Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

SAGE

Two days had passed, and Titus still hadn't regained consciousness. The air in the house was thick with tension; every hour that ticked by weighing heavier on all of us. Despite our offers to help Anna care for him, she refused every time, insisting she could handle it herself. Her tone was sharp, her movements defensive, as if she was protecting him from more than just his condition.

It was frustrating to watch. Every instinct in me screamed to intervene, to demand answers from Anna about why she was so adamant about keeping us away. Something about her behavior didn't sit right, and the longer Titus stayed unconscious, the stronger my suspicions grew. I paced the living room, my mind racing, until I finally decided I couldn't wait any longer. I needed to confront her.

Just as I moved toward the hallway, Scott stepped into my path, blocking my way with a firm expression. "Sage, don't."

I scowled at him, my frustration bubbling over. "Why not? She's hiding something, Scott. This isn't normal. And I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing while Titus-"

He raised a hand, cutting me off. "Think about it. If you accuse Anna of anything without proof, it's not just her you'll be going up against-it's Alpha Titus too. You know as well as I do that he trusts her. She has his favor."

I clenched my fists, struggling to rein in my emotions. "His favor or not, I can't just sit here. What if she's the reason he's like this? What if she's doing something to keep him from remembering or, worse, from waking up?"

Scott sighed heavily, his expression softening just enough to show he understood my frustration. "I get it, Sage. I do. But charging in there without a plan will only put you in a worse position. You're already walking a fine line with Titus. If he wakes up and sees you attacking Anna, it won't matter if you're right or not. He'll side with her."

The truth of his words hit me like a cold slap. I knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. "So what am I supposed to do? Just wait?"

Just as Scott opened his mouth to respond, the door to Titus and Anna's room swung open with a jarring creak. Titus stepped out, his stride steady and his posture commanding, as if nothing unusual had happened. His piercing gaze landed directly on Scott, completely bypassing me as though I were invisible. My heart sank at the deliberate dismissal.

"Alpha, you're awake!" Scott exclaimed, his voice tinged with both relief and surprise.

Titus gave a small nod. "Yes. Apologies for the delay. Can you bring me up to speed on the plan?"

"Of course, Alpha," Scott stammered, clearly trying to mask his confusion.

It's only been two days since we talked about our plan. It's impossible for him to forget it in that short span of time.

Without wasting another second, they began moving toward the study, I hesitated for a moment but quickly decided to follow. If Titus was back on his feet, there was no way I was sitting this out.

But we hadn't even made it a few steps before Titus suddenly stopped in his tracks. Caught off guard, I walked straight into his back, stumbling slightly. He turned to face me, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his tone icy,

"I'd like to know about the plan," I said firmly, meeting his gaze. I've been involved so far. I have the right to be there.

He let out a sharp, humorless laugh, crossing his arms. "I trust no one but my beta. What makes you think I'd allow a stranger to join this meeting?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. A stranger. My mouth fell open in shock, and I struggled to find my voice. I knew

F

C=

he had lost his memories of me, but to call me a stranger after everything-even after what had happened between us at the lake-is absurd.

"Excuse me?" I managed, though my voice wavered. I wanted to confront him. But when I looked into his eyes, my anger faltered.

There was nothing there. No spark of recognition, no hidden glimmer of familiarity. It wasn't a game. He wasn't trying to hurt me or push me away. He genuinely didn't know who I was.

"You don't recognize me..." The words slipped from my lips, barely a whisper, but they felt like a plea.

For a moment, I thought I saw something-an emotion flashing in his eyes too quickly for me to place. Guilt, maybe. Regret. But he quickly looked away, turning his back to me as if that would end the conversation.

"Come if you'd like," he said gruffly, his voice curt and distant. "Just make sure you won't be a burden to us."

Then, without waiting for a reply, he continued walking toward the study. I stood there, frozen in place, my mind spinning. I glanced at Scott, whose face mirrored the confusion I felt. His brow furrowed as he watched Titus stride away with a tense determination. "What was that about?" I whispered, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in Titus's demeanor. "He was looking at me as if today was the first time he saw me."

Scott shook his head, his brow furrowed. "I have no idea what's going on, but something's wrong with him."

***

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