Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 155

ISOLDE'S POV

The roar of the crowd washed over me as I stepped into the center of the Battle Arena, my heart hammering against my ribcage. The circular platform stood isolated in the middle of the space, surrounded by tiers of seats filled with Silver Moon's elite.

I forced myself to stand tall, shoulders back, chin up. Fake it till you make it, right?

My eyes instinctively sought out the VIP box, where I found Ezra seated in the center. Nathaniel sat to his right, along with other high-ranking Silver Moon executives I recognized from corporate photos.

*Don't let him down.* The mantra repeated in my head as I took my position.

My opponent, Nora, strode onto the platform with the confident swagger of someone who believed victory was already hers.

I scanned the arena again, taking in the hundreds of Lycan elites watching, judging, waiting for me to fail.

*I absolutely cannot fail here.*

"What's that look on your face?" Nora called out, her voice dripping with contempt. "Scared already?" She circled me slowly.

"If you're that frightened, why not just forfeit now?" Her smile widened, "You just need to kneel before me."

I replied coolly, "Those who demand surrender before the fight even begins are usually the most afraid and weak themselves."

Nora's smile faltered. "Afraid and weak?"

I allowed myself a small smile. "Yes. Since you're so eager for me to give up, I'm guessing you're the one who's truly afraid."

"You seem to forget that I'm a werewolf. I'm faster, stronger, more lethal—"

"Less talk," I cut her off, settling into a fighting stance. "When the whistle blows, prove it with action."

A sudden commotion rippled through the crowd. I turned to see Beta Nathaniel approaching the center of the arena. My heart skipped a beat.

*Holy shit, even the Beta is refereeing personally?*

Nathaniel's presence commanded immediate respect. His deep, authoritative voice carried across the arena without him having to shout.

"No cheating of any kind is permitted. Begin at the sound of my whistle. Is that understood?"

"Understood, sir!" Nora and I responded in unison.

The shrill sound of the whistle pierced the air. I immediately dropped into a defensive stance, my muscles coiled and ready. Nora bounced lightly on her feet, a smug smile playing on her lips as she circled me.

"Come on, debt girl!" she taunted, beckoning me forward with a curl of her fingers.

The nickname hit a nerve. I lunged forward, throwing a quick jab that she easily sidestepped.

"I told you I was fast..." she started to say.

I changed angles mid-attack, my fist connecting solidly with her mouth. The impact sent a shock up my arm, but the satisfaction of seeing her stumble backward was worth it. Blood trickled from her split lip.

She growled, and charged at me with a flurry of punches. I blocked most of them, my eyes searching for an opening. There—her left ribcage was exposed. I drove my fist into the vulnerable spot with all my strength.

The impact was more powerful than I expected. Nora let out a pained howl as she was literally lifted off her feet, flying several meters before crashing down at the edge of the platform.

*She actually flew. I didn't know I had that much strength.*

The arena erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. I heard my name being chanted by more and more voices, the sound swelling like a wave.

Nora lay on the ground for a long while, clutching her side, her face contorted in pain.

The whistle blew again. Nathaniel approached, announcing, "Isolde wins the first round."

Medical staff rushed to Nora's side as Nathaniel examined her injuries. I was escorted back to the preparation area, my heart still racing from the adrenaline.

The second match followed a similar pattern. My opponent was skilled but predictable, and I secured another ten-point victory. With each win, my confidence grew. Maybe I really could do this.

Back in the locker room, Nyssa approached me with a water bottle and a towel. "The final opponent has been decided," she said, her expression serious. "It's Evanthe."

My newfound confidence wavered. Evanthe was on another level entirel. This would be the real test.

I sat on the bench in the locker room, taking deep breaths to center myself. Part of me hoped Ezra might come to offer encouragement before the final match, but I knew that was wishful thinking.

The door swung open, and my heart leaped—only to sink when I saw Evanthe glide in.

"So we finally face each other,"

I stood up, my expression serious. "Yes, we'll finally see who's better." I refused to let her pre-match psychological warfare affect me.

Evanthe smiled, her perfect lips curving upward. "I hear your first two opponents were no match for you. You won both duels effortlessly."

I nodded. "You heard correctly."

A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. "Then are you ready for a real fight? I'm not like those ordinary werewolves."

I met her gaze directly. "I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

Her smile deepened.

A security guard knocked on the door. "Time's up."

Evanthe and I exchanged one last hostile glance before following the guard out.

As we walked down the corridor toward the arena, a sharp female voice called out, stopping me in my tracks. The bustling noise in the hallway instantly died down. I turned to see Greta marching toward us, her face pinched with fury.

Nathaniel frowned. "Greta?"

"This girl has been cheating all along!" Greta shrieked, pointing an accusatory finger at me. My heart rate spiked, confusion washing over me.

"What... what are you talking about?" I stammered.

Greta's lips curled into a cold smile. "Her two opponents, Nora and Clara, have been rushed to the medical center. After their duels with Isolde, they began vomiting, and Nora even collapsed. Tests show traces of a dangerous drug in their food. Something that would weaken them significantly during combat."

Nathaniel's expression remained neutral. "And what makes you think she's responsible?"

Greta looked triumphant. "Because we have surveillance footage as evidence. And worse, the food taster assigned to test Mr. Silverwood's meal died minutes after sampling it. Someone was seen entering the food storage room—Isolde. She not only poisoned her opponents but attempted to poison our Alpha!"

The corridor erupted with angry murmurs and accusations.

"Treason! Attempted murder! Seize her!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Before I could process what was happening, security personnel surrounded me, their grips painfully tight as they dragged me away from the arena.

"I didn't do any of this!" I struggled against their hold, desperation clawing at my throat. "I swear I'm innocent! Please believe me!"

But my protests fell on deaf ears. I was hauled through corridors and down several flights of stairs, eventually reaching the basement levels of Silver Moon Tower. They shoved me into a special containment cell, the steel door slamming shut with a finality that made my blood run cold.

Leaning against the frigid wall, I slid down to the floor, despair washing over me in waves.

This was so fucked up.