Betrayed by an alpha claimed by a lycan king

SAGE

After sealing the deal, Scott and I returned to the hotel, exhaustion weighing heavy on us. The streets were quiet, and the world hushed in the way only the dead of night could bring. By the time we made it back to our rooms, it was already past midnight. I didn't need to sneak in this time-Scott's presence was enough to deflect any suspicion if someone happened to see us.

Scott walked me to my door, his expression a mix of concern and exasperation. He was clearly still uneasy about everything that had transpired but wasn't about to push the subject further tonight.

"Thank you for coming with me, Scott," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He offered me a tired but genuine smile. "It's my pleasure looking after you, Sage. We owe you a huge favor for what you just did."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

I forced a smile, hoping it would mask the heaviness in my chest.

"Let's not talk about it now. You should go and get some rest. I'm sure you're tired."

He hesitated, as if considering whether to argue, but eventually nodded. "Alright. Good night, Sage. Try to get some sleep."

"You too," I replied. I waited until his footsteps faded down the hallway before I turned and unlocked my door.

The moment I stepped inside, the darkness wrapped around me like a blanket. I closed the door behind me and exhaled, finally allowing myself a moment of quiet. The room was steeped in shadows, the only light spilling in faintly through the large windows. I started to move toward the bed when a subtle movement caught my eye. My heart jumped to my throat as I spotted a dark figure sitting silently in the chair near the corner.

I was about to scream, my instincts taking over, when a familiar baritone voice broke through the stillness.

"Where have you two been?"

The calm authority in his tone sent a chill through me. My hand froze halfway to the dagger tucked at my side. I couldn't see his face clearly, but the silver light from the moon was enough to outline his broad shoulders, his unmistakable presence filling the room. "T-Titus?" I stammered, my voice trembling, barely more than a whisper in the oppressive silence of the room.

"Answer the question, Sage," he said, his voice low and steady, each word heavy with unspoken threat. It wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

I took a shaky step back, my hand instinctively brushing against the wall behind me. "What are you doing here in my room? How did you even get inside?" I deflected, firing back questions of my own in a desperate attempt to stall.

"I own this fcking hotel; I have every right to be in every damn room in this building. Now, answer the damn question, Sage!" He snapped, his voice erupting like a clap of thunder. His eyes burned

with an unnatural red glow, a hauntingly familiar sign of the beast lurking within him. The raw intensity in his gaze froze me in place.

"I... I wanted to take a walk," I finally managed, my voice wavering under the weight of his fury. "Get some fresh air. Scott offered to accompany me."

"Liar." The word sliced through the air, quiet but venomous.

Before I could react, he closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. One moment, he was across the room; the next, I was pressed firmly against the wall. His hands were on his neck, gently pressing around it, and his body loomed so close that I could feel the heat radiating from him. My breath hitched as his piercing eyes locked onto mine.

"Are you having an affair with my Beta?" The accusation dripped with venom, his voice low and dangerous as his chest rose and fell with barely restrained rage.

"What? No!" I exclaimed, my voice cracking as I struggled against the sheer force of his presence.

"Don't lie to me, Sage," Titus growled, his voice a mix of anger and desperation that sent a shiver through me. He leaned in so close that I could feel his breath brushing against my face, and it felt like all the space between us had disappeared.

"I'm not lying!" I shot back, my voice louder than I intended. My chest tightened as I tried to keep my emotions in check, but they were threatening to overwhelm me. "And even if what you're saying was true, why does it matter? I'm free to do whatever I want, Titus! I can date whoever I choose!"

"No, you're not!" he yelled, his voice booming through the room.

His eyes glowed fiercely, their intensity piercing through me, as if he were claiming a truth I didn't even understand.

I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him he didn't have any right to say that, but I didn't get the chance. Before I could speak, Titus closed the distance between us in an instant. His hands grabbed my face, firm yet gentle, and his lips crushed against mine in a kiss that stole the air from my lungs.

His kiss was overwhelming, like he was pouring all his anger, frustration, and something far deeper into it. His lips moved with a fiery intensity, demanding everything from me, and I felt my body respond without my permission. My heart raced as I got lost in the moment, the connection between us too strong to resist.

His grip tightened, as if he was

afraid I'd pull away, and the kiss

deepened. It was powerful, raw, and filled with emotions I couldn't

untangle. My hands instinctively, net

reached for his shirt, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer. Every thought, every argument I'd been holding onto, faded under the

heat of his touch.

I gasped for air as Titus finally pulled back, leaving both of us breathless. Our foreheads remained pressed together, his breath mingling with mine in the heavy silence that followed. The room felt charged, as if the air around us had thickened with unspoken truths.

"Who the hell are you, and what did

you do to me?" he whispered, his

voice hoarse and laced with

something couldn't quite place-frustration, yearning, desperation. "I don't know a single thing about you, yet you've managed to turn my entire world upside down in an instant. I don't know who you are... but everything about you feels like home. Like I've known you

forever."

His words hit me like a tidal wave, and I struggled to hold back the emotions threatening to surface. I frowned, meeting his gaze. His eyes, usually so sharp and commanding, now looked lost-clouded with confusion and pain. Seeing him like this broke something inside me. "I'm nothing but a part of your past," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. It was the only explanation I could give without unraveling everything.

Titus's brows furrowed, and a flicker

of anger flashed across his face,

though it didn't fully mask the vulnerability in his eyes. "Then why?" he demanded, his voice cracking. slightly. "Why am I going insane every time I think of you? Why does the thought of you with another man make me feel like I'm losing my

damn mind?"

His words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered, and I felt a lump rise in my throat. I couldn't answer him-not truthfully, not without risking everything. How could I tell him that the memories he craved were locked away and that the bond between us was a broken thread I was desperately trying to tie back together?

"I-" I started, but my voice faltered, the words refusing to come.

"You know what? It doesn't matter." Titus growled, his voice low and determined. His hands tightened on my arms as his eyes locked onto mine, a storm of emotions swirling within them. "I don't care who you are. You are mine."

Before I could respond, his lips crashed against mine, fierce and unrelenting. His kiss was filled with a hunger that left me breathless, as though he were trying to claim every piece of me he could. It was raw, desperate, and consuming, like he was pouring every ounce of frustration, anger, and longing into this moment.

The intensity slowly began to shift. What started as rough and demanding softened into something deeper, more intimate. His lips moved against mine with deliberate tenderness, and the fire between us ignited into a slow-burning flame. Each kiss felt like a promise, filled with a passion and desire that pulled me under.

I barely noticed when his lips left mine, trailing along my jawline, each touch sending shivers down my spine. Then he pressed kisses down the curve of my neck, his breath hot against my skin.

His hands slid to my shoulders, tugging my shirt aside to expose more of me to his touch.

But the moment shattered. His body went rigid, his lips stilling against my skin as his hand froze mid-motion. Slowly, he pulled back and stared at me. The fire in his eyes darkened into something cold and dangerous.

"You've been marked," he said, his voice low but brimming with rage. His jaw tightened, and I saw the fury building within him.

"What-" I started, but his sudden movement silenced me. His fist slammed into the wall beside my head, the sound reverberating through the room. I flinched at the force, my heart racing as I stared at his clenched fist, mere inches from my face.

His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling as he glared at me. The look in his eyes was almost unbearable-hurt, betrayal, anger-all directed at me.

I waited, hoping he would say something, anything, to break the silence, but he remained frozen, his emotions visibly warring within him. After what felt like an eternity, he stepped back, creating a distance between us.

Without a word, he turned and left, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound echoed in the emptiness of the room, leaving me standing there, stunned and alone.

My legs gave out beneath me, and I sank to the floor, my mind spinning. My hand instinctively touched my shoulder, tracing the mark he had seen.

He thinks another man marked me. He doesn't remember... marking me.

**