Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 154

ISOLDE'S POV

I stormed back into the locker room, my blood practically boiling. Someone had sent me on a wild goose chase, and with my match approaching, I was in no mood for games.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I muttered, pacing the empty locker room.

I'd been told that Orion was waiting for me in some obscure room in the Emerald Valley District. When I finally found the place after wasting precious time and energy, all I discovered was a table full of food. No Orion. No explanation. Just food that I wouldn't dare touch before a fight—the last thing I needed was to throw up in the middle of combat.

My stomach twisted with anxiety. The matches would start soon, and I was still here, unprepared and rattled. I couldn't bear the thought of disappointing Ezra. Despite everything, I wanted to prove my worth to him.

"Shit," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself down, pounding my chest lightly as if that could somehow reset my racing pulse.

*Something's not right,* Lyra growled inside me. *This feels like a setup.*

"I know," I replied quietly. "But who would do this? And why today of all days?"

*Stay alert,* my wolf warned.

The door to the locker room swung open, and Orion walked in with his trademark gentle smile. My frustration immediately found its target.

"You!" I snapped, marching toward him. "Do you think it's funny to mess with me when I'm this stressed out?"

Orion's smile faltered, confusion crossing his handsome features. "What are you talking about, Isolde?"

"Don't play dumb with me," I hissed, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You sent someone to tell me to meet you at the Privliged Apartments. But when I got there, you were nowhere to be found."

Orion's expression shifted from confusion to concern, his brows drawing together. "I find that amusing, actually. But I didn't send anyone to get you. You should know I would never play such a stupid prank on you, especially not on such an important day."

"Then who—" I started, but Orion cut me off.

"In fact, I didn't send anyone to find you," he explained, his voice turning serious. "Isolde, trust me, I didn't pull any pranks on you. Someone at Silver Moon must have thought it would be funny to mess with you before your match. I wouldn't do that, especially not today."

I searched his face for any sign of deception but found none. His amber eyes held nothing but sincerity and a growing concern that made my anger deflate slightly.

"So if it wasn't you..." I trailed off, my mind racing through possibilities. It couldn't have been Thalia—she was genuinely supportive. Cleo had been friendly enough. And Ezra? No, he wouldn't waste his time with juvenile pranks.

That left the most obvious suspects: Evanthe or Sybilla. My stepsister had been suspiciously smug when I ran into her earlier.

"Isolde," Orion interrupted my thoughts, his voice gentle. "Don't overthink this. Someone's trying to get in your head before the match. Don't let them."

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. "You're right. I just... I don't want to mess this up."

Orion gestured for me to sit down on one of the benches. "How are you feeling? Aside from being understandably pissed off."

"Nervous but confident," I answered, though my slightly trembling fingers betrayed me. "I'm ready for this... I think."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"I just don't want to let him down," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

"Him?" Orion asked, though we both knew exactly who I meant.

"Ezra," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "The Silver Moon Group. Everyone."

Orion's expression softened. He sat beside me, his large frame dwarfing mine on the narrow bench. "Let me tell you something, Isolde. I understand what you're going through more than you might think."

I scoffed. "Really? You, the Security Director and Gamma warrior of Silver Moon, understand what it's like to be in my position?"

"I do," he said with unexpected seriousness. "Sit down. Let me tell you about my induction ceremony as Gamma."

Curiosity got the better of me, and I settled back onto the bench.

"I was twenty," Orion began, his eyes distant with memory. "Right here in this very training center, I faced Ezra in combat. The room was packed with werewolf elites and Alphas from every district. The pressure was... suffocating."

I could picture it—a younger Orion standing before the crowd, facing the most powerful Lycan in the city.

"I trained for years for that day," he continued. "And guess what? Ezra completely destroyed me, okay?" He laughed, and I couldn't help but join him, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly.

"He's an Alpha," Orion explained. "More powerful than any of us could ever be, with battle instincts that can't be matched. But that wasn't the point of the ceremony."

"What was the point, then?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Betas and Gammas are the Alpha's advisors, defenders, protectors, and friends. We swear allegiance to Silver Moon and its leader in werewolf society." Orion's voice took on a formal quality. "That combat ritual was the first and last official fight between Alpha and Beta or Gamma. It symbolizes that from that moment on, we only fight together against external threats, never against each other."

"So, since then, you two have never fought against each other again?" I asked.

"Exactly. It's our tradition, even in this modern business environment. The ritual eliminates any potential power struggle or conflict between us in the future."

"That's... actually quite smart," I admitted.

"Nathaniel went through the same ritual with Ezra," Orion added. "And when the three of us were presented to Silver Moon and werewolf society together, we had symbolic combat right here in this Battle Arena, in front of everyone."

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed.

Orion smiled. "That's why it's called a ritual. Most rituals are ridiculous, but they hold our traditions and order together."

He stood up, taking my hands in his and bringing them to his lips for a gentle kiss. His eyes met mine with unwavering trust.

"Forget about the nerves churning your insides," he said firmly. "Forget about your pounding heart. Focus on the matches. Whether Lycan or not, you're an incredible fighter, and you'll win all your duels. It won't be easy, but you'll win. I have faith in you!"

His words washed over me like a wave of strength. I smiled, feeling my confidence surge to its peak. Lyra growled in approval inside me.

"Thank you," I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

As Orion left, I felt ready—no, eager—to step into the arena and prove myself to Ezra and everyone at Silver Moon. Whatever game someone was playing with me today, they were about to learn that I wasn't so easily rattled.