Chapter 86
Chapter SAGE
86
Two days have passed, yet Titus remained unconscious. It's a good thing that Elara's medicine efficiently works on him. His wounds healed up fast despite the severity of his injuries.
During this tough time, ver left Titus' side. I wanted to make sure that I'd be by his side as soon as he woke up. I couldn't sleep properly for the past two days. I wanted to close my eyes for even a bit, but I always woke up with a nightmare that Titus was gone. With that, I had this fear to close my eyes, scared that the nightmare would become my reality.
I was sitting on a chair beside Titus' bed, watching him sleep peacefully, when I heard a soft knock coming from the door. Thinking it was Elara, I went ahead and opened it. But to my surprise, I found Anna standing right outside the door holding a steaming hot cup of
"I
thought you might need this," she said, extending the cup toward me.Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
!
I eyed her offering, my face stiffening. "Thanks, but I'm not comfortable taking anything from you." I met her eyes, the warning clear in my voice. "Let me make this clear, Anna. Just because I let you set foot in here doesn't mean I trust you.I don't. The only reason you're here is is because I'm honoring the help you gave us in escaping."
I started to close the door, but she reached out, catching it before it could shut.
"I understand," she said, her voice low and controlled. "I don't expect your trust, not after everything. But I care about Titus, and all I'm asking is a chance to take care of him-or at the very least, see him."
Her words hit me, but not enough to sway me. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
She frowned, an edge of impatience in her eyes. "What gives you the right to keep people from seeing him?"
I could feel I feel the surge of possessiveness rising in me. I lifted my chin. "I am his wife," I said proudly, daring her to argue. But she only gave a smug smile, her eyes gleaming with something smug. "Hate to break it to you," she said slowly, "but haven't you heard? The marriages to the dethroned king have already been declared null and void. All his other concubines have already left and returned to their packs." packs.
Her words hit like a slap, but I forced myself not to flinch. "That doesn't change anything," I said, my voice unwavering. "He's still my husband in every way that matters."
kled, shrugging. "Believe what you want. But you might want to prepare yourself, guarantee things will be the way you're imagining."
She chuckled,
I clenched my fists, holding back the anger flaring inside me. "Thank you for your concern, A
to close the door, "but I'm not interested in your opinions about my marriage."
back to close
ge. If he wakes up, there's no
I replied icily, stepping
I was about to shut the door once again when we heard a low groan coming from the bed. We both turned in the same direction at once. "Titus!" I called out.
A low groan escaped his lips in response, the first sound I'd heard from him in days. My heart leaped, and in that moment, I completely forgot about Anna and everything else. I rushed to his side, gently grabbing his hand, clinging to the hope that he was truly waking up. His skin felt warm under my touch.
A
Neaned closer, watching as his eyelids fluttered, struggling to open. His face was a mask of confusion as his gaze settled on the unfamiliar ceiling above him. His breathing was shallow, and I could almost feel his disorientation as he slowly turned his head toward me. 90% My heart raced with excitement, the weight of the past days lifting as I prepared to welcome him back. But the joy that swelled in my chest was quickly crushed the moment his eyes found mine. Instead of the warmth or recognition I longed for, his brow furrowed deeply, his expression darkening with a hint of suspicion.
I swallowed hard, my voice faltering. "Titus..."
But the words seemed to hang in the air, unheard.
His first words, spoken i in a a hoarse, strained voice, shattered the hope I had held onto. "Who are you?"
The room felt like it had been swallowed by silence, a suffocating stillness that closed in around me. My heart, which had just been racing with excitement, now sank into an abyss of despair.
Telt
I blinked, unable to comprehend his question. "What... what do you mean?" I stammered, my fingers still wrapped around his hand, suddenly feeling cold. "It's me, Sage."
He pulled his hand away, his eyes narrowing as if trying to make sense of the situation. "Sage?" His tone was puzzled, distant, like he was hearing the name for the first time.
I opened my mouth to say something, to make him remember, but no words came out. The ache in my chest deepened as I watched him struggle, not with his injuries but with the realization that he didn't know who I was.
I was about to tell him more about me in the hopes that it could juggle his memory. I opened my mouth but cut mid-air as soon as I heard his next word.
1:1:00000 11:00000000001::: 1:
"My love? What are you doing outside? Please come inside. I missed you," he said as he looked towards the door.
My body froze, but I still managed to follow the direction of his eyes. My heart sank when I realized that it was Anna who he was talking to.
The words cut through me like a blade. My breath hitched in my throat as I turned to see Anna standing in the doorway, a soft, almost triumphant smile playing on her lips. She stepped forward slowly, as if savoring every moment, her eyes never leaving Titus. I could feel the world tilting under my feet, the weight of the moment crashing down on me. I wanted to scream, to shake him, to demand that he remember me, *us*, everything we had been through. But I stood there, frozen, while Anna glided closer to Titus' side, like she d there. She
belongeded b
by his bed, gently placing her hand on his as she murmured, "I'm here, my love. I'm here."
He sighed in relief, as if the sight of her soothed him, while I stood at the edge of the room, invisible. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, piece by piece.
Anna finally glanced up at me, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn't quite place-victory, maybe? Or satisfaction? Either
way, I knew one thing: she was relishing in this moment, in the fact that Titus remembered her, not me.
! I wanted to fight, to claw my way back into his memory, but all I could do was watch. Watch as the man I loved looked at me like a stranger and called for another woman like she was his whole world.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, the sharp pain a distraction from the agony Every fiber of my being screamed at me to leave, to walk out and never look back. But no, this wasn't how our story Not like this.
my ended.
in chest.
Nook a deep breath, steadying myself. There was no way I was letting Anna win.
"That's enough," I said, my voice low but firm. I took a step forward, my eyes locked on Anna. "I don't care what game you're playing, but it ends now."
Anna's smug expression wavered for a moment as she stood up, her hand still resting on Titus' arm like she was staking her claim. "What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning innocence. "Titus called for me. He needs me." I took another step, my voice unwavering. "He's confused. He's injured. His mind is clouded from everything he's been through. But that doesn't change the truth. I'm his wife. And I won't let you manipulate him in this state." Titus blinked, his brows furrowing deeper as he looked between us. I could see the confusion in his eyes, like he was trying to make sense of the tension, but his memories were failing him
"Manipulate him? I have no idea what you're accusing me of, Sage. I'm here because Titus asked for me."
I felt the words like a slap to the face, but I didn't flinch. Instead, I stepped even closer, standing tall, refusing to let her see me break. "I'll repeat this in case you didn't hear it the first time, Leave now before I drag you out of here myself."
Anna's
flickered with something dark, but before she could respond, Titus groaned, his hand gripping the sheets as if trying to ground himself. His voice was a strained whisper as he glanced at me, uncertainty clouding his gaze. "What's going on here? Who are you,
I swallowed the lump in my throat, the pain slicing through me, but I didn't back down. "I'm Sage," I said, my voice barely a whisper at first but gaining strength as I spoke. "I'm your wife."
He scoffs, "You're quite funny. Though I'm allowed to have as many wives as I can, I would never do that knowing my precious Anna will get hurt."
Anna stepped closer, her voice sickly sweet. "Don't tire yourself, Titus. You need to rest. We'll talk more when you're stronger," she said, glancing at me as if dismissing me entirely.
But I wasn't going anywhere. The rage bubbling inside me was uncontrollable, a force I couldn't stop. I grabbed Anna's arm tightly, my fingers digging into her skin. Without thinking twice, I yanked her towards the door, dragging her with every ounce of strength I had left. I didn't care about her protests or the or the fact that Titus was watching.
"What the f**k are you doing, woman?! Get your hands off her!" Titus' voice roared through the room, his growl sending shockwave of tension that nearly knocked the wind out of me. But I didn't
But t stop. I wouldn't. Not even his rage could shake me from what I felt needed to be done. Anna had no right to be here, to pretend she had any claim on him. He was mine-our bond was real, and even if he didn't remember it, I wasn't going to let her erase it. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Elara and Scott burst into the room, alarm written across their faces. They had clearly heard the commotion and rushed in to see what was happening.
Titus, still weak and half-reclining on the bed, glared at me with fury in his eyes. "Scott!" he bellowed, his voice dripping with the unmistakable authority of an Alpha. "Get those hands off my woman! I command you!"
Scott froze for a split second, his face twisted in a mixture of pain and guilt as he hesitated.
I'm sorry, my lady," Scott said, his voice low and tortured as he stepped forward. His hands gently but firmly wrapped around mine, prying my grip from Anna's arm. He didn't want to: I could see it in his eyes, but the weight of the Alpha's command forced him into action. Elara rushed over to my side, her eyes wide with confusion. "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, looking between all of us.
Anna, her face triumphant, stood beside Titus now, her hand resting possessively on his arm. "I didn't do anything," she said sweetly, her voice dripping with false innocence. "Sage just... lost control."
My entire body trembled with rage. "Lost control?" I snapped, my voice shaking with fury. "You've been manipulating him from the second he opened his eyes. You've twisted his mind, playing on his memory loss. And now you're trying to make me look like the one in the wrong?" Chapter 86
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Titus growled low, warmingly. "Enough, woman! I won't have you attacking her. Anna is the love of my life, and I will never forgive you for laying your filthy hands on her. He turned to his beta. "Scott, get that woman out of my room this instant." The words cut deeper than any wound I'd ever felt before. I was confused as he was.
I stepped back, my heart breaking with every step I took. "Titus...
He didn't even look at me, his attention entirely on Anna. I felt the sting of rejection, the suffocating weight of helplessness closing in around me.
I glared at Anna one last time, silently promising her that this wasn't the end. I would fight for him, no matter what it took.
"You're not going to get away with this," I whispered under my breath before turning on my heel and storming out of the room. I didn't wait for Scott to drag me out of the room.