Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 120

Isolde's POV

I blinked awake, my vision slowly focusing on the sleek modern chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The minimalist design, all clean lines and subtle lighting, was nothing like the fixtures in my apartment. Recognition dawned instantly.

I was in Ezra Silverwood's penthouse. In his bed.

*How the hell did this happen?*

I tried to sit up but winced as a sharp, burning pain shot through my inner thighs. I fell back against the pillow, the movement making me aware of another fact: beneath the luxurious silk sheets, I was completely naked. Panic surged through me.

Flashes of the previous night invaded my mind—Ezra's lips on mine, his mouth between my legs, the intensity of our lovemaking. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Oh my God. It actually happened."

"Good morning, Isolde."

I jumped, sucking in another sharp breath. "Ezra! You scared me!"

He chuckled softly, setting down his tablet as he rose from the modern sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows. His black silk robe clung to his muscular frame, expensive leather slippers on his feet. A predatory satisfaction gleamed in his eyes as he approached the bed, sitting down beside me. The mattress dipped under his weight.

I averted my gaze, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I couldn't bring myself to look into those intense gray eyes.

*We had sex last night. Me, the Moon Alliance newcomer, with the CEO of Silver Moon Group, the Alpha of the werewolf world.*

*And it felt incredible,* Lyra added in my mind. *Don't deny it.*

"Why are you avoiding my eyes?" Ezra asked, his fingers gently tilting my chin up.

"I'm not," I replied weakly.

He laughed softly, his eyes knowing. "Did you sleep well?" His tone was casual, but carried an unmistakable undertone of command.

I nodded. "Yes, I slept fine," still unable to meet his gaze directly.

"Isolde, look at me." His voice deepened with Alpha authority.

I struggled internally, trying to process how to face him after everything that had happened. He'd kissed me, pleasured me with his mouth, made love to me like the most passionate of lovers, taken my innocence. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this—being sold into the Moon Alliance program and sleeping with the Alpha.

"Isolde." My name was a low, dangerous rumble from his lips.

Swallowing what remained of my dignity, I tore my gaze from the cityscape visible through the windows and looked at his handsome face. He smiled with satisfaction, possessiveness flickering in his eyes.

"You're completely red now," he said, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. "Are you embarrassed about what happened between us last night?"

I felt utterly mortified, wishing the floor would crack open and swallow me whole. Heat crawled up my neck, anxiety churning in my stomach as I stared at him, unable to form a response. My face said it all—yes, I was embarrassed about our intimate encounter, especially as someone who'd just been delivered to his "Moon Alliance Program."

Ezra leaned closer, his expensive cologne enveloping me. "Hey... there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's me, Ezra. We were intimate last night, I tasted every inch of your skin, made you come more than once—this shouldn't be any different." His voice was low, seductive.

"Easy for you to say," I retorted stiffly, trying to mask my inner turmoil.

He laughed deeply, his eyes flashing gold again.

My body responded instinctively to his proximity, and I found myself smiling as I returned his kiss. My fingers unconsciously drifted to my neck, expecting to feel the mark. Confusion replaced my dreamy expression as I touched my unmarked skin again. Lyra's warning echoed in my mind.

"Ezra, you didn't mark me last night?" My voice was soft, questioning.

His smile faded, his expression turning cold and distant, as if he'd suddenly donned a mask. Silence filled the luxurious penthouse, broken only by the faint sounds of the city below.

I noticed the change in his demeanor, my confusion deepening as uneasiness crept through me. "Why not? I felt that connection... the kind only true mates have."

Ezra's body tensed slightly, his eyes avoiding mine as he remained silent.

The warmth in the room seemed to dissipate, replaced by a growing tension that hung in the air between us.

Confusion giving way to apprehension, I sat up straighter despite the pain between my thighs. "We are mates, aren't we?" My voice grew more insistent.

Ezra's expression hardened, his eyes flashing gold, shoulders visibly stiffening as he maintained his silence.

"That connection, that feeling... it couldn't have been just my imagination. I know you felt it too." My voice carried both hurt and confusion.

He suddenly stood up, turning his back to me as he walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the city below.

The tension in the room intensified, the Alpha's presence filling the space with an almost palpable pressure.

My voice began to tremble. "So this is your answer? Silence?"

*Why won't he speak?* I thought. *If we weren't mates, he would deny it outright, wouldn't he?*

I noticed the blood stains on the silk sheets, shame and anger mingling within me. "You won't mark me because you don't want me as your Luna, even though we're destined?" The words came out wounded.

"No... it's not what you think. It's more complicated than you can imagine." His voice was low and strained.

Fury suddenly coursing through me, I yanked the silk sheets away, no longer caring about my nakedness or the blood stains. The pain between my thighs was excruciating, but I forced myself to stand.

Ezra turned at the sound, quickly crossing the room to grasp my wrist. "Isolde, wait—you don't understand—"

I jerked my hand away from his grip, my eyes flashing gold as Lyra's anger surfaced. "Don't touch me!"

His expression registered shock, then deep remorse and pain, but he remained frustratingly silent.

I hastily gathered my designer clothes from where they were scattered across the floor, each movement radiating anger and hurt. I dressed quickly, my fingers trembling with emotion.

"Next time you want someone to entertain you, find someone else from your 'Moon Alliance Program,'" I said, my voice low with cold anger. "After all, we're just your playthings, aren't we?"

I walked proudly toward the elevator, despite the pain between my thighs that was almost unbearable. I refused to show any weakness in front of him.

As the elevator doors began to close, I glanced back one last time. Ezra stood where I'd left him, a complex expression I couldn't decipher on his face. Then the doors shut, separating me from the penthouse that had given me such strange connection and now such pain.