scoffed, shaking his head. "Words are cheap, woman. Tell us, why should we believe you?"
| lifted my chin, meeting his gaze without fear. "Because that's the truth!" | shot back. "And if you look at
everything I've done, you'll see | have fought, bled, and nearly died to help His Majesty."
The murmurs wavered, svoices now whispering in agreement.
Another elder, an older man with silver-streaked hair, leaned forward. "Those prove nothing, woman," he said.
"Since you failed to prove your innocence in front
of this court, | hereby sentence you, Sage Penelope Brown, to death by beheading!" he announced.
A stunned silence fell over the courtroom. The weight of his words crashed down onlike a landslide,
suffocating, relentless.
My heart pounded against my ribs as | struggled to process what | had just heard. Death. They were sentencing
"For what crime?" | demanded again, my voice ringing with defiance as | fought against the lump forming in my
throat. "Yes, | have no solid proof to defend myself, but neither do you! Where is your evidence? Where is your
proof that | had anything to do with the attack? You have none!"
Gasps and murmurs erupted throughout the courtroom, sfilled with doubt, others with quiet agreement. |
saw a few council members shift in their seats, uncertainty flickering across their faces.
The elder at the head of the council slammed his 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 bellowed. "How dare you question the court's competence?"
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Chapter 167
| squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. "I am questioning the fairness of this trial," | shot back. "Because
from where | stand, this is not justice-this is a predetermined sentence against someone you have already
decided is guilty!" Another elder, a woman with a regal posture and silver-streaked hair, leaned forward, her
expression impassive. "Watch your words, woman. You are already standing on thin ice."
Thin ice? | was already sinking.
"What are you waiting for? Get her and prepare for the execution!" an elder shouted.
The heavy doors of the courtroom burst open with a resounding crash, silencing every murmuring voice in the
chamber. The guards who had gripped my arms faltered, their hold onloosening slightly as all eyes turned
toward the grand
entrance.
A powerful, commanding presence 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 he had not been on the brink of death just hours ago.
Gasps and whispers rippled through the courtroom.
"His Majesty...?"
"Is he awake?"
"This is impossible... the healers said-"
But no one dared to speak too loudly. The weight of his presence alone was
enough to silence even the boldest of his council members.
Titus' golden eyes scanned the room before settling on me. And just like that, my heart clenched painfully.
He was alive.
| felt my knees weaken from relief, but | forced myself to remain standing, meeting
his gaze despite the guards still holding
1. me.
Titus didn't spare the council a glance as he continued forward, stopping only when he stood betweenand
my captors. His jaw was set, his expression carved from stone. "Unhand her, he commanded, his voice cutting
through the silence like a blade.
The guards hesitated, exchanging nervous glances.
“B-But Your Majesty," one of the elders stammered, "she has been sentenced-
"You dare sentence my queen to death?" His voice was low, deadly, filled with an unspoken promise of wrath.
The entire room froze.
Silence stretched across the courtroom like a blade at the throat, sharp and deadly. Even the elders, once so
confident in their authority, sat motionless, their faces pale. The guards gripping my arms immediately released
Queen.
He had calledhis queen.
| barely had tto process the word before Titus turned, his golden eyes locking
onto mine. His gaze softened for a brief moment before he turned back to the council, his expression once again
carved from steel.
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Chapter 167
"| return from the brink of death only to find my mate on trial for a crshe did
not commit?" His voice was calm, but the rage simmering beneath the surface was unmistakable. "You dare call
yourselves my council while condemning my queen without proof?"
One of the elders, the ssilver-haired man who had sentenced me, swallowed hard. "Your Majesty, she has no
wolf. She has no magic. How can she be your"
"You dare question me?" Titus cut him off, his voice laced with lethal warning. The elder's mouth snapped shut.
Titus took a slow, deliberate step forward, his presence suffocating. “This trial is over," he declared. "Anyone who
dares challenge my decision will answer topersonally."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The weight of his authority crushed the air from the room, leaving only the sound
of my own pounding heartbeat.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThen, slowly, Titus turned back to me.
"Sage," he said, his voice softer now, though the intensity in his gaze never
wavered. "Chere."
My legs felt weak, but | forced myself forward. The moment I reached him, his arms wrapped around me, pulling
My legs felt weak, but | forced myself
forward, my heartbeat drumming in
my ears. The momepigeactedhim,
i strong ar pped around me,
pullingtightly against his chest.
The warmth of his body, the solid
strength of him, sent a shudder of
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"Let's get out of here," he whispered against my ear, his voice urgent yet weak.
It was then that | noticed the slight
tremor in his grip, the way his breath
cin uneven PROS erent
. of . 1 [
espe rout n-he hadn't
healed. He had forced himself to
stand, to walk into that courtroom, to
fight fordespite his own body
screaming in agony. The content is
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chapter there!
Titus was still gravely injured.
Without hesitation, I shifted my weight, pressing myself against him for support,
making it look as if | were merely
leaning into him. He walked with
strength, his posture Layietding! his
eyen sheb@xliding authority. No one
would dare question the power of
their king. But | could feel the strain in
his movements, the silent The
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the latest chapter there!
battle he was fighting just to stay on his feet.
As we stepped past the heavy doors of the courtroom, away from prying eyes, the moment his foot crossed the
threshold- his body gave out.
"Titus!" | gasped, barely catching him as he crumpled. His weight nearly dragged
"Alpha!" Beta Scott was there in an instant, his face lined with worry as he caught Titus before he could hit the
ground.
"Let's bring him back to his chamber," | commanded, my voice steadier than | felt.
"Now!"
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